He will stay in the new administration in a powerful role that also grants him immunity from potential criminal prosecution, News.Az reports, citing UPI.
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President-elect Laura Fernández on Tuesday announced the members of her cabinet for the 2026-2030 term, appointing Chaves as both minister of the presidency and finance minister.
The appointment gives Chaves -- whose term as president ended -- executive control over strategic areas of government, including budget management and national intelligence just days after handing over the presidential sash.
According to local media reports, including La Nación and CR Hoy, the position of minister of the presidency also extends Chaves' legal immunity from criminal prosecution while he remains in office.
The protection is significant for the outgoing leader, who faces more than 50 open legal cases, including investigations into alleged influence peddling, misconduct in office and a high-profile case involving accusations that he improperly diverted funds donated by the Central American Bank for Economic Integration to pay for personal communications services.
Prosecutors have also filed formal charges against Chaves over alleged illegal financing during the 2022 presidential campaign.
Because he'd be a Cabinet member, any criminal proceedings against Chaves would first require lawmakers to lift his immunity in the Legislative Assembly, where at least 38 votes are needed. Opposition parties failed to reach that threshold during previous attempts while he was president.
Fernández, who won February's election promising to deepen Chaves' political legacy, defended the inclusion of her political mentor as part of what she called the "continuity of change."
In addition to Chaves, the incoming administration will retain 14 senior officials from the outgoing government, including ministers and heads of state institutions.
Chaves joins the new government with unusually strong approval ratings for an outgoing president, reaching 59.5% in CB Global Data's April 2026 ranking.
Supporters credit his administration with improving fiscal discipline, achieving a surplus equivalent to 1.6% of gross domestic product and lowering unemployment to a historic 6.3%.
However, his new role as minister of the presidency will require him to negotiate directly with a Congress with which he maintained a confrontational relationship throughout his term.
Opposition leaders reacted skeptically to the appointment, questioning whether Fernández will exercise real autonomy or whether Chaves will continue to wield power behind the scenes.
Political analysts interviewed by Costa Rican newspaper El Observador warned of possible tensions within the executive branch and raised concerns about the impact of Chaves' continued presence in government on the country's democratic institutions.
The so-called "super minister" will also inherit the security crisis that marked his presidency, including a record homicide rate of 16.7 killings per 100,000 residents registered in 2025.
