The Plenary unanimously approved a reform to modify article 32 of the Constitution, whose articles on the matter prohibit any Tico citizen to be forced to leave the country, reported Teletica channel.

The Legislative Assembly endorsed with 39 votes this Monday the proposal, processed under file 23.701, and now will go to the Constitutional Chamber for optional consultation, added the TV channel.

The next step of the initiative in its complicated path towards becoming law will be a second debate and then it will go to President Rodrigo Chaves, who will have to include it in his May 2025 report and then wait for the results of three new debates.

The time has come -according to deputy Paulina Ramirez- to make modifications so that, under assumed criteria and respecting rights and guarantees, any Costa Rican who commits criminal acts in the territory of a third country, may be submitted to the foreign criminal procedure’.

This step in the local legal system means that the defendant can prove his innocence or be punished and serve the sentence, without being able to hide behind his nationality to evade justice.

The non-extradition -explained the legislator- is not a fundamental right.

Therefore, allowing the extradition of Costa Rican persons does not harm the principle of progressiveness of human rights’.

The Supreme Court of Justice declared on June 18 that this constitutional reform proposed by the Government to the Parliament to allow the extradition of Costa Ricans for extreme crimes does not alter the organization and functioning of the Judiciary.

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