Laura Fernández was inaugurated as Costa Rica’s president Friday in a ceremony in San Jose, becoming the second woman to lead the Central American nation. In her first act as president, she appointed outgoing president Rodrigo Chaves — a political ally of U.S. President Donald Trump — to serve as minister of the presidency and minister of finance, a move that locks in four additional years of legal immunity for Chaves as he faces multiple corruption investigations, according to the Associated Press.
The appointment, unprecedented in Costa Rican politics, reinforces Chaves’s hold on the executive branch even after his presidential term ended. As minister of the presidency, Chaves will also mediate between the executive and the Legislative Assembly, giving him substantial influence over the incoming government.
Chaves has been under scrutiny by Costa Rica’s Public Prosecutor’s Office and the Supreme Electoral Tribunal. During his presidency, lawmakers failed in two attempts to strip his immunity: the first, in September 2025, stemmed from allegations that he pressured officials to favor a former adviser; the second, in December, involved an inquiry into alleged “political belligerence” during the electoral campaign.
In a second high-profile appointment, Fernández named her second vice president, Douglas Soto, as ambassador to Washington. The strategic posting is aimed at deepening ties with the Trump administration, using a direct diplomatic channel.
Kristi Noem, the U.S. special envoy to a coalition of countries working to combat regional crime, attended the inauguration Friday on behalf of the Trump administration. Her presence underscored the growing relationship between the two countries. Noem had previously met with Chaves in March to finalize an agreement under which Costa Rica will receive up to 25 U.S. deportees each week, a deal that has drawn attention in the region.
The arrangement is the latest bold move by Chaves’s political movement, which has repeatedly tested Costa Rica’s democratic norms, the AP reported. Costa Rica has a long history of stable democratic governance, making the concentration of power in a former president under investigation particularly striking.