Pilar Cisneroshead of the ruling party faction, did not change her mind about the appointment of the son of the elected representative José Miguel Villalobos Umañain Presidential Housealthough it has been managed by the president himself Rodrigo Chaves.
“It is what it is: a care network that I have never shared and that I will never share“said Cisneros via WhatsApp, in response to a question from The Nationafter Villalobos revealed that he was the president of the Republic who offered him a position for his son as a lawyer in the Legal Office of the Presidential House.
The Government hired the son of Chaves’ lawyer in July 2025, shortly after José Miguel Villalobos Herrera joined the Costa Rican Bar Association, on May 27, 2025.
He was employed as a Civil Service 1-B professional, from July 9, 2025 to May 7, 2026, with a salary of ¢1.5 millionaccording to the Presidential House salary schedule system, published in the institutional transparency section.
In mid-February, in statements to the program Interferencefrom Radios UCR, Cisneros described this appointment as part of a care network, since the elected deputy Jose Miguel Villalobos Umaña is not only part of Chavismo, but he is the personal lawyer of Rodrigo Chaves, and has represented him in criminal proceedings and also the investigation into political belligerence by the Supreme Electoral Tribunal (TSE).
According to Pilar Cisneros, she asked when she learned about the appointment of the future congressman’s son and alleged that they told her that he had participated in a contest and won it.
“Do I agree? I don’t agree,” he said at that time.
For his part, José Miguel Villalobos declared to the press that “the president asked me, because of the friendship we have, ‘Look, do you have a son who is already graduating??’. He tells me, ‘Here we have a space in the Presidential House and we would like a trusted lawyer‘. And it seems to me that Don Rodrigo has the complete authority to appoint trusted people to the Presidential House. They are called positions of trust,” Villalobos said.
The Pueblo Soberano deputy compared the hiring of his son in the Presidency, through Rodrigo Chaves, with the hiring of trusted advisors in the offices of the Legislative Assembly, starting this May 1.
“TO As of May 1st I have five places in my legislative office of free appointment and removal. And no one is going to ask me, ‘and how did you name those five positions? Did you put them out to competition? Did you get any offers?’ No. So sometimes I am left thinking beyond the bad faith of some critics, if it is a matter of ignorance, why pretend that competitions have to be held for positions that are trustworthy,” he said.
The appointment corresponds to position number #000971, class Civil Service Professional 1-Band governs from July 9, 2025 to May 7, 2026according to the official letter MP-DMP-AJ-OF-0079-2025, signed by the former head of the Legal Department of the Ministry of the Presidency, Eduardo Mora Castro.
