Minister Aguilar travels to Abu Dhabi and Ching assumes interim Justice role

The acting president, Francisco Gamboa Soto, authorized the Minister of Justice and Peace, Gabriel Aguilar Vargas, to participate in the high-level sessions of the 15th United Nations Congress on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice (CCPCJ) in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, with per diems for $1,071.28 charged to the ministry. The decision is contained in Agreement No. 079-P, signed on September 22, 2026, and published in La Gaceta No. 211 on Friday, November 6, 2026, which also designated Vice Minister Nils Ching Vargas as acting minister during the titular’s absence.

The agreement is based on Article 139, paragraph 2) of the Political Constitution and Article 47, paragraph 3) of the General Law of Public Administration, Law No. 6227, as well as the Travel and Transport Expense Regulations for Public Officials issued by the Comptroller General of the Republic. According to the recitals, the invitation came from the United Nations (UN) and the approval for the travel was sent via email on September 17, 2026, signed by Gloriana Jiménez Gamboa, from the Office of the President of the Republic.

The text was published in the Executive Branch section, Agreements subsection, of the 72-page edition of the official gazette. The signature of Gamboa Soto is explained by the fact that Agreement No. 072-P of September 17, 2026, called upon him to exercise the Presidency of the Republic between 4:00 p.m. on September 21 and 3:25 p.m. on September 23, 2026, both dates inclusive.

A congress on criminal justice in the digital age

Article 1 of Agreement No. 079-P enables the minister, holder of identity card 2-0688-0339, to attend the conclave scheduled in Abu Dhabi from September 26 to October 1, 2026. The document specifies that September 24, 25, 30, and October 1 were designated for air travel according to the travel itinerary.

The main theme of the congress was defined as “Accelerating crime prevention, criminal justice and the rule of law: protecting people and the planet, and achieving the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development in the digital age.”

Three entities cover the expenses

The agreement distributes the cost of the mission between the international organization, the host government, and the national budget:

• The round-trip airfare was covered by the Latin American Institute for the United Nations on Crime Prevention and the Treatment of Offenders (ILANUD).
• Per diems —meals, incidental expenses, laundry and pressing— were assumed by the Ministry of Justice and Peace, sub-item 10504, overseas transport, for an amount of $1,071.28 (one thousand seventy-one dollars 28/100), subject to liquidation.
• Lodging was covered by the Government of the United Arab Emirates.
• The travel insurance policy was the responsibility of the ministry, sub-item 10601.

Substitution, salary, and accountability

Article 7 designated Nils Ching Vargas, Vice Minister of Justice, identity card 9-0091-0443, as acting minister of the Ministry of Justice and Peace for the period between 06:00 hours on September 24, 2026, and 20:07 hours on October 1, 2026, both dates inclusive. Article 8 established the same validity for the agreement to take effect.

During the mission period, Aguilar Vargas earned 100% of his salary and was required to submit, upon his return, an executive report to the President of the Republic within a period not exceeding eight calendar days, detailing the activities carried out, results obtained, and benefits for the ministry and the country.

The August precedent

The same edition reproduces Agreement No. 068-P, signed on August 17, 2026, by Laura Fernández Delgado, which authorized legal vacations for the minister from August 18 to 23, 2026, and designated Nils Ching Vargas as acting minister for that period. This act was based on the Attorney General’s Office opinion No. C475-2006 of November 28, 2006, according to which ministers and vice ministers are entitled to paid annual vacations under constitutional numeral 59.

Both decisions illustrate the same administrative practice: every absence of the head of Justice and Peace is covered by the vice minister and formalized through an agreement published in the official gazette, with details of dates, times, and responsible parties.

The interest in the two agreements lies in the control of public spending and the continuity of the office: the late publication of a trip already taken and the distribution of costs between a UN agency, a foreign government, and the national budget allow readers to verify how much the Costa Rican representation cost and who exercised ministerial authority while the head was out of the country.

Source: La Gaceta, No. 211 of November 6, 2026, Executive Branch Section – Agreements, p. 9 (official reference: IN202601137656 and IN202601137654).