Alleged plot to kill Costa Rica’s president uncovered ahead of elections

Costa Rica’s national security chief said Tuesday that authorities are investigating an alleged plan to assassinate President Rodrigo Chaves in the run-up to the country’s presidential and legislative elections.

Jorge Torres, head of the Intelligence and National Security Directorate, disclosed the claims to reporters as he moved to submit a formal complaint to the public prosecutor’s office.

“What we received is confidential information that I would like to put on record in the complaint. I don’t want to go into details, but it concerns the life of the president of the Republic,” he told local media.

According to Torres, authorities received a call from a woman alleging that a contract had been taken out on Chaves and that a payment had been made to a hitman. He added that security measures were being stepped up for the conservative populist leader, who has cultivated an image as a politician who is tough-on-crime.

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Torres spoke as El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele, who has gained fame for his controversial security crackdown, was scheduled to visit the country.

On Wednesday, Chaves is scheduled to lay the cornerstone of a new “ mega-prison ” that Costa Rica plans to build, modeled on a facility built by Bukele.

Costa Rica will hold presidential and legislative elections on Feb. 1. While Chaves is ineligible to run for reelection, the ruling party’s Laura Fernández is among the presidential candidates.