Editing Óscar Arias (section)

==Judicial accusations==

In 2017 Costa Rica's General Attorney office indicted Arias for the Crucitas case, a case in which former Environment Minister Roberto Dobles and Arias as president signed a 2008 decree ceding the Canadian company Infinito Gold control over a protected area near the Nicaraguan border known as Crucitas for gold mining and declaring it "national interest",<ref name="robles">{{cite news |last1=Robles |first1=Francis |title=Former President of Costa Rica Is Accused of Sexual Assault |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/02/05/world/americas/oscar-arias-sanchez-sexual-assault.html |access-date=7 February 2019 |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=5 February 2019}}</ref> something that the Prosecution argued was illegal as protected areas cannot be granted for exploitation of any kind. Dobles was previously found guilty of the charges, but Arias was not indicted alongside him by the previous General Attorney Jorge Chavarría (often accused of being close to Arias).<ref name="madrigal">{{cite news |last1=Madrial |first1=Luis |title=Caso Crucitas: Los eventos que llevaron a reabrir la causa contra Óscar Arias |url=https://www.elmundo.cr/caso-crucitas-los-eventos-llevaron-reabrir-la-causa-oscar-arias/ |access-date=7 February 2019 |agency=Mundo.cr |date=2 November 2017 |archive-date=6 August 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230806215349/https://elmundo.cr/costa-rica/caso-crucitas-los-eventos-llevaron-reabrir-la-causa-oscar-arias/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> The new General Attorney Emilia Navas reopened the case indicting Arias.<ref name="madrigal" />

Also in 2019 psychiatrist and anti-Nuclear activist Alexandra Arce von Herold formally accused Arias of rape at the Public Ministry. Following her allegation three more women came to light accusing Arias of sexual harassment and misconduct.<ref name="robles" /><ref>{{cite news |last1=Cordoba |first1=Javier |title=Costa Rica ex-leader Oscar Arias accused of sexual assault |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/the_americas/costa-rica-ex-leader-oscar-arias-accused-of-sexual-assault/2019/02/05/752e767e-2976-11e9-906e-9d55b6451eb4_story.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190205234257/https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/the_americas/costa-rica-ex-leader-oscar-arias-accused-of-sexual-assault/2019/02/05/752e767e-2976-11e9-906e-9d55b6451eb4_story.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=5 February 2019 |access-date=7 February 2019 |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |date=5 February 2019}}</ref> Arias denied the charges.<ref name="robles" /> In December 2020, all sexual harassment charges against Arias were dismissed.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Garza |first1=Jeffry |title=Óscar Arias obtiene sobreseimiento definitivo por denuncias de violación y abuso sexual |url=https://www.larepublica.net/noticia/oscar-arias-obtiene-sobreseimiento-definitivo-por-denuncias-de-violacion-y-abuso-sexual |access-date=10 December 2020 |agency=[[LaRepublica.com]] |date=7 December 2020}}</ref>

=== Definitive acquittal and dismissal ===
After more than a year of investigations, and in the absence of evidence, the cases were dismissed by the prosecution. Due to the request of the two complainants, requiring, therefore, the revocation of the instance and subsequent dismissal.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2020-12-12 |title=Charges of rape and sexual abuse dismissed against former president Oscar Arias |url=https://qcostarica.com/charges-of-rape-and-sexual-abuse-dismissed-against-former-president-oscar-arias/ |access-date=2023-08-25 |website=Q COSTA RICA |language=en-US}}</ref> The definitive dismissal was ordered by Judge Natalia Rodríguez Solís, of the Pavas Criminal Court.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Óscar Arias obtiene sobreseimiento definitivo por denuncias de violación y abuso sexual |url=https://www.larepublica.net/noticia/oscar-arias-obtiene-sobreseimiento-definitivo-por-denuncias-de-violacion-y-abuso-sexual |access-date=2023-08-25 |website=www.larepublica.net |language=es}}</ref>

Regarding the "Crucitas" case, in October 2019 the former president was completely released from the case, according to a judicial resolution. <ref>{{Cite web |title=Óscar Arias queda libre del caso Crucitas |url=https://www.larepublica.net/noticia/oscar-arias-queda-libre-del-casao-crucitas |access-date=2023-08-25 |website=www.larepublica.net |language=es}}</ref>