Costa Rica’s governing party tried to push a senior judge off the Supreme Court on Wednesday 4 November 2026, and it failed. Judge Patricia Solano, who presides over the court’s criminal chamber, will now serve another eight years.
For US readers, the vote is a test of how independent Costa Rica’s courts remain under a new government. The country is a close US partner on trade and drug-trafficking cases, so stable courts matter to investors and visitors alike.
What Happened
The Legislative Assembly, Costa Rica’s one-chamber Congress with 57 seats, voted on Wednesday 4 November 2026 on whether to renew Solano for a second term. Her first eight-year term was due to end on Friday 6 November 2026.
The rules work in her favour. A judge is renewed automatically unless at least 38 of the 57 lawmakers, two thirds of the chamber, vote against.
The governing Pueblo Soberano (Sovereign People) party holds 31 seats, and 30 of its lawmakers voted against Solano. One of its members was absent, so the party could not reach 38 even with every present vote.
Why the Governing Party Lost
Before the vote, the Assembly’s committee on judicial appointments had recommended against renewing Solano, with the votes of the governing party. Opposition parties defended her record and said the push was political.
Governing-party lawmakers argued that judicial independence must not shield slow court work. Their critics linked the effort to Solano’s vote in July 2025, when she was one of three justices who backed lifting the immunity of then-president Rodrigo Chaves so he could face a criminal case.
The result shows the limit of the government’s power over the courts. Without opposition votes, the two-thirds rule left it unable to remove her.
A building of Costa Rica’s Legislative Assembly in San José, where the 57 lawmakers voted on Wednesday 4 November 2026. File photo: Rio Times archive.Who Is Patricia Solano
Solano has worked in the judiciary since 1988 and was first elected to the Supreme Court on Tuesday 6 November 2018, with 38 votes. She has presided over the Sala Tercera, the court’s chamber for criminal appeals, since June 2020.
In plain English, the Sala Tercera is where final criminal cases land when a convicted person or a prosecutor appeals. Her renewal keeps the same judge at the head of that chamber for another full term.
What It Means for You
If you invest in Costa Rica or run a business there, the vote signals that courts can still resist pressure from the government of the day. That matters for contracts, tax disputes and anti-corruption cases that involve US companies.
Travelers and expats will notice nothing in daily life. Readers who follow the country can read our guide to Costa Rica’s power structure to see how the courts, Congress and the presidency share power.
What Is Not Known
It is not known whether the governing party will try again to reshape the court, for example through a change to the appointment rules. The party has not said what it will do next.
Two other justices, Julia Varela and Jorge Araya, were also reelected despite the governing party’s opposition. Solano ran for president of the Supreme Court on Monday 26 October 2026 and lost, so she will not lead the whole court.
More: Costa Rica news in English, every day from The Rio Times.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who Is Patricia Solano?
She is a Supreme Court judge who leads the court’s criminal chamber and has worked in the judiciary since 1988. The Legislative Assembly renewed her for eight years on Wednesday 4 November 2026.
Why Did the Governing Party Want Her Out?
Governing-party lawmakers said the court was too slow and should be held to account. Critics linked the push to her 2025 vote on lifting a former president’s immunity.
How Does a Judge Keep a Seat in Costa Rica?
A judge is renewed automatically unless two thirds of the 57 lawmakers, or 38 votes, vote against. The governing party had only 30 against votes.
Sources: Legislative Assembly of Costa Rica, plenary session and appointments committee, 4 November 2026; Judicial Branch of Costa Rica, Sala Tercera and judge profiles, 4 November 2026.