After an investigation and receiving information from people that worked closely in the presidential campaign of former candidate Fabricio Alvarado (PRN), the Costa Rican Supreme Electoral Court (TSE in Spanish) concluded that the campaign received money in cash which was not included in any of the reports that are demanded by the electoral law to justify the origin of the funds.
The information was revealed via a copy of the report filed by the TSE to the Public Ministry regarding the financing of the campaign.

The National Restoration party (PRN) reported donations for under 7 million colones (under $12,000 USD) in cash and 12.7 million colones (approximately $21,000 USD) yet, the TSE found three providers that confirmed having received payments that totalled over $96,000 USD.

“In the campaign house (in Sabana Norte, San José), a lot of cash was handled, Jonatán Picado (a close collaborator to Fabricio Alvarado) people would bring money in cash to the house and it was always in dollars (…) it would come in black plastic bags and bundles of $1,000” , reads the statement given by a woman of last name Fernández who worked in Alvarado’s campaign.

The statement provided is backed by declarations given to TSE by Luis Alonso Naranjo, Alvarado’s cousin, who presented a lawsuit against the PRN since he claims he is owed money for his company’s service in the area of production, press management, creation of jingles, among others; Naranjo and his wife claim they witnessed in more than one occasion how Picado would be counting the cash to pay other providers.
There are also claims of a parallel structure that worked for the campaign but separated from the original PRN campaign leaders.

Alvarado and Picado have rejected the charges. Alvarado, who left the PRN months back to build his own political party, affirms this is all and “orchestrated attack” and a “dirty campaign” against him.