Procedural law for filing and prosecuting environmental claims: recurso de amparo, denuncias before the Tribunal Ambiental Administrativo (TAA), lesividad, signature-validity rules, SITADA filings, and Art. 27 Ley Forestal information requests.
Derecho procesal para presentar y litigar reclamos ambientales: recurso de amparo, denuncias ante el Tribunal Ambiental Administrativo (TAA), lesividad, validez de firma, trámites SITADA y solicitudes de información del Art. 27 Ley Forestal.
1639 documents in this topic.
Res. 01626-2026 Sala Constitucional2026 · Sala Constitucional
Electrocución de monos congo en Nosara y omisión estatal en prevención
The Constitutional Chamber hears an amparo against the Executive Branch, ICE, MINAE, and various electric companies, alleging a failure to implement effective prevention and mitigation measures for wildlife electrocution, focusing on the howler monkey population in Nosara district. Despite Directive 13-2018 and Decree 44329-MINAE, which formalize…
Res. 01702-2026 Sala Constitucional2026 · Sala Constitucional
Amparo contra Plan Regulador de El Guarco y Plan de Manejo de Zona Protectora es declarado sin lugar
The Constitutional Chamber denied an amparo filed by a resident of the Río Navarro – Río Sombrero Protective Zone against the Municipality of El Guarco and SINAC. The petitioner claimed that the modification of the Municipal Zoning Plan and the drafting of the General Management Plan for the protective zone lacked effective citizen participation,…
Res. 02702-2026 Sala Constitucional2026 · Sala Constitucional
Amparo por inacción del Ministerio de Salud ante inmueble abandonado con contaminación
The Constitutional Chamber upheld an amparo appeal filed by a resident of La Lima de Cartago, who reported that since June 2024, the Cartago Health Area had failed to address an abandoned property—roofless, with accumulated waste, stagnant water, and vector breeding—that endangered the health and healthy environment of her community. The health authority…
Res. 00272-2026 Sala Constitucional2026 · Sala Constitucional
Improcedencia de amparo por traslado del Festival de la Luz a La Sabana
The Constitutional Chamber flatly rejects a writ of amparo filed against the Municipality of San José, the Ministry of Health, MINAE, SINAC, and ICODER regarding the alleged intention to move the 2025 Festival de la Luz inside the Parque Metropolitano La Sabana. The petitioner argued the event would harm an urban ecosystem and resident and migratory birds,…
Res. 00585-2026 Sala Constitucional2026 · Sala Constitucional
Archivo por admisión previa de amparo sobre inacción municipal
The Constitutional Chamber received an amparo action against the Municipality of Cartago for failure to enforce an administrative order to cease the illegal use of a property as a heavy truck parking lot — an activity prohibited by the zoning plan and generating noise and pollution. The Chamber ordered the case archived after confirming that the same facts…
Res. 03364-2026 Sala Constitucional2026 · Sala Constitucional
Rechazo de acción de inconstitucionalidad contra Decreto 25902-MIVAH-MP-MINAE
The Constitutional Chamber flatly dismisses an unconstitutionality action against Executive Decree No. 25902-MIVAH-MP-MINAE, which modified the Regional Urban Development Plan to establish protection and urban control zones in the Greater Metropolitan Area. The majority of the Court holds that the petitioner lacks standing. The underlying administrative…
Res. 00606-2026 Sala Constitucional2026 · Sala Constitucional
Incumplimiento reiterado de órdenes de limpieza de quebrada en Puntarenas
The Constitutional Chamber hears a second noncompliance proceeding regarding Judgment 2025-017101, which ordered the Municipality of Puntarenas and the Barranca Health Area to resolve environmental and health complaints concerning the Bomba Vieja Creek. The Municipality reports partial cleaning work and emergency intervention requests but acknowledges…
Res. 00619-2026 Sala Constitucional2026 · Sala Constitucional
Solicitud de aclaración y adición rechazada sobre prohibición de FADs anclados
The Constitutional Chamber denies the request for clarification and addition filed by the petitioner, who had obtained a favorable ruling ordering several institutions to prevent fishing with FADs or fish aggregating devices anchored to the seabed. The petitioner sought to clarify that the prohibition covers any heavy material used as ballast, that it…
Res. 00707-2026 Sala Constitucional2026 · Sala Constitucional
Omisión de respuesta a denuncia ambiental sobre recurso hídrico
The Constitutional Chamber reviews an amparo filed by an individual against the Ministry of Environment and Energy (MINAE) for failing to respond to an environmental complaint about alleged impacts on water resources in Bahía Ballena, Osa. The complainant reported unmapped springs, internal road construction involving earth movement, and discrepancies with…
Res. 01207-2026 Sala Constitucional2026 · Sala Constitucional
Rechazo de plano por extemporaneidad de amparo ambiental
The Constitutional Chamber summarily dismisses an amparo filed against the Municipality of Osa for failure to respond to inquiries regarding two development projects in Playa Dominical. The petitioner submitted the requests on October 24, 2024, and received no answer, but filed the amparo only on December 22, 2025—over a year later. The majority of the…
Res. 01379-2026 Sala Constitucional2026 · Sala Constitucional
Inadmisión de amparo contra tope ecuestre en San Ramón
The Constitutional Chamber rejects outright an amparo filed against the Ministry of Environment and Energy, the Ministry of Health, and the Municipality of San Ramón for authorizing the horse parade on December 26, 2025. The petitioners alleged environmental and noise pollution, biological waste, animal abuse, harm to children, and the lack of prior…
Res. 01678-2026 Sala Constitucional2026 · Sala Constitucional
Municipalidad no puede aplicar estudio hidrogeológico sin plan regulador
The Constitutional Chamber reviews an amparo against the San Rafael de Heredia Municipal Council, which in August 2024 adopted a resolution to immediately apply management policies from a hydrogeological study, raising allowed lot coverage in the GAM Special Protection Zone from 30% to 70%. The petitioner claims the resolution is void for bypassing Urban…
Res. 01727-2026 Sala Constitucional2026 · Sala Constitucional
Derecho de petición y acceso a información sobre cierre técnico del Relleno Sanitario de Río Azul
The Constitutional Chamber heard an amparo petition filed by the Association for the Development of Ecology against the Ministry of Health for failing to adequately respond to a public information request regarding the technical closure of the Río Azul Landfill. The request sought a breakdown of public funds, beneficiaries, public tenders, and…
Res. 01872-2026 Sala Constitucional2026 · Sala Constitucional
Disponibilidad de agua para persona jurídica no tutelable en amparo
The Constitutional Chamber hears an amparo filed by a limited liability company against the AyA for the delay in resolving a potable water availability request for a real estate project in Liberia. The petitioner alleges administrative omission violating the right to prompt justice and access to water. However, the Chamber dismisses the appeal on the…
Res. 01858-2026 Sala Constitucional2026 · Sala Constitucional
Contaminación por residuos en vía férrea no constituye lesión a derechos fundamentales cuando hay respuesta municipal
The Constitutional Chamber dismissed an amparo action filed against INCOFER and the Municipality of Heredia concerning alleged waste accumulation on a railway line adjacent to the plaintiffs’ parents’ property. The petitioner claimed the debris and trash attracted pests, harming residents’ health, especially the elderly. The Chamber verified that the…
Res. 02326-2026 Sala Constitucional2026 · Sala Constitucional
Explosión de bombetas en Aserrí no jurisdicción de amparo
The Constitutional Chamber flatly rejects an amparo petition filed against the Municipality of Aserrí for authorizing firecracker and gunpowder explosions during festivities. The petitioner claimed this caused continuous noise and environmental pollution, affecting the health and tranquility of residents and their pets. The Chamber notes that the…
Res. 04305-2026 Sala Constitucional2026 · Sala Constitucional
Divulgación de nombre de denunciante no lesiona intimidad si no se solicitó confidencialidad
The Constitutional Chamber declined to grant an amparo filed by a resident of Siquirres who complained about noise pollution from a school band practice. The complainant argued that the Municipality violated his right to privacy by disclosing his name to the school. The Court found that the Municipality simply forwarded his complaint to the competent…
Res. 05768-2026 Sala Constitucional2026 · Sala Constitucional
Amparo por obras de restauración en el Teatro Nacional
The Constitutional Chamber heard an amparo action against the Ministry of Culture and Youth, the Cultural Heritage Directorate, and the National Theatre regarding restoration works carried out in 2025. The claimant alleged damage to the original wooden doors (transport without protocols, incompatible modern glossy finishes), damage to the perimeter wall…
Res. 02235-2026 Sala Constitucional2026 · Sala Constitucional
Prorroga de plazo para cumplimiento de amparo sobre agua potable en Berlín
This post-decision action within an amparo proceeding addresses the request by the Costa Rican Water and Sewer Institute (AyA) and INDER to extend the deadline for executing water works ordered in a 2018 judgment. The Constitutional Chamber assesses the progress of the integrated project serving the communities of Berlin, El Consuelo, Quebrada Grande,…
Res. 02430-2026 Sala Constitucional2026 · Sala Constitucional
Amparo prematuro por orden sanitaria y omisión municipal en manejo de aguas
The Constitutional Chamber flatly rejected an amparo petition filed against the Municipality of Oreamuno and the Ministry of Health. The petitioner, owner of a property in San Rafael de Oreamuno, argued that since 2008 he has built with municipal permits, and that the management of stormwater and sewage was always known and tolerated by the municipality.…
Res. 02548-2026 Sala Constitucional2026 · Sala Constitucional
Aclaración sobre certificación de Patrimonio Natural del Estado no procede por ser cuestión técnica
The Constitutional Chamber rejects a request for clarification filed by the National Housing and Urbanism Institute (INVU), which sought a ruling on whether the updated certification of the State Natural Heritage (PNE) prepared by SINAC-ACLAC complied with a previous judgment that ordered the supplementation of the certification with wetland delimitation…
Res. 02561-2026 Sala Constitucional2026 · Sala Constitucional
Ampliación de plazo para cumplimiento de sentencia sobre PTAR El Cacao
The Constitutional Chamber rules on a request for an extension of time filed by several ordered authorities (AyA, Ministry of Health, Municipality of Santa Cruz) to comply with ruling No. 2025030948, which required a definitive solution within two months to the health and environmental problems of the El Cacao WWTP. After reviewing progress reports, the…
Res. 02632-2026 Sala Constitucional2026 · Sala Constitucional
Desestimación de amparo por obras de cuneteo en ruta nacional 239
The Constitutional Chamber denied an amparo filed by a landowner in Mora Canton who alleged that drainage works (cuneteo) carried out by CONAVI on National Route 239 in 2012 redirected stormwater into the Bajo Clara stream, increasing its flow and causing flooding, erosion, and risk of housing collapse. He also complained of unauthorized entry by municipal…
Res. 02673-2026 Sala Constitucional2026 · Sala Constitucional
Suspensión del Festival de la Luz en La Sabana por riesgo ambiental
A resident of Pavas filed an amparo action against ICODER, MINAE, the Ministry of Health, and the Municipality of San José, arguing that holding the 2025 Festival of Light in La Sabana Metropolitan Park in a closed circuit would cause irreparable environmental damage to flora and fauna and to the park as the city's green lung, as well as endanger the lives…
Res. 03049-2026 Sala Constitucional2026 · Sala Constitucional
Denegada gestión de desobediencia por emisión de acto final en expediente ambiental
The Constitutional Chamber addresses a noncompliance motion alleging disobedience of a prior judgment that ordered the Environmental Administrative Tribunal (TAA) to definitively resolve an environmental complaint. The TAA reports that, after multiple extensions and evidentiary requests, it issued final decision 1403-2025-TAA on November 25, 2025, which is…
Res. 03051-2026 Sala Constitucional2026 · Sala Constitucional
Reiteración de orden por desobediencia sobre edificios municipales en área protegida
The Constitutional Chamber addressed a non-compliance motion (gestión de inejecución) filed by the petitioner in case file 24-031119-0007-CO regarding judgment No. 2025003692 of February 7, 2025. In that judgment, the Chamber had upheld the amparo and ordered the Municipality of Garabito to definitively and comprehensively resolve, within six months, the…
Res. 03055-2026 Sala Constitucional2026 · Sala Constitucional
Revisión de sentencia sobre Parque Los Chorros por malla ciclón
The resolution addresses a request for review against the judgment that dismissed an amparo action filed by a neighbor of Grecia. The original ruling rejected complaints about lack of surveillance, uncontrolled visitation, and the installation of a cyclone mesh fence in Los Chorros Park by the Municipality, arguing that no arbitrary conduct harmful to the…
Res. 03078-2026 Sala Constitucional2026 · Sala Constitucional
Inadmisibilidad de amparo por contaminación visual de postes
The Constitutional Chamber summarily dismisses an amparo filed by several Alajuela residents against the Municipality of Alajuela, ICE, and SUTEL. The petitioners complained of visual pollution from three utility poles with disorganized cabling in the city center, alleging violation of their rights to a healthy environment and scenic beauty. The respondent…
Res. 03240-2026 Sala Constitucional2026 · Sala Constitucional
Acceso a datos de pesca de atún por buques cerqueros en la zona económica exclusiva del Pacífico
The Costa Rican Federation of Sport Fishing (FECOP) filed an amparo action against the Costa Rican Institute of Fisheries and Aquaculture (INCOPESCA) for failing to provide information on tuna fishing by purse seine vessels in Costa Rica's Pacific Exclusive Economic Zone, as provided by the IATTC. The majority of the Constitutional Chamber dismissed the…
Res. 04421-2026 Sala Constitucional2026 · Sala Constitucional
Amparo contra SENASA por inacción ante denuncia ambiental — orden sanitaria emitida durante el proceso
The petitioner filed a complaint with SENASA regarding a cattle pen next to her home that lacked proper sanitary and environmental controls, causing foul odors, flies, and accumulation of excreta. Although SENASA conducted several site visits from May 2025 onward, it failed to notify the owner or issue a sanitary order until January 2026, after the…
Res. 04850-2026 Sala Constitucional2026 · Sala Constitucional
Requisitos municipales en segregación no revisables en amparo
The Constitutional Chamber declares inadmissible the amparo appeal filed against the Municipality of Santo Domingo de Heredia. The appellant alleged violation of fundamental rights due to the late imposition of technical requirements (stormwater mitigation works and sidewalks) for the approval of a property segregation, as well as lack of timely…
Res. 05169-2026 Sala Constitucional2026 · Sala Constitucional
Improcedencia de gestión posterior sobre cumplimiento de amparo ambiental
The Constitutional Chamber dismisses a subsequent motion filed by the petitioner in amparo case 19-007294-0007-CO. The petitioner claimed that the Municipality of Alajuela had failed to comply with the Chamber's orders and complained about the cancellation of an interpreter appointment in a related environmental case. The Court recalls that the original…
Res. 05665-2026 Sala Constitucional2026 · Sala Constitucional
Inadmisibilidad de amparo ambiental por prematuro y falta de agotamiento
The Constitutional Chamber flatly rejects an amparo action against the Municipality of Barva for allegedly failing to address complaints regarding an unpermitted shop causing noise and environmental pollution. Regarding a 2023 complaint, the Chamber finds that the municipality did respond by warning the accused, rendering that part inadmissible. As for a…
Res. 05749-2026 Sala Constitucional2026 · Sala Constitucional
Nueva gestión de desobediencia debe tramitarse como asunto nuevo si los hechos son posteriores y distintos a la sentencia original
The Constitutional Chamber addresses a noncompliance motion filed by the petitioner regarding judgment 2021-017811, which had ordered the Municipality of Alajuelita and the Ministry of Health to definitively resolve complaints about noise, clandestine slot machines, and alcohol consumption on public roads. The petitioner claims that, over a year later, the…
Res. 05996-2026 Sala Constitucional2026 · Sala Constitucional
Inejecución de sentencia de amparo contra SENASA por actividad pecuaria
The petitioner alleges that the Constitutional Chamber already granted a previous amparo (case 25-030570-0007-CO), ordering SENASA to address irregularities from a cattle pen near his home. He claims the agency merely issued a Veterinary Operation Certificate without effectively solving the nighttime noise from penned cattle, the use of an electric grass…
Res. 06133-2026 Sala Constitucional2026 · Sala Constitucional
Desobediencia de orden de amparo sobre información ambiental en Plan Regulador Costero de Talamanca
This Constitutional Chamber ruling addresses a motion for clarification and noncompliance filed by the petitioner in an amparo proceeding. First, it corrects a material error in the prior judgment (No. 2025002151), replacing the award against the 'State' with an award against the 'National System of Conservation Areas' (SINAC), given its instrumental legal…
Res. 06158-2026 Sala Constitucional2026 · Sala Constitucional
Amparo por contaminación sónica y orden sanitaria del Ministerio de Salud
The petitioner, a resident of the Condominium Barcelona, filed an amparo action against the Ministry of Health for allegedly failing to enforce a sanitary order issued against the Bar and Restaurant Fulcro due to noise pollution. Although a complaint was filed in February 2025, official noise measurements were not taken until September 2025, and the…
Res. 06212-2026 Sala Constitucional2026 · Sala Constitucional
Suministro de agua en asentamiento informal afectado por conexiones ilícitas
The Constitutional Chamber denied the amparo action filed by residents of the informal settlement Martina Bustos in Liberia, Guanacaste, against the Costa Rican Institute of Aqueducts and Sewers (AyA). The plaintiffs claimed insufficient water pressure and scarcity at the 12 public taps installed by AyA as an exceptional measure in that irregular…
Res. 07194-2026 Sala Constitucional2026 · Sala Constitucional
Coordinación interinstitucional ante filtración de aguas que amenaza seguridad y salud
The Constitutional Chamber reviewed an amparo action concerning rainwater infiltration in a home, where water emerged from electrical outlets during rain, endangering the occupants. The Municipality of Montes de Oca inspected the property and referred the case to the Health Area, but failed to follow up on identified urbanistic irregularities. The Ministry…
Res. 07392-2026 Sala Constitucional2026 · Sala Constitucional
Acceso a información ferroviaria y proceso penal
The Constitutional Chamber hears an amparo appeal against INCOFER, where the petitioner requested official certification on the existence, nature, and registry status of a railway section. INCOFER responded that the information was linked to criminal proceedings (11-001840-0485-PE and 23-000003-1851-PE) and, therefore, access was restricted under Article…
Res. 08878-2026 Sala Constitucional2026 · Sala Constitucional
Rechazo de plano de segunda acción sobre Ley Indígena
The Constitutional Chamber summarily dismisses a second constitutional challenge brought by the same representative and in the same underlying case (file 17-000087-1028-CA) against Articles 1, 2, 3, 5 and 6 of the Indigenous Law. The action alleged that these norms empty the property rights of non-indigenous occupants in good faith without prior…
Res. 08996-2026 Sala Constitucional2026 · Sala Constitucional
Rechazo de desobediencia por avance en medidas provisionales contra basureros en Purral
The Constitutional Chamber reviewed a non‑compliance petition filed by the original petitioner against several authorities (Municipality of Goicoechea, IMAS, SINAC, the Health Area Directorate) for allegedly failing to comply with a judgment that ordered immediate minimization of contamination hotspots caused by informal settlements in Purral, Goicoechea.…
Res. 09076-2026 Sala Constitucional2026 · Sala Constitucional
Derecho de petición en asociación protectora ambiental
The Constitutional Chamber resolves an amparo action filed on behalf of an environmental protection association. The petitioner claimed no response was received to a request filed with the Municipality of Vázquez de Coronado regarding compliance with a prior ruling (No. 2025-014024) from the same Chamber. The Chamber found it proven that the municipality…
Res. 09200-2026 Sala Constitucional2026 · Sala Constitucional
Inadmisibilidad de amparo sobre medida cautelar penal en humedal
The Constitutional Chamber flatly rejects an amparo action filed by property owners in Esterillos Oeste, Parrita, after the Municipality of Parrita denied a construction permit due to an alleged indirect relationship with a wetland linked to a criminal case from 2011 (file 11-000009-0611-PE). They claimed good-faith acquisition, a clean land registry,…
Res. 09526-2026 Sala Constitucional2026 · Sala Constitucional
Amparo por contaminación sónica declarado inadmisible por presentación prematura
The Constitutional Chamber resolves an amparo action filed by a resident of Heredia against the Ministry of Health and the Public Force, regarding the lack of response to a noise-pollution complaint from a hardware store in a residential area. The petitioner claims that high noise levels, even at night and on weekends, affect his health, rest, and work…
Res. 09951-2026 Sala Constitucional2026 · Sala Constitucional
Gestión posterior por presunta desobediencia en amparo ambiental desestimada
The Constitutional Chamber denies a post-judgment motion filed by the petitioner in amparo 21-012199-0007-CO, seeking a declaration of disobedience of the 2021 ruling. The Chamber had already determined, in a prior interlocutory order, that the alleged facts (noise pollution, unlicensed activities, and recent disturbances) were new and distinct from those…
Res. 09960-2026 Sala Constitucional2026 · Sala Constitucional
Desobediencia de sentencia sobre información del plan regulador costero de Matina
The Constitutional Chamber resolves a second non-compliance filing by a petitioner against the Municipality of Matina, alleging failure to comply with Judgment 2025-032461 ordering a response to his request for an official map delimiting Afro-Costa Rican ancestral territory in the coastal regulatory plan. The petitioner claimed the municipality had not…
Res. 12238-2026 Sala Constitucional2026 · Sala Constitucional
Falta de respuesta municipal a denuncias ambientales en Playa Dominical y Dominicalito
The Constitutional Chamber grants an amparo action against the Municipality of Osa for failing to resolve and formally communicate the definitive solution to environmental complaints filed in February 2025 regarding illegal activities on Playa Dominical and Dominicalito. Although the Municipality carried out inspections, inter-institutional coordination,…
Res. 12204-2026 Sala Constitucional2026 · Sala Constitucional
Gimnasio Grit Box y demora administrativa en denuncia por contaminación sónica
The Constitutional Chamber hears an amparo filed by a Turrialba resident against the Municipality of Turrialba and the Ministry of Health, due to noise pollution and vibrations from the Grit Box gym. The Chamber partially grants the appeal, solely against the Turrialba Health Area of the Ministry of Health, for violating the right to effective…
Res. 13379-2026 Sala Constitucional2026 · Sala Constitucional
Contaminación sónica por sirena vecinal: deberes del Ministerio de Salud
The Constitutional Chamber reviews an amparo action concerning noise pollution from a siren installed on a neighboring property, activated without emergency. The complainant reported the situation to the Ministry of Health in 2024; the authority conducted inspections, issued sanitary orders, and reopened the case in 2026. The Chamber finds that the…
Res. 13419-2026 Sala Constitucional2026 · Sala Constitucional
Contaminación sónica por alarmas comunitarias y deber de salud pública
The Constitutional Chamber reviewed an amparo action filed by a resident of San Francisco de Dos Ríos against the Ministry of Health and the Municipality of San José for inaction regarding noise from loudspeakers installed as a community alarm system. The petitioner claimed harm to health, rest, and telework. The Chamber granted the appeal against the…
Res. 00583-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Amparo por aguas negras en El Cocal de Puntarenas: reiteración de órdenes ante incumplimiento municipal y del Ministerio de Salud
The Constitutional Chamber hears a new amparo from a resident of the El Cocal neighborhood in Puntarenas regarding the persistent problem of sewage entering homes, originating from the internal sewer network of the urbanization built by INVU. The petitioner claims lack of maintenance by competent authorities, endangering his health and that of neighbors,…
Res. 00538-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Respuesta a denuncia ambiental y cese del agravio en amparo
The Constitutional Chamber hears an amparo appeal against SINAC for failing to respond to an environmental complaint regarding stream piping and irregular constructions in Las Brisas Free Trade Zone. The appellant claims violation of fundamental rights, as neither his July 22, 2024 complaint nor his August 21, 2024 information request were answered. During…
Res. 00518-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Omisión de respuesta administrativa en trámite de pozo y viabilidad ambiental
The Constitutional Chamber of Costa Rica reviewed an amparo action filed against SETENA and the Water Directorate of MINAE for lack of response to requests concerning well CY-15 in Malpaís de Cóbano. The petitioner argued the well, classified as semi-confined, should be deemed covered unconfined, and its proximity to a stream and fecal coliform…
Res. 00544-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Proyecto de relleno sanitario en Picagres: sin vulneración por parte de Minae, Setena y Municipalidad
The Constitutional Chamber denied the amparo filed by residents against the Ministry of Environment and Energy (MINAE), the Municipality of Mora, SETENA, and SINAC for alleged failure to oversee the Parque Industrial Jateo landfill project in Picagres, Mora. The petitioners alleged tree felling, earthworks, and material extraction without permits, as well…
Res. 00551-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Respuesta extemporánea de MINAE sobre consultas de impactos ambientales
The Constitutional Chamber reviewed an amparo filed by a deputy against the Ministry of Environment and Energy for failing to respond in a timely manner to a request for information on environmental impacts of a Solid Waste Transfer Technology Center in the community of Nombre194999, Osa. The request, sent on October 29, 2024, questioned the technical…
Res. 00075-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Acumulación de amparos sobre acceso a permisos de construcción en zona de protección de ríos
The Constitutional Chamber consolidates amparo case 24-033482-0007-CO with case 24-027574-0007-CO due to material connection. Both amparos, filed by the same petitioner against the Municipality of Pérez Zeledón, concern the denial of access to documents related to a construction permit granted to a private company within the protection zone of the Barucito…
Res. 01363-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Municipalidad debe atender informe de CNE sobre manejo de aguas pluviales
The Constitutional Chamber reviewed an amparo action filed by a property owner in Mercedes Norte, Puriscal, who claimed that inadequate stormwater management from the municipal road and adjacent properties is causing severe erosion on his land, threatening his home and the stability of the public road. The petitioner alleged that since 2015 he has…
Res. 01282-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Omisión de notificar resolución final tras denuncia ambiental
The Constitutional Chamber hears an amparo action against the Municipality of Desamparados and the Ministry of Health for alleged inaction regarding a complaint about sewage overflows that flooded the plaintiff's home. The Chamber finds that both entities conducted inspections and dye tests, concluding that no connection was proven to the alleged source.…
Res. 01417-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Municipalidad debe coordinar con Salud en denuncias ambientales por aguas residuales
The Constitutional Chamber ruled on an amparo filed by a property owner in Nicoya who reported to the Municipality a wastewater spill from neighboring properties that damaged her land. She claimed a violation of her right to a prompt and complete administrative procedure, as the complaint filed on October 4, 2024 had not been resolved by the time the…
Res. 01430-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Omisión de respuesta del INVU a solicitud de información sobre Plan Regulador y cuadrantes urbanos
The Constitutional Chamber hears an amparo appeal against the National Institute of Housing and Urbanism (INVU) for failing to respond to a request for certified information on the status of the Regulatory Plan process and urban quadrant expansion in Santa Bárbara de Heredia. The petitioner submitted the request on October 25, 2024, but had not received a…
Res. 01768-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Rechazo de plano de amparo contra la Presidencia, MAG e INCOPESCA por no implementar decreto de pesca artesanal
The Constitutional Court dismissed outright an amparo action filed by coordinators of the Network of Marine Areas of Responsible Fishing and Marine Life Territories against the Presidency, the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (MAG), and the Costa Rican Institute of Fishing and Aquaculture (INCOPESCA). The plaintiffs alleged lack of response to…
Res. 01697-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Improcedencia de gestión de desobediencia por no ser parte
The Constitutional Chamber addresses a disobedience claim filed by Aaron Tapia Cortés, who was not a party to the original amparo proceeding (file 24-002426-0007-CO). In prior judgment No. 2024-006366, the Chamber granted the amparo upon verifying that the environmental complaint had been addressed, without issuing further orders. The claimant argues that…
Res. 02284-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Ocupación en Refugio de Vida Silvestre es conflicto de legalidad
The Constitutional Chamber hears an amparo filed by a person claiming to have occupied land within the Ostional National Wildlife Refuge for several years. The claimant argues that the Tempisque Conservation Area filed a criminal complaint against them for invasion of a protected area and threatened administrative eviction. The Chamber dismisses the…
Res. 01991-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Amparo ambiental por descarga de aguas pluviales y residuales en Montes de Oca
The Constitutional Chamber hears an amparo filed by a property owner in Cedros de Montes de Oca, who claims that rainwater and wastewater from neighboring houses are discharged onto her land, causing foul odors, vectors, and an unhealthy environment. The plaintiff filed complaints with the Montes de Oca Health Area and the Municipality. Despite inspections…
Res. 02220-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Amparo prematuro por inspección de daños por infiltración de aguas
The Constitutional Chamber flatly rejects an amparo appeal as premature. The appellant had asked the Municipality of Vázquez de Coronado for an inspection due to water infiltration from a neighbor's construction, submitting the request on November 28, 2024. By the time the amparo was filed on January 2, 2025, the reasonable two-month period that…
Res. 03101-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Antena celular en Ostional sin permisos y tala de cenízaro
The Constitutional Chamber summarily dismissed an amparo petition challenging the installation of a cell tower in Ostional, Guanacaste. Petitioner argued lack of construction permits, harm to the health and tranquility of elderly neighbors, presumed location within the Ostional Wildlife Refuge, and felling of a protected cenízaro tree. The Chamber…
Res. 02797-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Acceso a expediente y petición sobre Parque Tecnológico Aczarri
The Constitutional Chamber reviewed an amparo action filed by a journalism student against the Municipality of Aserrí, for failing to respond promptly to two requests concerning the Aczarri Environmental Technology Park. The first request sought a copy of the complete administrative file for the project, emphasizing municipal permits for the single cell.…
Res. 02954-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Amparo por denuncia de malos olores sin respuesta resuelto como improcedente
The Constitutional Chamber reviews an amparo filed by a citizen who, in June 2024, complained to the Montes de Oca Health Authority about foul odors from a neighboring property, alleging a health risk and a lack of response as of December 2024. The respondent authority reported having addressed the complaint through multiple inspections between June and…
Res. 03656-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Deslizamiento en Residencial Vista Azul por falta de estabilización y manejo de aguas
The claimants, owners of properties in the Vista Azul residential complex in Moravia, filed an amparo action against the Municipality of Moravia, CONAVI, AyA, and the Ministry of Health, alleging that a landslide in 2023 affected their homes, which were declared uninhabitable. They claimed the cause was CONAVI's 2018 intervention to stabilize National…
Res. 03729-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Amparo por omisiones municipales en infraestructura vial y pluvial
Residents of KM1 neighborhood in Golfito file an amparo against the Municipality for failing to build gutters, pave roads, and construct a gabion wall. The Constitutional Chamber partly grants the remedy: it orders the Mayor and the Municipal Council to build the gutters and pave road code 6-07-094 within six months, finding an unjustified delay since 2021…
Res. 05015-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Rechazo de amparo sobre botadero en Tucurrique por falta de gestión previa
The Constitutional Chamber summarily dismisses an amparo petition filed against the Municipal District Council of Tucurrique and the Ministry of Health concerning the construction of a garbage dump. The petitioner alleged violation of the right to a healthy environment due to lack of information on environmental impact and permits, and possible future…
Res. 04524-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Amparo por falta de ejecución de orden de demolición municipal
The Constitutional Chamber hears an amparo filed by a property owner who complains that the Municipality of Escazú has failed to execute a demolition order for irregular constructions that, she alleges, cause sewage and rainwater to divert onto her property, creating unsanitary conditions and environmental damage. The petitioner argues that despite more…
Res. 05136-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Amparo ambiental por denegatoria de uso de suelo en Naranjo
The Constitutional Chamber summarily dismisses an amparo filed by a landowner in Naranjo against the Municipality. The claimant argues that the municipality denied a land-use certificate to build her house, despite having previously granted it and having a hydrological study showing no risk to nearby water sources. The Chamber rules that the case involves…
Res. 04510-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Reiteración de orden en amparo por denuncia ambiental incumplida
The Constitutional Chamber addressed a disobedience proceeding in an amparo action against the Ministry of Agriculture and the Pococí Health Area. The original judgment ordered both authorities to coordinate and definitively resolve an environmental complaint regarding chemical pollution within two months. In this proceeding, the Chamber found that the…
Res. 04540-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Falta de respuesta municipal a solicitud de información sobre daño ambiental en Bajo la Cabra
The Constitutional Chamber heard an amparo action filed by a resident of Bajo la Cabra, Palmares, who complained that the Municipality had not responded to an information request dated November 14, 2024, concerning permits for earthworks, tree felling, and material dumping in that area, which the resident alleged caused an environmental disaster. The…
Res. 05508-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Rechazo de amparo por incumplimiento de prevención sobre Mercado Municipal de Puntarenas
The Constitutional Chamber hears an amparo filed by an individual against the Municipality of Puntarenas and the Ministry of Health. The petitioner denounces serious structural and sanitary deficiencies at the Puntarenas Municipal Market, including lack of wastewater treatment, pest infestation, electrical and gas failures, obstructed hallways, and…
Res. 05287-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Acceso a información ambiental sobre proyecto PAACUME y Lomas de Barbudal
The Constitutional Chamber reviews an amparo action against SENARA for failing to fully deliver information requested on July 31, 2024, regarding the PAACUME project, which involves clearing and replacing 113 hectares in the Lomas de Barbudal Biological Reserve. The petitioner asked for wildlife inventories, the name of the responsible biologist, a copy of…
Res. 05446-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Rechazo por prematuro de amparo contra ruido de construcción
The Constitutional Chamber flatly rejects an amparo filed by a neighbor against the Municipality of Santa Ana, alleging that the Santa Ana Trade Center project caused excessive noise due to nighttime, Saturday, and Sunday work. The petitioner had filed a formal complaint with the municipality on January 21, 2025, and filed the amparo on January 27 of the…
Res. 05608-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
SINAC debe responder solicitudes de información sobre deberes ambientales
In this ruling, the Constitutional Chamber hears an amparo filed against SINAC for failing to respond to a query regarding the duties and powers of SINAC officials to act ex officio in the face of threats to natural resources, and the sanctions for omission. Although during the proceedings the MINAE Legal Advisory Directorate issued a detailed official…
Res. 05315-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Amparo por contaminación del Estero de Puntarenas con aguas negras del Mercado Municipal
The Constitutional Chamber reviewed an amparo filed by a citizen against the Municipality of Puntarenas and the Puntarenas-Chacarita Health Area of the Ministry of Health, regarding contamination of the Puntarenas Estuary with sewage and waste from the Municipal Market. The petitioner claimed that despite sanitary orders issued since 2019 and a criminal…
Res. 05326-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Orden sanitaria y deber de la administración de garantizar salud pública
The Constitutional Chamber upheld an amparo action filed by residents of Chacarita, Puntarenas, against the Ministry of Health. The petitioners alleged that a local supermarket stored and sold liquefied petroleum gas without required safety measures, endangering the community. Although the Health Authority issued a health order to suspend the activity,…
Res. 05416-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Falta de respuesta completa a solicitud de información sobre gestión de residuos y recursos hídricos en Grecia
The Constitutional Chamber reviews an amparo action against the Municipal Council of Grecia for failure to respond to a request filed on January 6, 2025. The petitioner sought detailed information regarding the selection and oversight of the Green Sports World Federation as the manager of the Solid Waste Collection Center, potential international…
Res. 05438-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Amparo por acceso a información sobre ZMT en Talamanca
The Constitutional Court hears an amparo filed against the Municipality of Talamanca for denying two public information requests. The first, under filing AEL-00320-2024, sought a list of individuals and legal entities located in public spaces of the public maritime zone, per a municipal agreement. The second, under AEL-00327-2023, requested details on…
Res. 06143-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Omisión de respuesta a denuncia ambiental por filtraciones
The Constitutional Chamber reviews a recurso de amparo against the Municipality of Moravia for failing to respond to an environmental complaint filed on September 17, 2024. The petitioner alleged that the lack of maintenance of a municipal servitude caused water infiltration and pest proliferation, harming the health and quality of life of several…
Res. 06966-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Denuncia anónima por tenencia de cerdos y gallinas: mora de SENASA en resolver
The petitioner, a resident of San Isidro de Siquirres, filed an anonymous complaint with the Ministry of Health about foul odors and pests caused by pigs and chickens kept on a neighboring property. The Ministry of Health inspected the site and, finding no human health risk but possible animal health concerns, referred the case to the National Animal…
Res. 07332-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Incumplimiento de sentencia previa sobre tala en Residencial del Monte es desglosado y acumulado
The Constitutional Chamber addresses a new amparo petition against the Municipality of San Rafael de Heredia alleging non-compliance with a prior ruling (2023-003137) that ordered the complete delivery of information regarding a tree-felling project in Residencial del Monte. The petitioner claimed the provided documentation was incomplete. The Chamber…
Res. 07651-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Rechazo de acción de inconstitucionalidad contra Decreto de rastreabilidad bovina
The Constitutional Chamber dismisses without further consideration an unconstitutionality action filed without a prior pending case against several articles of Executive Decree No. 44.336-MAG-S-SP-MOPT, which creates the National System for Individual Identification and Traceability of Bovine Cattle. The petitioner, a lawyer acting on his own behalf,…
Res. 02806-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Corrección de error material en sentencia de amparo por inundaciones en Pococí
The Constitutional Chamber corrects a material error in ruling 2024029767 of October 11, 2024, which partially granted an amparo action for water overflow due to a clogged sewer in Pococí. The original ruling ordered the Municipality of Pococí and CONAVI to coordinate a solution within six months, under penalty of imprisonment and fine. The correction…
Res. 06034-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Corrección de oficio condenatoria en costas a municipalidad en amparo sobre aguas residuales y movilidad peatonal
The Constitutional Chamber corrects, on its own motion, a material error in the operative part of judgment No. 2025-003649, which had ordered only INCOFER to pay costs, damages, and losses. The correction now also includes the Municipality of Paraíso, since both authorities were found responsible for violating the petitioner’s fundamental rights: INCOFER…
Res. 06929-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Ampliación de plazo para obra de protección en río María Aguilar
The Constitutional Chamber resolves the post-judgment motions following ruling 2024024101 of August 23, 2024, which had ordered the Mayor and Council President of San José to solve, within six months, the erosion problem on the right bank of the María Aguilar River at La Alborada urbanization, Zapote, considering CNE recommendations from 2012 and 2021. The…
Res. 07084-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Municipalidad de La Unión debe resolver denuncia sobre muro en peligro de colapso en dos meses
The Constitutional Chamber heard an amparo action filed by a resident of San Juan de La Unión against the Municipality of La Unión for failing to resolve a complaint submitted in October 2022 regarding a leaning wall that threatened to collapse onto the sidewalk, endangering the life and physical integrity of passersby, especially children. The petitioner…
Res. 07388-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Desobediencia a orden de canalización de aguas pluviales
The Constitutional Chamber addressed a disobedience claim filed by the mayor of Flores on behalf of neighbors in Llorente, against MOPT and CONAVI, for non-compliance with judgment No. 2021016703 of July 30, 2021, which had ordered the completion of adequate stormwater channeling affecting a specific property in Llorente and required periodic progress…
Res. 06991-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Amparo contra perforación de pozo en plaza de Aserrí
The Constitutional Chamber dismissed an amparo action filed by a resident of Aserrí against the Municipality of Aserrí and the Ministry of Health. The petitioner challenged a municipal bidding process to drill a water extraction well in the central sports plaza of Aserrí, claiming: (1) change of use of a property historically dedicated to recreation and…
Res. 07129-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Acceso a Plan Maestro del Proyecto Turístico Golfo Papagayo
The Constitutional Chamber grants an amparo action filed by an association against the Costa Rican Tourism Institute (ICT) for violating the right of access to public information. The petitioner requested a certified copy of the current Master Plan of the Papagayo Project, along with the reasons, legal instruments, ICT agreements, and technical studies…
Res. 07724-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Amparo por polvo y tala en proyecto Condominio Avenida del Este
The Constitutional Chamber reviewed an amparo action filed by Curridabat residents against the Municipality of Curridabat, the Ministry of Health, and SETENA, alleging that the "Condominio Avenida del Este" construction project generated dust affecting their health, that trees had been felled without a permit, and that there was a stream on the property.…
Res. 07755-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Desobediencia a sentencia por falta de respuesta municipal a consultas ambientales
In this ruling, the Constitutional Chamber addresses a disobedience motion filed by the appellant against the Municipality of Palmares, following a previous judgment that partially granted the amparo for failure to answer numerous inquiries about an environmental disaster in Bajo la Cabra. The original ruling ordered municipal authorities to respond within…
Res. 07757-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Participación ciudadana en reforma del plan regulador tras audiencia pública única
The Constitutional Chamber rejects an amparo action against the Municipality of Santa Ana for alleged violations of the right to citizen participation and a healthy environment, regarding zoning changes in a regulatory plan. The petitioner argued that after a public hearing held in July 2021, the zoning map was modified without informing the community,…
Res. 08177-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Caducidad del amparo por concesión minera en zona protectora
The Constitutional Chamber dismisses as untimely the amparo filed by Corporación Guapa Nova S.A. against SINAC and MINAE regarding the denial of a mining concession extension within the Cerros de la Carpintera Protected Zone. The concession was granted in 1994; an extension was requested in 2018 and formally denied by SINAC on August 24, 2020, and…
Res. 07718-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Amparo contra viabilidad ambiental de cantera es materia de legalidad ordinaria, Sala desestima
The Constitutional Chamber dismissed the amparo filed against the 'Quebradores Aralfa Piedra Blanca' quarry project. The petitioner alleged violations of the right to a healthy environment and citizen participation. The Chamber found that: 1) the project met all stages and requirements, obtaining environmental viability from SETENA in 2022; 2) reviewing…
Res. 08269-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Desobediencia a sentencia de amparo ambiental
The Constitutional Chamber addresses a disobedience claim filed by an individual against the Municipality of Pococí. In a previous ruling (2024031682), the municipality had been ordered to notify the claimant of the actions taken regarding an environmental complaint. The claimant alleges that only a partial response was received and that the request for…
Res. 07725-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Reiteración de orden de entrega de expediente completo del Parque Tecnológico Ambiental Aczarri
The Constitutional Chamber hears a disobedience claim filed by the petitioner, who alleges that the Municipality of Aserrí has not complied with the order in judgment No. 2025-002797, which required delivery of a copy of the complete administrative file of the Aczarri Environmental Technology Park. The respondent authority reported having sent the…
Res. 07764-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Construcción municipal de aceras y clausura de tuberías de aguas servidas no constituye lesión constitucional
The Constitutional Chamber denies an amparo action against the Municipality of Alajuelita regarding a sidewalk and gutter construction project in Lotes Paz neighborhood. The petitioners argued that the notification was informal, work began before the appeal period expired, and that the closure of wastewater pipes caused contamination and risk given the…
Res. 07999-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Omisión municipal en atender denuncia ambiental sobre obstrucción pluvial
The Constitutional Chamber reviews an amparo action against the Municipality of Puntarenas for failing to address an environmental complaint filed in November 2023. The petitioner alleged that obstruction of the storm drainage system in her community caused flooding in her home, violating her rights to a healthy environment, health, and a dignified quality…
Res. 08960-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Rechazo de amparo por omisión administrativa en cuestionamiento de uso de suelo para hospital en zona industrial
The Constitutional Chamber flatly dismisses an amparo action filed against INVU for failing to respond to a request to nullify a 2011 permit authorizing the location of the new Cartago hospital in the Coris Industrial Zone. The petitioner, representing an association, claimed a violation of the right to prompt and complete administrative justice and to a…
Res. 08602-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Aclaración sobre ejecución de sentencia de amparo por muro de llantas
The mayor of Puriscal asked the Constitutional Chamber to specify the exact actions the municipality must take to comply with an amparo ruling that ordered resolution of a problem involving a tire wall inside a protection zone. The Chamber denied the request, holding that the original order was clear in requiring coordination and execution of actions…
Res. 08704-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
La competencia para autorizar la corta de árboles urbanos no corresponde al SINAC sino a la vía sumaria de derribo ante el juez agrario
The Constitutional Chamber rejects the amparo appeal because, at the time of the ruling, neither the Municipality of Santa Cruz nor SINAC had filed any request or granted any permit to cut the canelo trees in front of the appellant's home. The municipal sidewalk reconstruction project, based on the Pedestrian Mobility Law and Law 7600, identified that…
Res. 08664-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Contaminación de quebrada y deber de resolver denuncias ambientales
The Constitutional Chamber heard an amparo filed by residents against the Ministry of Health, the Municipality of Grecia, and SINAC, concerning the pollution of a stream in the Paco Mora sector of Grecia, caused by untreated wastewater discharges from homes and accumulation of garbage. The complainants reported the situation in September 2024, but five…
Res. 08667-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Omisión de resolver y notificar denuncia sobre botadero ilegal lesiona justicia pronta
The Constitutional Chamber reviewed an amparo filed by residents against the Municipality of Palmares, the Ministry of Health, and MINAE, concerning an illegal open-air dump in Zaragoza de Palmares that was polluting the Río Grande and the ecosystem. The Chamber verified that after the complaints, the Municipality cleaned the site, fenced the property, and…
Res. 09312-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Amparo sanitario por aguas negras desestimado por prematuro
The Constitutional Chamber dismisses outright an amparo filed by a resident of Concepción Arriba, Alajuelita, against the Costa Rican Institute of Aqueducts and Sewers (ICAA), the Municipality of Alajuelita, and the Ministry of Health. The petitioner alleged inaction regarding a collapsed sewage pipe causing accumulation of blackwater and fecal matter in…
Res. 09672-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Solicitud de información sobre acuíferos en Santa Cruz, Guanacaste
A deputy filed an amparo action against the Costa Rican Institute of Aqueducts and Sewers (AyA) for failing to respond to a detailed information request regarding hydrogeological studies, saline intrusion, well concession files, and water availability certifications for aquifers in Santa Cruz, Guanacaste, related to CATALINAS PROPERTIES HOLDING LTDA and…
Res. 09437-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Incumplimiento municipal en canalización pluvial y conservación de talud en Urbanización Andesa
The Constitutional Chamber reviews an amparo action brought by residents of the Andesa Development in Cañas, Guanacaste, against the Municipality of Cañas. The plaintiffs claim that the lack of curb and gutter infrastructure for stormwater runoff, compounded by illegal constructions and poor wastewater management by some residents, has caused landslides,…
Res. 09450-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Obras viales en Taras-La Lima y omisión estatal frente a afectaciones hídricas
The Constitutional Chamber reviewed an amparo filed by landowners in San Nicolás de Ochomogo, Cartago, whose properties border the ‘Taras-La Lima’ road project. They claimed that from the start of construction, poor stormwater management and lack of proper drainage caused recurrent flooding. They also complained about tree removal that eliminated a natural…
Res. 09452-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Denuncias ambientales sin demora justifican amparo excepcional
The Constitutional Chamber hears an amparo action against the Ministry of Health and the Municipality of Goicoechea for failing to definitively close a workshop that, according to the petitioner, carries out unauthorized activities and generates pollution from noise, odors, and hazardous substances, harming her mental health. The petitioner alleges that…
Res. 09458-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Sala Constitucional ampara parcialmente acceso a información sobre humedales y permisos en Talamanca
The Constitutional Chamber reviewed an amparo action against the Municipality of Talamanca for failing to fully deliver information requested by a citizen regarding developments, land-use and construction permits in wetland areas and the maritime-terrestrial zone. The petitioner sought copies, certifications, and explanations about the legal basis for…
Res. 09597-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Denunciante cualificado no equivale a notificación automática de todos los actos
The Constitutional Chamber hears an amparo filed by David Cole Anderson Lambert against SINAC for refusing to consider him a «procedural party» and to notify him in real time of all actions in administrative file ACT-OR-DR-390-2024 concerning damage to the Río Lagarto wetland in Playa Sámara. As a qualified complainant since 2022, he requested to be…
Res. 09614-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Residuos sólidos en Santa Teresa de Cóbano y órdenes sanitarias
The Constitutional Chamber hears an amparo action filed by a resident of Cóbano against the Municipal District Council of Cóbano for alleged inaction regarding the solid waste problem in Santa Teresa. The petitioner had requested inspections and compliance with the Comprehensive Waste Management Law, and reported expired sanitary orders from the Ministry…
Res. 09936-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Seguimiento de inejecución de sentencia ambiental contra TAA
The Constitutional Chamber resolves a motion for non-execution filed within amparo case 23-004950-0007-CO, against the Environmental Administrative Tribunal (TAA). The underlying matter is administrative file 62-14-02-TAA, an environmental complaint. The motion arises after the Chamber’s prior 2023 rulings ordered the TAA to conclude the administrative…
Res. 10219-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Desacato por información ambiental no entregada
This ruling decides a noncompliance petition filed by the petitioner against the Municipality of San Rafael de Heredia, alleging failure to comply with ruling No. 2023003137. In that earlier ruling, the Constitutional Chamber ordered the mayor to provide complete and accessible information regarding the petitioner's requests dated December 9 and 19, 2022.…
Res. 10236-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Improcedencia de gestión de desacato por hechos nuevos
The Constitutional Chamber heard a contempt motion filed by the petitioner regarding judgment 2024033152, which partially granted an amparo action against the Municipality of Desamparados. That judgment ordered the municipality to resolve complaint form-00118 concerning garbage and stormwater infrastructure within fifteen days. The petitioner alleged…
Res. 10242-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Omisión de comunicar resultado de denuncia sanitaria sobre aguas residuales y tapia
The petitioner filed a complaint with the Talamanca Health Authority regarding irregularities on a neighboring property: a poorly built partition wall, a septic tank and drains affecting her land, and improper rainwater management. The Ministry of Health conducted several inspections between March and October 2024, technically ruling out the alleged…
Res. 10350-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Inadmisibilidad del amparo contra ruidos de academia de tenis
The Constitutional Chamber summarily dismissed an amparo action filed by neighbors of a tennis academy in Heredia. The plaintiffs alleged noise and light pollution, as well as the failure to build a dividing wall between the properties despite the covered courts being constructed without respecting setbacks. They claimed that the respondent authorities…
Res. 10374-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Denegado amparo por ruido de cocina comercial en horario nocturno
The Constitutional Chamber denies an amparo action filed against the Ministry of Health and the Municipality of Flores for alleged violations of the right to a healthy environment and rest, caused by noise from a commercial kitchen operating during early morning hours. The plaintiff claimed authorities failed to address her complaints about noise,…
Res. 10258-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Amparo por botadero clandestino y carboneras en Aserrí
The Constitutional Chamber hears an amparo filed by residents of San Miguel de Desamparados, El Huazo, against the Municipality of Aserrí and the Ministry of Health for failure to resolve a long-standing problem with a clandestine dump and illegal charcoal production. Petitioners allege inaction by authorities, endangering community health through noise,…
Res. 10383-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Falta de respuesta congruente de municipalidad sobre información de área protegida del río Ipís
The Constitutional Chamber heard an amparo action filed on behalf of a citizen against the Municipality of Vázquez de Coronado. The petitioner alleged that he requested specific information about constructions within the protected area of the Ipís River, including the number of dwellings, exact distances, property numbers, and registered owners, but…
Res. 10673-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Inejecución por obras insuficientes en Quebrada Seca
The Constitutional Chamber hears a non-compliance motion regarding judgment 2024-012565, which ordered compliance with the technical recommendations of CNE report CNE-UlAR-INF-0273-2023 on hydraulic problems on the national road near Quebrada Seca. The petitioner argues that the works carried out are only partial improvements and do not definitively solve…
Res. 11094-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Omisión municipal en limpieza de lotes enmontados y aceras
The Constitutional Chamber reviewed an amparo action against the Municipality of Puntarenas for failing to address complaints about overgrown lots and obstructed sidewalks affecting pedestrian mobility and causing litter accumulation and insecurity. The petitioner filed several complaints since August 2022 without an effective response. Upon notification…
Res. 11956-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Amparo por concesión de gasolinera sin fiscalización y denuncia no planteada
The Constitutional Chamber reviewed an amparo against the Ministry of Environment and Energy, the Ministry of Health, and the Municipality of Sarchí concerning a gas station operating under a 'renewal' concession that the plaintiff argued should have been a new concession, and located within 100 meters of public gathering places. The Chamber denied the…
Res. 11989-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Rechazo de aclaración sobre informe no rendido en amparo contra Municipalidad de Talamanca
This resolution addresses a request for clarification and rectification filed by the special judicial representative of the Municipality of Talamanca against judgment No. 2025009458, which partially granted an amparo remedy for failure to provide public information. The petitioner argues that the Constitutional Chamber erred in considering the Mayor's…
Res. 12047-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Incumplimiento del MINAE en protección de Finca Lornessa
The Constitutional Chamber hears an amparo action filed by a congresswoman against the Ministry of Environment and Energy (MINAE) for the lack of protection and abandonment of the Santa Ana Conservation Center (Finca Lornessa), after its administration was handed over by Fundazoo in May 2024. The petitioner alleges acts of vandalism, fires, water source…
Res. 11877-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Amnistía de pozos sin estudios técnicos
The Constitutional Chamber flatly dismissed a constitutional challenge against Law 10647, "Amnesty for the registration of unregistered wells and granting of water-use concessions for agricultural production activities." The petitioner argued that the law violates the right to water and a healthy environment by omitting technical studies, leaving fragile…
Res. 11997-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Omisión del MINAE en atender denuncia ambiental sobre la Quebrada Los Negritos
The Constitutional Court reviewed an amparo filed by a neighbor of Montes de Oca against the Ministry of Environment (MINAE) and the Municipality of Montes de Oca. The plaintiff complained about works without permits in the Quebrada Los Negritos, tree felling in linear parks, vegetation removal near the census office, and use of protected areas during the…
Res. 12496-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Reiteración de cumplimiento y denegatoria de ampliación de plazo en caso de acueducto Coto Brus
The Constitutional Chamber hears a disobedience claim brought by the petitioner against the Costa Rican Institute of Aqueducts and Sewers (AyA), arguing that more than one year and three months have passed without compliance with judgment No. 2023029820, which ordered the Coto Brus Aqueduct Improvement Project to be operational within nine months. AyA, on…
Res. 12978-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Amparo ambiental por mora del Tribunal Ambiental Administrativo
The Constitutional Chamber granted an amparo action filed by a citizen against the Administrative Environmental Tribunal (TAA) for delay in resolving an environmental complaint filed on January 15, 2025. The complaint reported illegal activities on a property in Bahía Ballena, Osa, including unauthorized tree felling, construction without permits,…
Res. 12873-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Restaurante en zona marítima contamina el mar
The Constitutional Chamber denied an amparo action brought by a resident of the Lepanto District, Puntarenas, against the Ministry of Health and the Lepanto District Council. The petitioner claimed that a seafood restaurant located in the maritime-terrestrial zone was dumping food waste and fecal matter into the sea, harming the health of neighbors and the…
Res. 13094-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Rechazo de amparo por incumplimiento de prevención en caso de daño ambiental en corredor biológico
The Constitutional Chamber summarily dismissed an amparo action filed by a citizen against the Ministry of Environment and Energy (MINAE) for the alleged failure to protect the Volcánica Central Talamanca Biological Corridor, due to unauthorized interventions with heavy machinery on tertiary national route 408, adjacent to Tapantí National Park. The…
Res. 13562-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Cumplimiento de orden sanitaria por fuga de aguas negras
The Constitutional Chamber reviews an amparo concerning a sewage leak in front of the petitioner's home in San Francisco de Dos Ríos. The petitioner filed complaints against the AyA and the Municipality of San José for failing to resolve the issue, and against the Ministry of Health for inaction. During the proceedings, the Ministry of Health issued a…
Res. 13547-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Incumplimiento de sentencia de amparo por inundaciones
The Constitutional Chamber rejects a noncompliance claim filed by a resident of La Colonia de Pococí, who argued that CONAVI and the Municipality of Pococí had failed to execute the order to resolve the overflow of stormwater and sewage, issued in a previous ruling of the same Chamber. The court clarifies that in this specific file (24-018619-0007-CO) no…
Res. 13565-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
SINAC niega informes de tala por investigación penal activa
The Constitutional Chamber denied an amparo appeal against the National System of Conservation Areas (SINAC) for refusing access to technical reports on logging and land-use change in the Gandoca Manzanillo National Wildlife Refuge. The plaintiff requested copies of those reports, but SINAC refused based on Article 295 of the Criminal Procedure Code, since…
Res. 13587-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Retraso del Ministerio de Salud en resolver denuncia por botadero a cielo abierto
The Constitutional Chamber reviews an amparo action against the Ministry of Health for failing to resolve an environmental complaint filed in November 2024 regarding a clandestine open‑air dump at the former Comag quarry in Pavas. The complainant alleged contamination of soil, water, air, and landscape, and that the Pavas Health Area, after assuming…
Res. 13819-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Plazo razonable para resolver denuncia ambiental ante el TAA
The Constitutional Chamber reviews an amparo appeal against the Administrative Environmental Tribunal (TAA) for failing to issue a final decision on an environmental complaint filed by a private individual against Klamath S.R.L. for alleged violations of the Forestry Law (land-use change, tree felling, road construction) in Bahía Ballena, Osa. The…
Res. 14376-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Cumplimiento de orden de amparo sobre Fipronil y polinizadores
This interlocutory ruling by the Constitutional Chamber addresses a post-judgment compliance motion filed by the petitioner in amparo docket 21-016578-0007-CO, which originally ordered the Costa Rican State to study the impact of the pesticide Fipronil on bees and other pollinators. The petitioner alleges flagrant non-compliance because, although executive…
Res. 14418-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Acceso a información sobre acuífero de Moín parcialmente denegado por AyA
The Constitutional Chamber reviews an amparo action filed by a construction company against the Costa Rican Institute of Aqueducts and Sewers (AyA), alleging violation of the right of access to public information and the right to petition. The company submitted 17 questions about conditions, rules, and requirements in the so-called Zone 6 of the Moín…
Res. 14498-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Usurpación de terreno municipal y omisión en la recuperación no son amparables
The Constitutional Chamber flatly rejects an amparo petition filed against the Municipality of Goicoechea for the alleged failure to address a complaint about the usurpation of a municipal lot and to recover said property. The petitioner claimed that a neighbor had illegally taken over an adjacent municipal lot, using it as a yard and storage area, and…
Res. 14545-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Conexión de condominio a alcantarillado cantonal
The Constitutional Chamber declares inadmissible an amparo remedy against the Heredia Public Services Company (ESPH), which denied connection of the Avicenia Condominium to the cantonal sanitary sewer system. The petitioners, owners in that condominium, argued that the existing septic tanks failed, causing damage and contamination, and that the Ministry of…
Res. 14564-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Municipalidad de Pococí debe prestar servicio de recolección de basura en Los Lagos
The Constitutional Chamber hears an amparo action against the Municipality of Pococí, filed by a resident of the Los Lagos community in the Roxana district. The petitioner claims the municipality does not provide ordinary solid waste collection in the community, despite a formal request made in October 2024. The municipality responded negatively in…
Res. 14609-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Respuesta tardía del AyA a gestión sobre aguas residuales en Upala no lesiona derecho de petición
The Constitutional Chamber reviewed an amparo filed by a legislator against AyA for failing to respond to an information request regarding wastewater management in Don Chu housing development, Upala, where neighbor complaints about a decade of pollution from discharges into public ditches were reported. The petitioner alleged violation of her rights to…
Res. 14487-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Desglose de escrito para gestión de desobediencia en caso de botadero ilegal
The Constitutional Chamber resolves an amparo action filed against the Ministry of Health, the Municipality of San José, and MINAE for alleged inaction regarding pollution from an illegal dump at Tajo COMAG and the CBZ asphalt plant in Pavas. The petitioner claims a violation of the right to a healthy environment. However, the Chamber finds that the same…
Res. 14559-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Omisión del MOPT de informar vía sumario de derribo ante Juzgado Agrario para corta de árboles peligrosos
The Constitutional Court partially granted an amparo against the Ministry of Public Works and Transport (MOPT) for its failure to effectively respond to a request, pending since 2022, to cut down four large, dead eucalyptus trees that threatened the petitioner's home and safety in San Rafael de Alajuela. The Court granted the amparo solely due to the…
Res. 14982-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Inadmisibilidad de amparo ambiental por falta de denuncia previa
The Constitutional Chamber flatly rejects an amparo action filed against a private university for alleged environmental and noise pollution arising from the demolition and construction of its building. The petitioner claimed harm to health, the environment, and property, invoking Article 50 of the Constitution. However, the Chamber finds that amparo is not…
Res. 15118-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Inadmisibilidad del amparo contra el zanate por no plantear denuncia previa
The Constitutional Chamber declares inadmissible an amparo action filed by a citizen against the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock. The petitioner complained about the proliferation of the great-tailed grackle ("zanate"), which he blamed for the decline of other bird species, reptiles, and invertebrates, as well as damage to crops, contamination of…
Res. 05710-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Falta de respuesta a denuncias y solicitudes sobre explotación de cantera San Rafael
The Constitutional Chamber adjudicates a writ of amparo alleging violation of the right to petition and timely response. Petitioners, residents of La Unión, challenge the operation of Tajo San Rafael, run by Hacienda San Rafael HSR S.A., citing irregularities in the mining concession and municipal license. On January 9, 2024, they filed an information…
Res. 09097-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Improcedencia de ampliación de plazo para saneamiento de aguas residuales en La Unión
The Constitutional Chamber rules on a new request by the Municipality of La Unión for an extension of the deadline to comply with ruling No. 2021-018448, which granted an amparo due to pollution caused by wastewater in the canton. The original ruling ordered immediate measures to mitigate pollution and a definitive solution within 24 months, later extended…
Res. 14901-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Incumplimiento de amparo sobre contaminación en San Pablo de Barva
The Constitutional Chamber addresses a non-compliance proceeding regarding the amparo judgment No. 2023031213, which ordered the Municipality of Barva and the Ministry of Health to remedy the problem of sewage discharge and contamination reported by the claimant in San Pablo de Barva. The original judgment gave three months to coordinate actions and…
Res. 15293-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Solicitud de revisión de amparo rechazada
The Constitutional Chamber addresses a post-judgment motion filed by Kevin Kichinka regarding the ruling that partially granted his amparo against SENASA (File 25-008432-0007-CO). That ruling ordered SENASA to resolve, within two months, an environmental complaint filed on August 8, 2024, concerning a poultry farm in Grifo Alto de Puriscal. The petitioner…
Res. 15717-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Incumplimiento de recolección de basura en Isla Chira
The Constitutional Chamber rules on a fifth noncompliance claim filed by a resident of Isla Chira against the Municipality of Puntarenas for failing to comply with point 3) of ruling No. 2023019610 of August 11, 2023. In that earlier decision, the Chamber ordered municipal authorities to guarantee periodic, continuous solid waste collection on the island…
Res. 15325-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Amparo por omisión de SETENA en resolver nulidad de viabilidad ambiental de planta de tratamiento
The Constitutional Chamber hears an amparo filed by a citizen against the National Environmental Technical Secretariat (SETENA). The petitioner claimed that, after requesting on January 14, 2025, the annulment of resolution 1138-2023-SETENA granting environmental viability to a wastewater treatment plant in Santa Ana, SETENA had not resolved the matter by…
Res. 15379-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Respuesta tardía e incompleta de municipio a solicitudes de información constituye violación al derecho de petición
The Constitutional Chamber heard an amparo filed by members of the Committee for the Defense of Public Services of San Isidro de Heredia against the Municipality of San Isidro de Heredia. The petitioners alleged that the municipality had failed to respond to their requests for information on various local issues, including matters concerning the municipal…
Res. 16097-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Amparo sobre omisión de respuesta a solicitud de información ambiental y de bienes demaniales ante municipalidad
The Constitutional Chamber hears an amparo action against the Municipality of San Rafael de Heredia for failure to respond to several information requests. The petitioner had asked for data on the enforcement of a previous Chamber ruling related to Law No. 65 (protected zones), actions regarding sewage discharge into rivers, and a list of illegal…
Res. 16120-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Omisión municipal ante riesgo por erosión del río Cañas
The Constitutional Chamber ruled on an amparo filed by residents of Río Cañas in Desamparados, affected by flooding of the Cañas River. The petitioners claimed that, despite acknowledgment of high risk by municipal and National Emergency Commission (CNE) authorities, they were excluded from a bank-protection project without sufficient justification. The…
Res. 16170-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
La judicialización de un caso ambiental no exime al SINAC de sus deberes administrativos
The Constitutional Court partially grants an amparo action against the Caribbean Friendship Conservation Area (ACLAC) of SINAC. A citizen filed an administrative complaint regarding logging, drainage, and fragmentation of wetlands and forests. ACLAC merely replied that the facts were already under criminal prosecution. The Court holds that criminal…
Res. 16121-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Amparo contra Municipalidad y CONAVI por omisión de indicar sumario de derribo
The Constitutional Chamber granted the amparo filed by a resident of San Pablo de Heredia, who complained that the Municipality and CONAVI had failed to address his requests to cut Casuarina trees located in the right-of-way adjacent to his property, which posed a danger to his home, the public sidewalk, and passersby. Although CONAVI conducted inspections…
Res. 16068-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Incumplimiento en construcción de pasos de fauna en Ruta 32
The Constitutional Chamber addresses a non-compliance claim against the National Road Council (CONAVI) for failing to fully execute Judgment 2021001189, which mandated the construction and activation of wildlife crossings on National Route 32. Despite reported progress —29 underpasses built but lacking functional adaptations, and only 2 of 20 overpasses—…
Res. 16086-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Desobediencia en amparo ambiental por denuncia de aguas residuales en Nicoya
The Constitutional Chamber dismisses a disobedience petition against the Municipality of Nicoya for failing to comply with ruling 2025001417, which ordered resolution of an environmental complaint regarding wastewater seepage. The petitioner argued that the mayor had not resolved her October 2024 complaint. The municipality reported under oath that it has…
Res. 16094-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Resolución 16094-2025: Contaminación por fábrica de concreto y demora en atender denuncias sanitarias
The Constitutional Chamber hears an amparo action filed by a neighbor and other residents of the Los Geranios residential area in Flores de Heredia against the Municipality of Flores and the Ministry of Health, due to the operation of a pre-mixed concrete factory (AMCO) that emits fumes, dust, vibrations, and constant noise. The claimants allege that since…
Res. 09922-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Construcción del Laboratorio Nacional de Aguas no es materia de amparo
The Constitutional Chamber rejects the amparo petition filed by the Director of the National Water Laboratory (LNA) against the Costa Rican Institute of Aqueducts and Sewers (ICAA). The petitioner claimed that the Executive President's proposal to move the construction of the new LNA building from La Unión de Cartago to Pavas violated the rights to life…
Res. 00517-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Denegatoria de amparo por falta de cumplimiento de requisitos técnicos y legales para asumir acueducto privado
The Constitutional Chamber analyzed an amparo action filed by the Neighbors Association of Residencial Vistas del Pacífico against the Costa Rican Institute of Aqueducts and Sewers (ICAA) and the Ministry of Environment and Energy (MINAE). The petitioner argued that the institutions had failed to take measures to formalize the aqueduct administration or…
Res. 01291-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Respuesta tardía a solicitud de información ambiental lesiona derechos
The Constitutional Chamber hears an amparo action filed by a deputy from the Frente Amplio party against the Ministry of Environment and Energy (MINAE). The petitioner had requested environmental information concerning the Térraba Sierpe Wetlands and a project potentially affecting this State Natural Heritage site, including questions about discharge…
Res. 12491-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Incumplimiento en la construcción de la planta de tratamiento de aguas residuales de Golfito
The Constitutional Chamber addresses a non-compliance motion filed by a resident of Golfito against the Costa Rican Institute of Aqueducts and Sewers (AyA) and the Ministry of Health, concerning judgment 2020016705 of 2020. That judgment ordered the construction of a wastewater treatment plant for Golfito within a 24-month period. The complainant argues…
Res. 12904-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Amparo contra el MINAE por tardanza en responder certificación sobre Patrimonio Natural del Estado
The Constitutional Chamber hears an amparo filed against the Caribbean Friendship Conservation Area (ACLAC-SINAC) of MINAE. The petitioner requested on December 2, 2024, certifications on whether a specific cadastral map (7-55102-1955) formed part of the State Natural Heritage, overlapped with wetlands or protected areas, and whether it had been subdivided…
Res. 12958-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Amparo por falta de resolución de denuncia y acceso a información ante SENASA
The Constitutional Chamber hears an amparo petition filed by an individual against the National Animal Health Service (SENASA). The petitioner filed a complaint in August 2024 regarding environmental contamination and foul odors from a poultry farm near his property, also requesting copies of the Veterinary Operation Certificate (CVO) and inspection…
Res. 13624-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Incumplimiento de requisito de disponibilidad de agua no lesiona derechos fundamentales
The Constitutional Chamber denies an amparo filed by three members of a group of 82 families living in extreme poverty against the Municipality of Guácimo and ICAA (water and sewer institute). The petitioners complained that building permits for the Las Rosas de Río Jiménez housing project had not been granted. The Court finds no fundamental rights…
Res. 16106-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Acceso a información ambiental sobre tala en Gandoca-Manzanillo
The Constitutional Chamber reviews an amparo filed by an environmentalist against the administrator of the Gandoca-Manzanillo National Wildlife Refuge (REGAMA). The petitioner had requested detailed information on compliance with precautionary measures in cases of logging and land-use change within the refuge, following up on prior communications. The…
Res. 16119-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Polvo por construcción no lesiona derechos si municipio fiscaliza medidas de mitigación
The Constitutional Chamber reviewed an amparo action against the Municipality of Flores for allegedly failing to enforce dust mitigation measures at the 'OFI BODEGAS CALLE VÍQUEZ' construction project. The petitioners claimed that excessive dust harmed their health and right to a healthy environment. The Court found that the Municipality did respond to the…
Res. 16143-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Desestimación de amparo por relleno y actividad comercial ilegal en Santa Ana
The Constitutional Chamber dismisses an amparo action filed against the Municipality of Santa Ana and the Santa Ana Health Governing Area. The petitioner, a neighboring resident, alleged that both entities failed to act regarding an illegal landfill, earthworks, operation of a truck yard without permits, and noise and air pollution on an adjacent property.…
Res. 16145-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Amparo por concesión minera en Cóbano desestimado por ser cuestión de legalidad ordinaria
The company Tajo Lacón S.R.L. filed an amparo action against the Municipal Council of the District of Cóbano, the Directorate of Geology and Mines of MINAE, and SETENA. It alleged that the Council authorized a mining land use without competence; that the company AYZ ALZUÑI S.A. obtained environmental viability without a valid land use and submitted…
Res. 16194-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Denegatoria de amparo por contaminación sónica del Bar Black Moon
The Constitutional Chamber dismissed an amparo petition filed by a neighbor of the Bar Black Moon in Poás de Alajuela against the Ministry of Health and the Municipality of Poás for alleged inaction regarding noise pollution from the establishment. The petitioner claimed that excessive noise, particularly at night, harmed residents' health, rest, and right…
Res. 16284-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Participación ciudadana en evaluación ambiental de proyecto turístico Bahía Papagayo
The Constitutional Chamber dismisses an amparo petition filed by the Asociación Confraternidad Guanacasteca against the Ministry of Environment and Energy and SETENA, challenging the granting of environmental viability for the mega-tourism project "Bahía Papagayo," categorized as high environmental impact (Category A). The petitioner argued that no public…
Res. 14028-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Sala Constitucional reserva sentencia y otorga plazo para acción de inconstitucionalidad contra norma de pesca de arrastre
The Constitutional Chamber heard an amparo against INCOPESCA's authorizations for shrimp trawling under the research project 'New Alternatives 2023-2024'. The petitioner alleged violations of the right to a healthy environment, the precautionary principle, food security, access to information, and harm to artisanal fishermen, based on the Constitution and…
Res. 14408-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Cumplimiento de amparo: Municipalidad responde sobre tala e iluminación en Parque de Filadelfia
The Constitutional Chamber resolves a non‑compliance claim filed by the petitioner against the Municipality of Carrillo regarding compliance with judgment No. 2025008716. That judgment had ordered the mayor and the director of Engineering and Municipal Services to provide a clear and concise response to the petitioner's queries about the Central Park of…
Res. 14534-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Amparo por derrame de aguas negras y falta de denuncia previa
The Constitutional Chamber dismisses an amparo filed against the Costa Rican Institute of Aqueducts and Sewers (ICAA) and the Municipality of Curridabat regarding an alleged sewage spill that flooded private property and affected a nearby school. The petitioner claimed to have made ten telephone reports without response. However, the ICAA stated that no…
Res. 15241-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Municipalidad de Garabito no cumple orden de construir alcantarillado pluvial
The Constitutional Chamber adjudicates a contempt proceeding against the Municipality of Garabito for failing to comply with judgment 2020-010645, which ordered the construction of a storm sewer system to resolve flooding from wastewater in Quebrada Ganado, affecting the petitioner. Despite multiple extensions and reiterations since 2020, the work remains…
Res. 15339-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Sala IV rechaza amparo por cuestionamiento técnico a obras de protección fluvial en río Cañas
The Constitutional Chamber denied an amparo filed by an elderly resident of Desamparados against the Municipality and the National Emergency Commission (CNE). The claimant alleged violations of her rights to life, personal integrity, decent housing, and a healthy environment due to river protection works on the Cañas River, which she considered technically…
Res. 15498-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Municipalidad debe notificar resultados de inspección sobre movimiento de tierra en lindero
The Constitutional Chamber reviews an amparo action against the Municipality of Atenas filed by a resident who reported earth movements by her neighbor, a municipal employee, at the property boundary. She alleged landslide risk and municipal inaction. The Chamber found that while the Municipality conducted a technical inspection and issued a report…
Res. 16740-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Cumplimiento de sentencia por puente Bailey y transporte irregular en río Medio Queso
The Constitutional Chamber reviews a non-compliance claim filed by a petitioner who alleges breach of ruling No. 2024020399, which ordered the Municipality of Los Chiles and the MOPT to stop irregular transport on the Medio Queso River, install a temporary Bailey bridge, and build a permanent bridge. The municipality reported having remedied the illegal…
Res. 16876-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Instalación de torre de telecomunicaciones no amenaza salud ni ambiente
The Constitutional Chamber summarily dismisses an amparo petition against the installation of a telecommunications tower near the petitioner's home. The petitioner, who suffers from multiple health conditions and uses a wheelchair, alleged that the tower would affect her health, pedestrian traffic, property value, and urban landscape. The Court reiterates…
Res. 17905-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Amparo resuelve por falta de respuesta a denuncias sobre la quebrada Los Negritos
The Constitutional Chamber granted an amparo filed by a Montes de Oca resident against the Municipality of Montes de Oca, SINAC, and the CNE. The petitioner claimed that authorities had failed to respond to several requests filed between April and November 2024 concerning illegal civil works that are constricting the Los Negritos stream, endangering…
Res. 12151-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Atención de denuncia sobre uso irregular de recursos hídricos por ASADA de San Isidro de Cóbano
The Constitutional Chamber reviews an amparo appeal filed by a user against the Costa Rican Institute of Aqueducts and Sewers (AyA), alleging failure to respond to a complaint regarding irregular use of water resources by the ASADA of San Isidro de Cóbano. The appellant claimed that over two months had passed without an answer. The Chamber verifies that…
Res. 13555-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Solicitud de agua en potrero sin cambio de uso aprobado
The Constitutional Chamber reviews an amparo against the Costa Rican Institute of Aqueducts and Sewers (AyA) and the Municipality of Pococí for delay in resolving a water availability application for a pastureland property intended for commercial and residential development. The applicant argued that the lack of response prevented him from obtaining…
Res. 09506-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Denegación de disponibilidad de agua por insuficiencia técnica
The Constitutional Chamber reviewed an amparo against the ASADA of Miravalles and AyA for denying a water availability permit needed to build a house. The petitioner claimed that a 2021 availability approval was ignored when he reapplied in 2024 and that the denial based on a technical study showing water deficit violated due process, the right to water,…
Res. 09610-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Solicitud de copia de plan de reforestación por correo no oficial
The petitioner requested from the Municipality of La Unión, via email, a copy of a reforestation project at Condominio Barlovento. The Constitutional Chamber determined that the request was sent to an unofficial email address, so no violation of the right to petition and access to information could be found. During the amparo proceedings, the municipality…
Res. 09940-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Incumplimiento de orden de resolver denuncia ambiental
The Constitutional Chamber addressed a non-compliance action against the Environmental Administrative Tribunal (TAA) regarding the order issued in Judgment No. 2024-012481 of May 10, 2024. In that ruling, the Chamber granted an amparo for violation of the right to prompt and complete justice (Art. 41 of the Constitution) due to the TAA's prolonged failure…
Res. 09941-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Inejecución de sentencia sobre orden sanitaria en predio del INCOFER
The Constitutional Chamber reviewed a non-compliance claim alleging that the Costa Rican Railroad Institute (INCOFER) failed to obey Ruling No. 2025-003649, which required INCOFER to comply with a health order (MS-DRRSCE-DARSP-OS-0209-2024) from the Ministry of Health. The order mandated elimination of infectious sources, waste management, and prevention…
Res. 10972-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Inadmisibilidad de amparo ambiental por plazo no vencido
This amparo was filed against the Ministry of Health for failing to act on a noise pollution complaint concerning the Chorys restaurant. The complainant alleged that amplified music and live events exceeded permissible decibel levels, harming neighbors' health and rest. The complaint was lodged on March 12, 2025, with the local health authority, but no…
Res. 12111-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Amparo por denuncia ambiental sin respuesta y acceso al expediente
The Constitutional Chamber hears an amparo appeal against the Ministry of Health for failing to provide a formal response to an environmental complaint regarding noise and wastewater pollution filed in August 2024, and for denying access to the case file and a copy of the complaint. The Chamber finds that the complaint has been handled diligently, with…
Res. 15700-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Amparo por deterioro de ruta nacional 114 es prematuro
The Constitutional Chamber (Sala Constitucional) summarily dismissed a writ of amparo filed against the National Road Council (CONAVI) and the Ministry of Public Works and Transport (MOPT) concerning the severe deterioration of National Route 114 in Santa Bárbara de Heredia. The petitioner cited sinkholes, drainage failures, pavement deterioration, and…
Res. 17271-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Derecho de petición y acceso a información sobre construcción en zona de protección de quebrada
The Constitutional Chamber heard an amparo filed by a citizen against the Municipality of Goicoechea for failing to fully respond to a request for information submitted on March 21, 2025, regarding the construction of a church on the Quebrada La Cangreja. The request included twelve inquiries about construction permits, environmental viability, sanitary…
Res. 09462-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Falta de respuesta del Ministerio de Salud a denuncias por contaminación sónica y partículas
The Constitutional Chamber heard an amparo action filed on behalf of a neighbor of a company in Santa Cruz, Guanacaste, against the Ministry of Health and the Municipality of Santa Cruz. The petitioner complained about noise pollution, dust particles, and possible construction irregularities from the adjacent company, affecting his health and that of his…
Res. 09475-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Falta de respuesta ante peligro por deslizamientos
The Constitutional Chamber hears an amparo action filed by a property owner in Limón affected by landslides caused by the expansion works on National Route 32 (Braulio Carrillo Highway). The petitioner claims that he submitted requests to the Ministry of Public Works and Transport (MOPT) and the Municipality of Siquirres in October 2024, describing the…
Res. 10874-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Inadmisibilidad del amparo contra sanción de ingreso al Parque Nacional Corcovado
The Constitutional Chamber rejects as inadmissible an amparo appeal filed by a tourist guide against the administration of Corcovado National Park, which imposed a seven-day entry ban to the protected area for straying from the authorized trail. The claimant alleged a violation of due process by not being allowed to defend himself before the sanction was…
Res. 11694-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Imposibilidad técnica no viola derecho al agua si se gestionan soluciones
The Constitutional Chamber dismisses on the merits an amparo action filed by a neighbor on behalf of his elderly parents and other community members of Nombre04 against the Costa Rican Institute of Aqueducts and Sewers (ICAA). The petitioner claimed the omission to provide potable water service, which the community has lacked for over 30 years, in…
Res. 11736-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Inadmisibilidad de amparo contra empresa privada por condiciones laborales y ambientales en tienda
The Constitutional Chamber declared inadmissible the amparo appeal filed against the company H&M Costa Rica, located in Multiplaza Escazú. The plaintiff claimed that the store's roof allowed ultraviolet rays to pass through and generated unbearable heat, affecting their health and that of BAC valet parking workers, as well as visitors such as wheelchair…
Res. 19615-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
SINAC debe actuar en sede administrativa ante tala ilegal, más allá de la denuncia penal
The Constitutional Chamber reviewed an amparo against SINAC, the municipalities of Goicoechea and Vázquez de Coronado, and the Ministry of Health, regarding indiscriminate logging and burning in Rancho Redondo and El Durazno since November 2024. The petitioner claimed severe environmental impacts from land-use change without effective response. The Chamber…
Res. 06028-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Ampliación del plazo en amparo ambiental por saneamiento PTAR Nicoya
The Constitutional Chamber reviews a compliance management request filed by the Costa Rican Water and Sewerage Institute (AyA), seeking a three-year extension to fulfill a 2020 amparo ruling that ordered a definitive solution to river pollution in Nicoya caused by untreated wastewater. The Chamber finds that AyA has carried out substantial actions,…
Res. 06039-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Amparo por lotes baldíos como focos de contaminación
The Constitutional Chamber hears an amparo filed by neighbors in Liberia, Guanacaste, who reported vacant lots turned into open-air dumps, mosquito breeding sites, and criminal hideouts, endangering their health and right to a healthy environment. They claimed that since June 2024, despite complaints to the Health Directorate and the Municipality of…
Res. 06128-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Inejecución de acuerdo municipal de recuperación de zona marítimo terrestre no vulnera derecho ambiental
The Constitutional Chamber hears an amparo action against the Municipality of Talamanca for the alleged non-compliance with Municipal Council Agreement No. 7, which ordered the recovery of the public maritime-terrestrial zone in the canton. The petitioner argues that this omission violates the right to a healthy environment (Article 50 of the Constitution)…
Res. 06626-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Ampliación de plazo para cierre técnico y estación de transferencia en Turrialba
The Constitutional Chamber resolves the request of the Mayor of Turrialba to again extend the deadline set in judgment No. 2018-004801, which ordered the Municipality and the Ministry of Health to solve the problems of the municipal landfill. A twelve-month extension is granted, counted from the expiration of the previous term (Res. 2024-008317), for…
Res. 06627-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Incumplimiento de sentencia por pruebas de coloración de aguas residuales
The Constitutional Chamber rules on a non-compliance motion filed by the petitioner, who claims that the Ministry of Health has failed to comply with the dye-testing schedule ordered in judgment No. 2022-017539. That judgment had granted an amparo due to pollution on her property, ordering a joint inspection and technical dye tests to identify the source…
Res. 07754-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Omisión municipal y del SINAC ante construcción ilegal en zona de protección
The Constitutional Chamber reviews an amparo action against the Municipality of Pococí and SINAC for inaction regarding an illegal construction in a stream protection zone, reported since November 2022. The construction lacked municipal permits, did not respect the street line, and encroached on a protected forest area. The Chamber reiterates that local…
Res. 07768-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Amparo por contaminación sónica y ambiental de bodega industrial colindante
The Constitutional Chamber hears an amparo filed by elderly neighbors against the Ministry of Health and the Municipality of Mora for failing to resolve noise and environmental pollution from an industrial warehouse adjacent to their home. The plaintiffs allege that since March 2024 they have filed complaints with the Mora Health Area, but no effective…
Res. 07812-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Recurso de amparo por quemas de caña de azúcar declarado sin lugar
The Constitutional Chamber declared without merit an amparo filed by an elderly person with respiratory illnesses against the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Agriculture (MAG), and the Ministry of Environment (MINAE) for alleged inaction regarding sugarcane burning in Turrialba. The Chamber found that the MAG had indeed responded to the petitioner's…
Res. 07881-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Amparo por falta de respuesta: denuncia ambiental ante SINAC
The Constitutional Chamber hears an amparo filed against MINAE-SINAC for failing to timely respond to an information request and environmental complaint regarding possible violations of Forestry Law 7575 and protection zones of streams in the Montezuma Condominium, Grecia. The petitioner complained about the lack of response to three items: 1) verification…
Res. 08632-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Desalojo administrativo de inmueble forestal — mora en notificación el mismo día del amparo
The Constitutional Chamber reviewed an amparo action against the Ministry of Public Security for violation of the right to a prompt and completed procedure. The petitioner, owner of a farm in Heredia under the forestry regime, alleged that despite requesting an administrative eviction for invasion on April 4, 2024, after more than four months the Ministry…
Res. 09329-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Sala Constitucional amplía plazo para audiencia pública del Plan Regulador Costero de Cahuita
The Constitutional Chamber addressed a post-judgment motion filed by the Municipality of Talamanca seeking an extension of the deadline to comply with prior rulings that ordered a new public hearing for the Coastal Regulatory Plan of the Cahuita District. The municipality argued that a modification to the State Natural Heritage certification in the…
Res. 16071-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Incumplimiento de amparo por inundaciones en Los Chiles
The Constitutional Chamber resolves a non-compliance claim filed by the petitioner, who argued that the Municipality of Los Chiles had not complied with the ruling that ordered the resolution of flooding at her home, caused by insufficient stormwater drainage. The Chamber analyzes new elements: on one hand, the Municipality demonstrated having taken…
Res. 16298-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Árbol en área de protección de naciente no se corta por vía de amparo sino mediante sumario de derribo
The Constitutional Chamber denied an amparo filed against the Municipality of Alajuelita. The petitioner sought the cutting of a tree on municipal land adjacent to her home, alleging danger to occupants, aggravated health conditions (asthma, chronic rhinitis), structural damage from falling branches and leaves, leaks, flooding, and rodent access. The…
Res. 17055-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Cumplimiento de sentencia en recuperación de zona de protección de quebrada Chirracal
The Constitutional Chamber addressed a post-judgment motion for non-compliance with the 2020 amparo order to recover the protection zone of the Chirracal stream, which had been extended in 2024. The petitioner requested that the case be referred to the Public Prosecutor's Office for alleged disobedience by the Municipality of Santa Ana. The Chamber found…
Res. 17057-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Desacato por obras de estabilización en el Río Bermúdez
The Constitutional Chamber upheld an accusation of contempt filed against the Municipality of Heredia. The original 2022 ruling ordered the municipality to carry out the necessary studies to resolve erosion and slope instability along the Bermúdez River, which threatened adjacent properties. The municipality contracted hydrological and stabilization…
Res. 17061-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Desobediencia al voto 2024018803 sobre basurero clandestino en zona de protección del Río Segundo
The Constitutional Chamber addresses a disobedience claim filed by an active coadjuvant against the Ministry of Health, the Municipality of Alajuela, and the Environmental Administrative Tribunal (TAA). The claimant argues that ruling No. 2024018803 of July 5, 2024, has not been complied with. That ruling ordered the authorities to resolve, within three…
Res. 17098-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Amparo por contaminación de cuerpo de agua y obstrucción de alcantarilla en Alajuela
The Constitutional Chamber hears an amparo remedy filed by residents of Sabanilla de Alajuela against MINAE, the Ministry of Health, and the Municipality of Alajuela. The petitioners complain about the invasion of public infrastructure (a storm sewer) and the contamination of a water body through illegal solid waste dumping, including tires and debris, by…
Res. 17101-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Obligación de resolver denuncias ambientales ante la Municipalidad y el Ministerio de Salud
The Constitutional Chamber admitted an amparo action filed by a resident of El Roble, Puntarenas, against the Municipality of Puntarenas and the Health Area of Barranca (Ministry of Health), for the alleged failure to respond and provide a definitive solution to her complaints regarding the pollution and flooding caused by the Quebrada Bomba Vieja. The…
Res. 17121-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Amparo ambiental sobre acceso a información de humedales en Talamanca
The Constitutional Chamber hears an amparo against SINAC for allegedly failing to provide complete information on wetlands in the maritime-terrestrial zone of Talamanca. The petitioner requested copies of wetland locations, reasons for not including new wetlands in the National Wetland Registry, explanations for the Punta Uva and Manzanillo cases, actions…
Res. 17238-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Amparo por acceso a información sobre contaminación del Estero de Puntarenas
A congressman filed an amparo action against the Ministry of Health for failing to respond to an information request regarding compliance with a Constitutional Chamber order concerning contamination of the Puntarenas Estuary by wastewater from the Municipal Market. The Chamber found that the Ministry responded late, violating the ten-business-day deadline…
Res. 17253-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Demora del SENASA en resolver denuncia por ruido de gallos
The petitioner filed an amparo action against the National Animal Health Service (SENASA) for the delay in addressing a complaint filed on February 21, 2025, concerning a rooster breeding operation that generated noise pollution and affected his health and quality of life. As of the filing date (May 2025), SENASA had neither resolved the complaint nor…
Res. 17565-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Gestión de desobediencia por demolición pendiente en área protegida
The Constitutional Chamber rules on a disobedience claim filed by the petitioner following ruling 2025007754, which ordered the Municipality of Pococí and SINAC to issue and execute administrative acts to resolve an illegal construction in a watercourse protection area. The authorities initiated the demolition process, notifying the owner in April 2025…
Res. 17585-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Inadmisibilidad de amparo por reiteración de cosa juzgada y actos jurisdiccionales
The Constitutional Chamber declares inadmissible the amparo appeal filed against the Judiciary regarding the seizure and extraction of information from cell phones in a criminal investigation conducted by the Agrarian Environmental Prosecutor's Office. The appellant argued that the proceedings were carried out without the presence of a guarantees judge,…
Res. 20509-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Municipalidad de Osa debe reparar caminos de Vergel y Tres Ríos en seis meses
The Constitutional Chamber granted an amparo action against the Municipality of Osa, filed by a resident of the communities of Vergel and Tres Ríos. The petitioner complained about the poor condition of the local public roads 6-05-028 and 6-05-087, stating that the clay surface becomes extremely slippery when wet, endangering the life and physical…
Res. 92514-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Admisión de acción de inconstitucionalidad contra Decreto 44974-S de gestión regionalizada de residuos
The Constitutional Chamber admits an unconstitutionality action against several articles of Executive Decree 44974-S, Regulation for the Regionalized Management of Ordinary and Organic Solid Waste in Costa Rica. The plaintiff alleges violation of constitutional articles 21 and 50, international treaties (Convention on Biological Diversity, Paris…
Res. 16719-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Derecho de petición y respuesta tardía ante solicitud de información sobre causa penal ambiental
The Constitutional Court reviewed an amparo filed by a complainant in an environmental criminal case against SINAC's Osa Conservation Area. The complainant sought information about inspections at a property under investigation for possible encroachment on protected areas. Despite multiple follow-ups, the administration did not respond within the statutory…
Res. 21358-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Amparo por contaminación de acequia en urbanización La Troja
The Constitutional Chamber heard an amparo filed by the president of the La Troja Neighborhood Committee, in Curridabat, against the Ministry of Health, the Costa Rican Institute of Aqueducts and Sewers (ICAA), the National Road Council (CONAVI), and the Municipality of Curridabat. The petitioners reported that a ditch adjacent to their community mixes…
Res. 20503-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Falta de respuesta del INDER sobre acciones de la Comisión Interinstitucional en el Asentamiento Osa
The Constitutional Chamber heard an amparo filed by AGRIDET directors against INDER. They claimed that on November 20, 2024, they requested via email from INDER's Executive President information on the specific actions and solution proposals elaborated by the Interinstitutional Commission formed on February 19, 2024, to provide a comprehensive response to…
Res. 92515-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Acción de inconstitucionalidad contra artículos 50 y 51 del Decreto 43449-MINAE sobre recalificación de tanques de combustible
The Constitutional Chamber admits for processing a constitutional challenge against Articles 50 and 51 of the Fuel Supply Regulation for Service Stations (Executive Decree 43449-MINAE). The petitioner, invoking diffuse interests, contests the term 'requalification' in Article 50 and Article 51, which allows extending the useful life of fuel storage tanks…
Res. 22229-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Municipalidad debe verificar y atender denuncias sanitarias y ambientales
Residents of Calle Sara Soto in Santo Domingo de Heredia filed an amparo appeal against the Municipality for failing to address their complaints, filed since April 18, 2022, regarding problems with stormwater and sanitary sewer systems, a clandestine dump, an informal settlement, security, and environmental risks. The Constitutional Chamber partially…
Res. 22280-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Omisión del Ministerio de Salud ante denuncia por contaminación sónica de bar residencial
The Constitutional Chamber heard an amparo filed by a resident who reported noise pollution from a restaurant-bar. The claimant filed a complaint with the Health Area on March 12, 2025, alleging that the noise exceeded permissible levels under the Noise Control Regulation and affected his and his family's health. After months without a definitive solution,…
Res. 17972-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Acumulación de amparos por área de protección del Pozo La Meseta
The Constitutional Chamber hears an amparo petition filed by two citizens against the Municipality of San Rafael de Heredia and the Costa Rican Institute of Aqueducts and Sewers (ICAA), alleging disrespect for the 200-meter protection zone around the La Meseta Well, a drinking water source for approximately 32,000 people. The petitioners claim that the…
Res. 18117-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Omisión de respuesta municipal sobre recolección de basura
The Constitutional Chamber heard an amparo filed by a resident against the Municipality of Pococí for failing to respond to a request submitted on November 15, 2024, seeking garbage collection services for the community of La Unión, Guápiles. The petitioner argued that the lack of response violated fundamental rights and that waste accumulation polluted…
Res. 17902-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Estese a sentencia previa sobre afectaciones del Río Aguas Zarcas a camino comunal en San Carlos
The Constitutional Court resolved an amparo petition filed by residents of the Valle del Río road committee in Aguas Zarcas, San Carlos, who claimed that the Municipality of San Carlos, the National Emergency Commission (CNE), the National Road Council (CONAVI), and the 911 Emergency Service had failed to provide a definitive solution to road damage caused…
Res. 18414-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Rectificación de condena en costas a SETENA vs. Estado en amparo
The Constitutional Chamber addresses a motion to correct a material error in judgment 2023026912, which granted amparo against SETENA for failure to respond. The petitioner first requested that the costs be imposed on SETENA, arguing it has its own legal personality; the Chamber agreed via resolution 202401620. Subsequently, the same petitioner noted that…
Res. 18652-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Inundaciones por alcantarillado municipal en Barrio El Roble, Liberia
The Constitutional Chamber flatly rejects an amparo action filed by the president of the Integral Development Association of Barrio El Roble de Liberia against the Municipality of Liberia. The plaintiff alleged that the installation of larger culverts on an adjacent road was diverting stormwater into an unmaintained channel, causing flooding, isolation,…
Res. 18761-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Desobediencia prematura no ha lugar en caso de pozo AB-1477
The Constitutional Chamber dismisses as premature a new disobedience claim filed by the petitioner regarding compliance with Judgment No. 2020-015207 and subsequent interlocutory orders. Those orders required ICAA and MINAE to resolve the registration and potable water supply problem of well AB-1477, while guaranteeing service in the interim. Although the…
Res. 18764-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Ampliación de plazo para desalojo y reubicación en Bajo Cacao y La Mandarina
The Constitutional Chamber resolves a subsequent motion to judgment 2024021414, in which the Municipality of Atenas requests an extension of the twelve-month deadline to carry out the eviction and relocation of inhabitants in risk zones in Bajo Cacao and La Mandarina. The Court finds that the respondent authorities have indeed taken significant actions…
Res. 18777-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Derecho de petición y acceso a información sobre fraccionamientos en el Área de Conservación Amistad Caribe
The Constitutional Chamber reviewed an amparo action filed by Marco Vinicio Levy Virgo against the Amistad Caribe Conservation Area of MINAE. The petitioner claimed that, through a letter dated November 26, 2024, he requested information on various topics, including the basis for subdivisions in specific plans, names of involved officials, and copies of…
Res. 18806-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Tajo COMAG: amparo sobre contaminación y acceso a expediente administrativo
The Constitutional Court reviews an amparo against MINAE, the Ministry of Health, and the Municipality of San José regarding the alleged illegal operation of a dump (Tajo COMAG) and the CBZ asphalt plant in Pavas, causing contamination of aquifers, soil, and wildlife. The petitioner also claims denial of access to the CBZ plant’s administrative file…
Res. 18815-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Desatención de denuncias por contaminación de aguas negras
The petitioner filed an amparo action against the Ministry of Health, claiming that the Goicoechea Health Area had failed to address her complaints about sewage infiltration from a supermarket, which affected her home and health. The Constitutional Chamber analyzed the case and found that the 2024 complaints had been closed after inspections during which…
Res. 18948-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Denuncia ambiental en Playa Dominical y Dominicalito — amparo prematuro
The Constitutional Chamber hears an amparo filed by María Estela Aguilar Corella against the Municipality of Osa for allegedly failing to address environmental complaints submitted on February 18 and 25, 2025, regarding illegal activities on the beaches of Dominical and Dominicalito. The petitioner claims that neither municipal inspectors nor the mayor…
Res. 18968-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Municipalidad de Golfito actuó ante riesgo de inundación en Purruja
The petitioner, owner of a property in Purruja de Golfito, claims that soil erosion threatens to collapse a structure and cause the Purruja River to flood, endangering homes, an elderly person, and a school. Although she made emergency reports to 911, she accuses the Municipality of inaction. The Constitutional Chamber denies the appeal for two reasons:…
Res. 19052-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Municipalidad atendió denuncia ambiental en plazo razonable
The Constitutional Chamber reviewed an amparo action against the Municipality of Vázquez de Coronado for an alleged violation of the right to petition and to prompt administrative justice. The petitioner had filed a complaint about noise pollution and suspected irregularities in construction permits and business licenses of a commercial establishment. The…
Res. 19265-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Amparo por olores nauseabundos y aguas servidas
The Constitutional Chamber flatly dismisses an amparo petition filed by a resident of San Pablo de Barva de Heredia against the Ministry of Health. The petitioner alleged that for three years he has suffered from nauseating odors emanating from a neighboring property that lacks proper drainage for blackwater, graywater, and stormwater, which run in the…
Res. 03640-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Exención de evaluación ambiental para ajustes y rectificaciones de planes reguladores costeros en ZMT
The Constitutional Chamber analyzes an unconstitutionality claim against several articles of the Manual for the Preparation of Coastal Regulatory Plans in the Maritime-Terrestrial Zone (ZMT), published in 2021. The claimant argues that the rules regressively exempt adjustments and corrections to regulatory plans from strategic environmental assessment by…
Res. 24007-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Inundaciones por alcantarillado en La Cruz: deber municipal de proteger a persona adulta mayor
The Constitutional Chamber hears an amparo filed by an elderly person against CONAVI and the Municipality of La Cruz. The claimant alleges that inadequate stormwater management and an unfinished sewer network cause flooding on her property, located along the North Inter-American Highway. The Chamber finds no liability of CONAVI, since the flooding was not…
Res. 24030-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Carbonera sin permisos y Ministerio de Salud omiso
The owner of a lot in La Estrella del Guarco filed an amparo action against the Ministry of Health, alleging that a neighboring charcoal operation without sanitary permits generates smoke and dust that prevent construction and harm health and the environment. The complainant filed a complaint in February 2025 (No. 12-2025) and although the Ministry…
Res. 20520-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Corrección material de sentencia de amparo sobre contaminación por aguas negras
The Constitutional Chamber corrects a material error in ruling No. 2025018815 of June 20, 2025, which erroneously declared an amparo action “granted” when it should have been denied. The amparo was filed by a resident of Goicoechea against the Ministry of Health, claiming neglect of environmental complaints regarding black water seepage from a supermarket,…
Res. 19581-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Incumplimiento en rehabilitación de camino rural en Upala
The Constitutional Chamber reviewed a noncompliance claim filed by a resident of Upala, who alleged that the Municipality had not resolved the passability of road C2-13-398, despite a previous amparo ruling (No. 2024003962). The Municipality reported significant progress: it conducted a forest inventory to identify protected trees, coordinated with SINAC,…
Res. 19584-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Sala Constitucional acoge desobediencia parcial por omisión municipal en resolver denuncias sobre obstrucción de vías y permisos constructivos
The Constitutional Chamber reviewed a disobedience claim filed by the protected party, who alleged that the Municipality of Grecia and the Ministry of Health failed to comply with ruling 2024033184. That ruling ordered the Municipality, within two months, to resolve the complaints of December 2023 and April 2024 regarding the obstruction of public roads…
Res. 19612-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Condena en costas al SINAC, no al Estado, en amparo ambiental
The Constitutional Chamber addressed a request to supplement and clarify judgment 2025-016106, which had granted an amparo against the administrator of Gandoca Manzanillo National Wildlife Refuge for denying public information on monitoring of precautionary measures in logging and land-use change cases. The petitioner sought correction of a material error…
Res. 19634-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Corrección de condenatoria en costas de Estado a SINAC
The Constitutional Chamber reviewed a motion for material correction filed by the petitioner in case file 25-010839-0007-CO. In the original judgment No. 2025017121 of June 6, 2025, which partially granted an amparo against SINAC for violation of the right to petition and access to information regarding wetlands in Talamanca, the State was erroneously…
Res. 19799-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Rechazo de amparo prematuro por inactividad del SENASA en denuncia ambiental
The Constitutional Chamber flatly rejects an amparo filed by a resident of San Pedro de Poás against a private individual and the National Animal Health Service (SENASA). The petitioner alleged that her neighbor kept dogs, geese, and chickens in unsanitary conditions, causing noise and affecting her minor daughter's health (rhinitis and allergy). Regarding…
Res. 20033-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Improcedencia del amparo contra el Decreto 44974-S sobre gestión regionalizada de residuos
The Constitutional Chamber flatly rejects an amparo action filed by residents of Heredia against Executive Decree 44974-S regulating regionalized management of ordinary and organic solid waste. The petitioners argue the decree will prevent Heredia from disposing waste in an environmental park located in another region, causing environmental harm. The…
Res. 20082-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Amparo contra Decreto 44974-S sobre gestión regionalizada de residuos
The Constitutional Chamber rejects outright an amparo filed by a resident of Heredia against the Ministry of Health, challenging Executive Decree 44974-S (Regulation for Regionalized Management of Ordinary and Organic Solid Waste). The petitioner argued that the regulation requires municipalities in the Central Region to dispose of their waste within the…
Res. 20489-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Prórroga de plazo en amparo por suministro de agua en La Tejona
The Constitutional Chamber addresses a compliance claim filed by residents of the La Tejona community against the Costa Rican Institute of Aqueducts and Sewers (AyA). The claimants allege that AyA has failed to comply with the 2018 amparo ruling that ordered potable water supply through the San Luis ASADA. AyA reports that it has taken over responsibility,…
Res. 20500-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Incumplimiento de orden administrativa sobre tubería en área de protección de naciente
The Constitutional Chamber grants an amparo appeal filed by an individual who reported a wastewater pipeline from Sigma Alimentos within the protection zone of a spring in Monteverde. The appellant claimed that SINAC had not addressed his complaint within a reasonable time. The Chamber finds that although SINAC issued an administrative order…
Res. 20710-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Amparo contra Municipalidad de Cóbano por falta de respuesta
The Constitutional Chamber hears an amparo action filed by an individual against the Municipality of Cóbano for failing to respond to a petition submitted on April 8, 2025, requesting information on the compliance with Internal Audit recommendations concerning urban development, construction oversight, pending closures, document management systems, and the…
Res. 21357-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
CONAVI no debe reparar muro de gaviones en propiedad privada fuera del derecho de vía
The Constitutional Chamber examined an amparo action filed by two residents of San Francisco de Dos Ríos, seeking to compel the National Roadway Council (CONAVI) to repair a gabion wall that collapsed after a landslide on the bank of the Tiribí River, damaging part of the access to their home. The petitioners argued that the Ministry of Health was…
Res. 21453-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Omisión de notificación de respuesta a solicitud de información ambiental
The Constitutional Court hears an amparo filed against the National Environmental Technical Secretariat (SETENA). The petitioner, a Legislative Assembly deputy, requested on April 30, 2025, digital copies of all environmental feasibility files for two corporations, claiming he received no response. During the amparo proceedings, it was proven that SETENA…
Res. 22124-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Sala Constitucional rechaza petición de ejecutar sentencia del Contencioso
The Constitutional Chamber addresses an interlocutory motion filed by Industrias Infinito S.A., requesting that the Administrative Contentious Tribunal (TCA) be declared incompetent to continue enforcing a 2010 ruling on environmental damage from clear-cutting, and that the Constitutional Chamber itself enforce both that ruling and its own decision in…
Res. 22223-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Amparo por omisión en resolver denuncia sobre alcantarilla municipal
The petitioner filed an environmental complaint in 2018 with the Municipality of Pérez Zeledón regarding uncontrolled stormwater runoff on her property caused by a poorly maintained culvert, allegedly due to municipal works. Despite repeated requests and a 2024 inspection that showed 50% sedimentation and recommended cleaning, the complaint had not been…
Res. 22308-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Rechazo de amparo por falta de prueba de gestiones ante el ICAA
The Constitutional Chamber hears an amparo filed by El Gavilán Murillo y Vargas S.A. against the Costa Rican Institute of Aqueducts and Sewers (ICAA). The petitioner, developer of the El Gavilán housing project, claims that ICAA has not decided its request to take over the project's wastewater treatment plant despite repeated filings since 2007, and that…
Res. 22311-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Dilación del Tribunal Ambiental Administrativo en resolver denuncia por contaminación de matadero
The Constitutional Chamber granted an amparo filed by residents of La Cañada Condominium against the Administrative Environmental Tribunal (TAA) and the Water Directorate of MINAE, for violation of the right to timely administrative justice (Article 41 of the Constitution). The environmental complaint against a slaughterhouse was filed in 2013, and after…
Res. 22319-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Derecho de petición y acceso a información ambiental ante municipio ecológico
The Constitutional Chamber reviews an amparo action against the Municipality of Turrubares for failing to respond to a request for information regarding earthworks and deforestation near Cerro El Rayo. The petitioner sent an email on May 22, 2025, asking whether permits existed and what inspections had been conducted. The municipality did not reply until…
Res. 22357-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Incumplimiento de sentencia de amparo sobre dilación del TAA
The Constitutional Chamber reviews a new amparo petition filed by the same party as in case file 23-001182-0007-CO, where the Environmental Administrative Tribunal (TAA) had been ordered to resolve an environmental complaint within three months. The petitioner claims that, despite this judgment, the TAA has not issued a final decision but has rescheduled…
Res. 22377-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Plazo excesivo en responder solicitud de dragado del Río Tiribí
The Constitutional Chamber hears an amparo action filed against the Municipality of La Unión for failing to respond to a citizen request submitted in November 2022, which called for the dredging of the Tiribí River due to accumulation of debris and garbage, allegedly posing a risk of flooding and natural disasters to the community. It was also alleged that…
Res. 22565-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Improcedencia del amparo contra medidas cautelares penales en proceso ambiental
The Constitutional Chamber flatly rejected an amparo action filed against an atypical precautionary measure ordered in a criminal proceeding for usurpation of public domain property. The petitioner alleged violations of due process and his right to possession over a property located within the Térraba Sierpe National Wetland, arguing he was not given a…
Res. 23012-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Desobediencia en certificación de humedales y plan regulador de Talamanca
The Constitutional Chamber rules on a non-compliance petition filed by active coadjuvants regarding judgment No. 2024003959, which ordered SINAC to supplement the State Natural Heritage certification in the Talamanca Maritime-Terrestrial Zone with the 2021 wetland characterization, and ordered INVU and the Municipality of Talamanca to incorporate that…
Res. 23118-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Derecho a respuesta municipal en denuncias ambientales
The Constitutional Chamber heard an amparo filed by the mother of a minor student against the Ministry of Public Education and the Municipality of Desamparados. The petitioner alleged multiple deficiencies in the temporary facilities of the San Jerónimo School — physical-sanitary conditions, lack of a cafeteria, dangerous access — and the municipality's…
Res. 23184-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Recurso de amparo por demora en respuesta de AyA sobre disponibilidad de agua
The Constitutional Chamber reviews an amparo appeal against the Costa Rican Institute of Aqueducts and Sewers (AyA) for an alleged violation of the right to a prompt and complete procedure. The appellant had requested two potable water services for a real estate project in Alajuela, which were denied due to hydraulic insufficiency in the Cacique–Borbón…
Res. 23222-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Amparo por falta de respuesta a solicitud de información sobre plan regulador costero
The Constitutional Chamber hears an amparo filed by María Carolina Delgado Ramírez against the Municipality of Guácimo. The petitioner claims that on May 7, 2025, she sent a request for information regarding the coastal regulatory plan of the canton and other aspects of the Maritime Terrestrial Zone, without receiving a response at the time of filing the…
Res. 23252-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Inundaciones en residencial y derecho de petición ante BANHVI
The Constitutional Chamber hears an amparo action filed by a beneficiary of a housing voucher in the Espaveles Residential Complex, who claims that her house floods due to its proximity to the Diría River, only 35 meters away. She alleges having requested a solution from the respondent authorities — the Housing Mortgage Bank (BANHVI) and the Ministry of…
Res. 23332-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Acceso al expediente de orden sanitaria sobre Parque Mario Cañas Ruiz
The Constitutional Chamber hears an amparo action filed by a citizen, as president of the Liberia Unida Party, against the Ministry of Health. The petitioner sought access to the file of a sanitary order issued to the Municipality of Liberia concerning Mario Cañas Ruiz Park, invoking the right of access to public information. The Ministry of Health denied…
Res. 23578-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Rechazo de amparo por extemporaneidad en denegación de servicios públicos en Refugio Ostional
The Constitutional Chamber summarily dismisses an amparo petition filed by an occupant of a property within the Ostional National Wildlife Refuge against the Tempisque Conservation Area, the Costa Rican Institute of Aqueducts and Sewers, and the Costa Rican Electricity Institute. The petitioner alleged a violation of his fundamental rights due to the…
Res. 23673-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Inadmisibilidad de amparo por falta de gestión previa municipal sobre pólvora en Escazú
The Constitutional Chamber summarily dismisses an amparo against the Municipality of Escazú regarding its declaration of artisanal pyrotechnics as a cantonal cultural interest. The petitioner alleged harms to public health, animal welfare, and the environment, as well as a lack of citizen participation. The Court found that the petitioner had not filed any…
Res. 23741-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Rechazo de amparo sobre revocatoria de permiso y demolición
The Constitutional Chamber summarily rejects an amparo action filed against the Municipality of Cartago. The plaintiff claimed the municipality revoked a minor construction permit and ordered the demolition of his home without prior notice or due process, based on a neighbor's complaint and a 2017 ruling from the Environmental Administrative Tribunal that…
Res. 20547-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Amparo por denuncia ambiental y justicia pronta en quebrada Carmen
The Constitutional Chamber reviews an amparo appeal alleging violation of the right to prompt and complete justice (Article 41 of the Constitution) due to the failure to resolve an environmental complaint filed on March 10, 2025, regarding the diversion of the Quebrada Carmen in Cóbano. The complaint was filed with the National System of Conservation…
Res. 24846-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Excepcionalidad del amparo frente a la inacción administrativa en un deslizamiento de talud
The Constitutional Chamber granted an amparo remedy filed by a resident of Heredia whose home was threatened by Pirris River erosion. The court held that, although administrative omissions on infrastructure normally fall under the contentious-administrative jurisdiction, this case presented exceptional circumstances: the delay in addressing the complaints…
Res. 25665-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Descoordinación institucional ante alcantarilla peligrosa y vertidos residuales
The Constitutional Chamber heard an amparo action against the Ministry of Health, MOPT, and CONAVI. The petitioner reported a large, unprotected open culvert on the national road to Carrizal in San Bartolomé de Barva, Heredia, posing a risk to people and vehicles. The ditch was eroding the road, affecting utility poles, and collecting wastewater with…
Res. 26481-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Amparo por riesgo de deslizamiento en El Erizo, Alajuela
The Constitutional Chamber heard an amparo petition filed by residents of the El Erizo neighborhood and occupants of the Juan Santamaría settlement in Alajuela against the Municipality of Alajuela and the National Commission for Risk Prevention and Emergency Response (CNE). The petitioners claimed that since 2004, technical reports had warned of a serious…
Res. 26511-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Omisión de SINAC en atender denuncias ambientales en Cocalito
The Constitutional Chamber granted an amparo action against the National System of Conservation Areas (SINAC) for its prolonged failure to address multiple environmental complaints filed since 2018 by the administration of the Romelia National Wildlife Refuge, Cocalito sector. The complaints involved illegal constructions in the maritime-terrestrial zone…
Res. 27291-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Rechazo de acción de inconstitucionalidad contra delimitación de zona pública de ría
The Constitutional Chamber flatly rejects the unconstitutionality action filed by the Mayor of Cañas against the delimitation of the public zone of the ria of the Abangares, Bebedero-Tenorio and Cañas rivers, published in the Official Gazette in 2020. The plaintiff alleged violation of citizen participation, municipal autonomy and due process, but the…
Res. 15276-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Corrección material de sentencia sobre protección del río Ipís en Vázquez de Coronado
The Constitutional Chamber corrects a material error in the operative part of Ruling 2025-014025, which granted an environmental amparo against the Municipality of Vázquez de Coronado. The original ruling omitted to fully link the decision with the substantive analysis, so it is corrected to reflect that, by majority, municipal order AL-200-0180-2025 is…
Res. 24858-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Improcedencia de gestión de adición y aclaración en amparo por falta de vía administrativa
The Constitutional Chamber rejects the motion for addition and clarification filed by the petitioner against the ruling that previously dismissed their amparo appeal outright. The petitioner claimed failure to assess evidence regarding their property ownership, allegedly illegal municipal sewer works, environmental damage from discharges, and documentary…
Res. 23981-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Respuesta tardía a denuncia sobre uso de área comunal en Barva
The Constitutional Chamber heard an amparo action filed by residents of the Antiesquivo urbanization in Barva against the Municipality of Barva. Residents alleged that on March 11, 2025, they filed a complaint with the mayor regarding the use of a communal area for park and communal facilities, claiming discharges of sand, rocks, possible bituminous waste,…
Res. 23988-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Amparo por inundaciones en servidumbre privada
The Constitutional Court rejects an amparo petition filed by a resident of Vara del Roble, San Isidro de Cartago, who claimed that the Municipality of El Guarco's failure to act regarding stormwater diversion and road deterioration caused flooding in her garage, septic tank overflow, and erosion of a retaining wall with risk of collapse. The property lies…
Res. 24056-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Reiteración de amparo por falta de respuesta municipal sobre plan regulador costero
The Constitutional Chamber hears an amparo filed by a congresswoman against the Municipality of Guácimo for allegedly failing to respond to a request for information regarding the coastal regulatory plan and the maritime-terrestrial zone, submitted on May 7, 2025. The Chamber notes that the facts alleged were already adjudicated in ruling No. 2025023222,…
Res. 24082-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Suspensión de amparo contra Decreto 45019-S sobre calidad del agua potable
The Constitutional Chamber hears an amparo petition filed against AyA and the Ministry of Health, in which the petitioner challenges Executive Decree No. 45019-S, which amended the Drinking Water Quality Regulation (Decree No. 38924-S). The petitioner argues that the amendments — particularly the introduction of an Alert Value for pesticides and the…
Res. 24161-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Instalación de alarma comunitaria en poste eléctrico frente a vivienda
The Constitutional Chamber summarily dismissed an amparo action filed by a resident against the Municipality of San José regarding the installation of a community alarm horn on a utility pole in front of his home. The petitioner alleged noise pollution from excessive and unjustified use of the device, affecting his health, tranquility, and quality of life,…
Res. 24183-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Amparo prematuro por construcción de hospital en Orotina
The petitioner, a neighbor adjacent to the construction of a new hospital in Orotina, filed an amparo against the Municipality of Orotina and the Costa Rican Social Security Fund (CCSS) alleging excessive noise, demolition threats, and lack of evacuation routes. He lodged a complaint on July 3, 2025, and sought amparo on July 11, 2025, merely eight days…
Res. 24547-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Inadmisibilidad de amparo contra Decreto 44974-S por gestión de residuos
The Constitutional Chamber summarily dismisses an amparo action filed by a resident of Aserrí against the Ministry of Health, challenging the lack of a national comprehensive waste management plan and the disproportionate burdens imposed on local governments by Executive Decree No. 44974-S. The petitioner claimed the decree would cause environmental harm…
Res. 24745-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Incumplimiento de amparo sobre inundaciones en Villa Bonita de Alajuela
The Constitutional Chamber dismisses a new non-compliance motion filed by the petitioner against the Municipality of Alajuela, CONAVI, AyA, and the Ministry of Health, regarding judgment No. 2020-18857 which ordered a comprehensive solution to stormwater flooding in the Villa Bonita community of Alajuela. The petitioner claims that CONAVI has made no…
Res. 24841-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Amparo sobre movimientos de tierra sin permisos municipales que afectan zona de protección del Río Alajuela
The Constitutional Chamber hears an amparo action filed by the Integral Development Association of Canoas and Guadalupe and the Association for the Development of Campo Verde against the Municipality of Alajuela and SETENA. The petitioners allege that unpermitted earth movements are taking place next to the Campo Verde residential complex, invading the…
Res. 24879-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Invasión de terreno municipal y canal pluvial La Saca
The Constitutional Chamber hears an amparo filed by property owners in Santo Domingo de Heredia, who claim that the Municipality has failed to resolve landslides and erosion caused by extreme weather and uncontrolled stormwater discharge into the adjacent canal known as 'La Saca'. They allege municipal omissions in canal maintenance, lack of a hydraulic…
Res. 24889-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Derecho de petición sobre borrador de convenio para embarcadero en Isla Tortuga
The Constitutional Chamber hears an amparo action against the Paquera District Municipal Council for failing to respond to the petitioner's opposition to a proposed cooperation agreement with the ICT for a dock on Tortuga Island and his request for a certified copy of the agreement. The Council reports that no agreement has been approved—only a draft under…
Res. 25324-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Aumento de cupos en Corcovado SIN base técnica — Amparo concedido
The Constitutional Chamber granted an amparo against SINAC's increase in daily visitation quotas at Corcovado National Park. The petitioner argued that Resolution SINAC-ACOSA-D-R-0048-2023, which raised the daily entry cap from 560 to 700 and overnight capacity from 70 to 80, lacked scientific backing and violated the precautionary principle and the right…
Res. 25664-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Habilitación de calle pública contiguo al Parque de Montezuma no lesiona derechos fundamentales
The Constitutional Chamber dismissed the amparo action filed by a resident and a corporation against the Cóbano District Municipal Council regarding a sign for a public road project adjacent to Montezuma Park. The plaintiffs claimed the project would destroy the park, lack proper environmental assessment, and destabilize a hotel under construction. The…
Res. 25666-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Derrame de aguas negras sin denuncia previa no activa el amparo
A resident of Lomas de San Francisco de Dos Ríos filed an amparo against the Costa Rican Institute of Aqueducts and Sewers (ICAA), the Ministry of Health, and the Municipality of San José over a sewage spill affecting the community. The Constitutional Chamber dismissed the amparo because the complainant did not file a prior administrative complaint before…
Res. 25672-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Derecho de petición sobre informe de población de cocodrilos
The Constitutional Chamber heard an amparo filed by the director of Defendamos Costa Rica against the Ministry of the Presidency for failing to respond to a request for information submitted on September 28, 2024. The petitioner sought a copy of a MINAE study on the abundance and population status of the American crocodile, referenced by the president in a…
Res. 25673-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Amparo por ruido y vertidos: seguimiento de denuncia ante Ministerio de Salud
The Constitutional Chamber hears an amparo filed by neighbors adjacent to HC Recycle, who allege noise and environmental pollution (oil and paint spills) affecting their health and quality of life, as well as danger from truck traffic and an inadequate dividing wall. They filed a complaint with the Ministry of Health in November 2024 without receiving a…
Res. 25687-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Amparo prematuro por estacionamiento de autobús que causa deslizamientos
The Constitutional Chamber heard an amparo action filed by a property owner whose land borders a national route, where a bus is continuously parked. The petitioner claimed that the parking causes visual obstruction, traffic hazard, and landslides that endanger her home and family, and that the Ministry of Public Works and Transport (MOPT) failed to address…
Res. 25693-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Improcedencia del amparo por respuesta municipal a oposición de planché
The Constitutional Chamber rules on an amparo filed by a resident of Urbanización Heliconias in Purral de Guadalupe against the Municipality of Goicoechea, concerning the alleged failure to address her opposition to the construction of a multi-use court in the park in front of her home. The appellant argued that the project would affect her quality of…
Res. 25696-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Omisión de resolver denuncias ambientales sobre granja avícola en Puriscal
The Constitutional Chamber hears a new amparo action brought by an elderly person against the Municipality of Puriscal, SENASA, and SINAC regarding the operation of a poultry farm in Grifo Alto de Puriscal. The complainant alleges that complaints filed since 2018 concerning illegal construction, aquifer contamination, and health impacts remain unresolved.…
Res. 25728-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Cierre de puente sobre el Río Torres no vulnera derechos fundamentales
The Constitutional Chamber denied an amparo action filed by a local resident against the Ministry of Public Education and the Municipality of Goicoechea regarding the installation of a mesh gate on a bridge over the Torres River leading to Liceo Anastasio Alfaro. The plaintiff claimed obstruction of public access to a public domain asset. The Chamber…
Res. 25745-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Demora del Ministerio de Cultura en resolver solicitud de declaratoria patrimonial del Puente Tures
The Constitutional Chamber heard an amparo action filed by a citizen interested in the protection of historical and cultural heritage, specifically the Tures Bridge in Santo Domingo de Heredia, against the Ministry of Culture and Youth, the MOPT, and the Municipality of Santo Domingo. The petitioner argued that: (i) the Ministry of Culture had not resolved…
Res. 25757-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Amparo por falta de respuesta a solicitud de información sobre manipulación genética
The Constitutional Chamber reviewed an amparo filed by an individual who requested from the Ministry of Environment and Energy the names of natural and legal persons who had performed genetic manipulation activities and were registered with CONAGEBIO's Technical Office between 2020 and 2025, based on Biodiversity Law No. 7788. The requested authority did…
Res. 25791-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Derecho de petición y acceso a información sobre el Proyecto Junabra
The Constitutional Chamber hears an amparo action filed against the Municipality of Santo Domingo for failing to respond to a request for information about the approval conditions of the stormwater drainage and the traffic impact study for Project Junabra, filed on June 26, 2025. The municipality replied on July 29, 2025, after the amparo was underway,…
Res. 25793-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Amparo por demora en resolver recurso de disponibilidad de agua
The Constitutional Chamber reviews an amparo action against the Costa Rican Institute of Aqueducts and Sewers (AyA) filed by a petitioner who in 2024 obtained a positive water and sewer availability certificate for a commercial premises, valid and extendable. In May 2025, she applied for a new certificate to build two apartments on the same property, but…
Res. 26119-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Amparo prematuro por falta de respuesta técnica del MINAE sobre proyecto Puket
The Constitutional Chamber reviewed an amparo filed by the Association for the Development of Ecology against the Ministry of Environment and Energy (MINAE) claiming a lack of technical response and cartographic support to a request for information about the environmental impacts of the real estate project Inversiones Puket, S.A., allegedly located within…
Res. 26242-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Desglose y archivo por reiteración de amparo sobre incumplimiento de sentencia previa
The Constitutional Chamber hears an amparo action against MINAE, the Municipality of Pérez Zeledón, and Finca La Familia S.A. for alleged non-compliance with Judgment 2025-017901 of June 13, 2025 (Case No. 24-027574-0007-CO). That judgment ordered the authorities to enforce the closure and removal of illegal constructions within the protection zones of the…
Res. 26314-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Improcedencia del amparo contra norma reglamentaria
The Constitutional Chamber flatly rejects an amparo action filed against Article 5 of Executive Decree No. 44842-S, Regulation for the Management of Construction and Demolition Waste. The plaintiff argued that this provision restricts her right to work by limiting the signing of hazardous waste transport sheets solely to chemical engineering and/or…
Res. 26346-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Inadmisibilidad de amparo contra resolución judicial de demolición de galeras avícolas
The Constitutional Chamber summarily rejects an amparo filed against a ruling by the Criminal Court of Grecia that denied an extension for the demolition of sheds at Finca Avícola San Juan. The petitioner alleged new facts posing serious risk to animal health, environmental sanitation, and public health, and sought the Chamber's intervention. The court…
Res. 26388-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Inejecución de sentencia sobre denuncia ambiental y sanitaria en quebradas de Puntarenas
The Constitutional Chamber addresses a non-compliance proceeding filed by the original amparo petitioner, who alleged that neither the Municipality of Puntarenas nor the Barranca Health District had definitively resolved her complaints within the one-month period set in Decision No. 2025-017101. The Ministry of Health issued a sanitary order and…
Res. 26456-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Seguimiento de órdenes en amparo por contaminación de aguas negras en Tamarindo
This resolution follows up on Constitutional Chamber judgment 2023032275, which had granted an amparo action concerning black water contamination in the community of Tamarindo, Guanacaste. The Santa Cruz Health District requested an extension of the deadline to complete the sanitation system works, arguing that construction is estimated to finish by May…
Res. 26473-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Amparo por demora en resolver apelación ambiental ante SETENA
The Constitutional Chamber hears an amparo action against the Ministry of Environment and Energy (MINAE) for failing to resolve an appeal with ancillary nullification remedy filed on February 12, 2024, against resolution 0196-2024-SETENA, pertaining to the environmental permit of Compañía Agropecuaria Las Brisas S.A. in Upala. The Chamber finds that, since…
Res. 26525-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Falta de notificación previa en ajuste de tarifa de residuos sólidos
The Constitutional Chamber reviews an amparo action filed by the legal representative of a hotel and restaurant against the Municipality of Nicoya. The claimant alleges that in January 2025 she was charged retroactively for the garbage collection service corresponding to three quarters of 2024, without prior notification of the tariff category change. She…
Res. 26572-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Estese a lo resuelto en recurso de amparo ambiental por reiteración de alegatos
The Constitutional Chamber reviews an amparo appeal filed against the National Commission for Risk Prevention and Emergency Response (CNE) and the Ministry of Environment and Energy (MINAE) for alleged failure to address an environmental complaint concerning illegal alterations to the Carmen Creek in Cóbano. The appellant claimed that his complaint had not…
Res. 26625-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Violación al derecho de petición y acceso a la información ambiental por parte del Concejo Municipal de Liberia
The Constitutional Chamber reviewed an amparo action filed by Eddy Antonio Álvarez Rivas against the Municipality of Liberia for failing to respond to an information request submitted on July 2, 2025. The petitioner, as President of the Superior Executive Committee of the Liberia Unida Party, had asked the Permanent Environmental Commission of the…
Res. 26766-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Derecho de petición y plazo razonable ante consulta técnica al INVU
The Constitutional Chamber heard an amparo action against the National Institute of Housing and Urbanism (INVU) for failure to timely respond to a query about urban development projects near Parque de la Paz, San José. The petitioner requested information on June 9, 2025, and filed the amparo after receiving no reply. During the proceedings, INVU responded…
Res. 26937-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Inadmisibilidad de amparo por fuga de aguas negras
The Constitutional Chamber flatly rejects an amparo filed by a person who reported a blackwater leak from a neighboring property that affects his health and quality of life. The petitioner alleged that the Ministry of Health failed to carry out the inspection mandated by sanitary protocol within the maximum three-day period, even though more than a month…
Res. 26982-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Rechazo de gestión posterior al amparo por ruido excesivo
The Constitutional Chamber resolves a post-ruling motion filed by the petitioner in a previously granted amparo against the Ministry of Health for delayed notification of results of a complaint regarding excessive noise and river pollution by HC Recycle. The original ruling found that the Ministry took over seven months to inform the petitioner that sound…
Res. 27198-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Improcedencia de amparo contra Decreto Ejecutivo 44974-S
The Constitutional Chamber flatly rejects the amparo action filed on behalf of the Municipality of Heredia against the Ministry of Health, deeming it manifestly inadmissible. The petitioner challenged Executive Decree 44974-S, arguing that it would hinder proper solid waste disposal and cause environmental and health impacts in the canton. The Chamber…
Res. 27214-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Amparo inadmisible sobre diálogo ciudadano en Proyecto Papagayo
The Constitutional Chamber flatly dismisses an amparo petition filed by a resident of Carrillo against the municipalities of Carrillo and Liberia, requesting that the municipalities be ordered to promote dialogue and citizen participation concerning the Papagayo Tourism Project. The petitioner argued that the lack of dialogue violated rights such as the…
Res. 27282-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Amparo ambiental contra TAA por demora excesiva
The Constitutional Chamber ruled on a disobedience complaint filed by a neighbor who alleged that the Environmental Administrative Tribunal (TAA) had failed to resolve an environmental complaint against the RIU hotel complex, regarding wetland destruction and impacts on beach, biodiversity and watercourses. In 2022, the Chamber had already ordered the TAA…
Res. 27428-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Guía turístico sancionado por salir del sendero en Parque Corcovado no demuestra violación al debido proceso
The Constitutional Chamber dismisses an amparo filed by a tour guide against SINAC after he was given a seven-day administrative ban from Corcovado National Park for leaving the authorized trail with tourists. The petitioner claimed violation of due process and defense rights, arguing lack of motivation and inability to present evidence. The Chamber relies…
Res. 92522-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Admisión de acción de inconstitucionalidad contra Decreto 45019-S sobre calidad del agua potable
The Constitutional Chamber admits for study an unconstitutionality action filed by a deputy against Executive Decree No. 45019-S, which amended the Regulation for Drinking Water Quality. The plaintiff challenges the replacement of 'maximum admissible values' with 'alert values' for the determination of pesticides and their metabolites in water for human…
Res. 25307-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Municipalidad debe recuperar bienes demaniales en Nosara
The Constitutional Chamber upheld the amparo against the Municipality of Nicoya for the prolonged failure to define and recover public domain lands—green zones, parks, and roads—within the "Proyecto Americano" in Nosara. Although the municipality had been aware since 2021 of technical reports identifying 23 cadastral plans designated as green zones or…
Res. 27464-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Amparo por corte de tubería de agua y omisión de SETENA
The Constitutional Chamber reviews an amparo action filed by 14 families against a property owner and SETENA. The petitioners claim they have drawn water for 20 years from a spring on the owner's land, and that on June 19, 2025, the owner, with police support, destroyed the pipes supplying water to their homes, affecting minors and elderly persons. They…
Res. 28058-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Detención por desobediencia en construcción clausurada en Gandoca-Manzanillo sin lesión a derechos
The Constitutional Chamber denied a habeas corpus petition against SINAC and the Public Security Ministry for the arrest of a property owner at a construction site within the 188-hectare Gandoca-Manzanillo Wildlife Refuge. The facts showed the property lay inside the protected area under court-ordered moratorium on permits; the construction exceeded the…
Res. 20621-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Improcedencia de amparo por denuncia de agua no potable atendida extraprocesalmente
The Constitutional Chamber dismisses an amparo action against the Ministry of Health concerning an alleged lack of response to a citizen complaint about the quality and continuity of the potable water service in Esterillos Oeste. The petitioner claimed that his submissions made in April 2025 had gone unanswered, violating his right to prompt administrative…
Res. 29132-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Rechazo de inconstitucionalidad por omisión ambiental en Torre de la Esperanza
The Constitutional Chamber summarily dismissed a claim of unconstitutionality filed against alleged administrative omissions in the 'Critical Care Tower – Tower of Hope' project at the National Children's Hospital. The plaintiff argued that the lack of environmental, geotechnical, and hydrogeological studies violated the right to a healthy environment, the…
Res. 29125-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Legitimación para impugnar el Decreto 25902-MIVAH-MP-MINAE mediante acción de inconstitucionalidad
The Constitutional Chamber flatly rejects an unconstitutionality action against Executive Decree 25902-MIVAH-MP-MINAE, which establishes urban control areas and protection zones in the Greater Metropolitan Area. The petitioner argued the decree is void for lack of technical studies, violation of the principle of legislative reservation, and inequality,…
Res. 29991-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Construcción ilegal en zona ambientalmente protegida — Municipalidad debe resolver
The Constitutional Court granted an amparo filed by neighbors of San Rafael de Heredia against the Municipality, for illegal construction of a shed without permits on a property partially located within the inalienable zone under Law 65 of 1888 and in the area of Decree 25902-MIVAH-MP-MINAE. The construction involved earthworks, vegetation removal, and…
Res. 30948-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
PTAR El Cacao — responsabilidad y coordinación institucional
The Constitutional Chamber reviewed an amparo against the Municipality of Santa Cruz, the Santa Cruz Health Area, and the Costa Rican Institute of Aqueducts and Sewers (ICAA), concerning serious pollution from the wastewater treatment plant (PTAR) of the El Cacao residential project, which for years had operated deficiently, causing overflows of raw…
Res. 30992-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Municipalidad debe interconectar agua potable a condominio de interés social pese a proceso de lesividad
The Constitutional Chamber grants an amparo filed by the Minister of Housing on behalf of 120 families of the La Esperanza Condominium in Naranjo. The Municipality had granted water availability three times (2021, 2022, 2023) for the project, developed through the National Housing Finance System and declared of municipal interest. Based on those…
Res. 20640-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Amparo contra Municipalidad de Heredia por inundaciones en Boruca
The Constitutional Chamber dismissed an amparo action against the Municipality of Heredia regarding recurring stormwater flooding in Residencial Boruca, Mercedes Norte. The petitioners alleged that the municipality had failed to carry out works to remedy deficiencies in the storm drain system, despite a 2020 technical report that identified them. The…
Res. 31963-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Deber municipal de fiscalización de comercios ruidosos
Neighbors of Sarchí Norte filed an amparo alleging irregular operation of three businesses that function as clandestine bars despite holding only licenses for a mini-supermarket, restaurant and soda shop. They denounce noise pollution, alcohol and drug consumption in public areas, insecurity, and authorities’ failure to take effective action despite…
Res. 27400-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Desobediencia de amparo ambiental por dilación en el TAA
The Constitutional Chamber resolves a disobedience filing brought by the petitioner, who alleges that the Administrative Environmental Tribunal (TAA) has failed to comply with the order issued in amparo judgment No. 2023003737 of 2023. That judgment ordered the TAA to definitively resolve an environmental complaint (file No. 140-20-02TAA) within three…
Res. 27431-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Dilación en resolver denuncia por ruido vulnera derecho a justicia pronta
The Constitutional Chamber reviews an amparo action against the Ministry of Health and the Municipality of Goicoechea regarding a materials laboratory operating in a central residential zone, which neighbors claim generates excessive noise and vibrations. Residents filed complaints starting in October 2024, but as of August 2025, the Health District had…
Res. 27436-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Amparo por traslado de residuos del GAM al relleno sanitario de Limón
Two residents filed an amparo against Empresas Berthier EBI de Costa Rica S.A. and the Municipality of Limón, arguing that transferring solid waste from the Greater Metropolitan Area (GAM) to the El Tomatal landfill threatened Limón residents' rights to health and a healthy environment, and endangered the landfill's lifespan. The Constitutional Chamber…
Res. 27984-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Gestión de ejecución: prórroga a municipalidad para solución de contaminación por aguas residuales
The Constitutional Chamber hears a post-judgment motion stemming from Amparo 2022-017539, which granted protection and ordered the Municipality of Desamparados and the Ministry of Health to coordinate and implement a definitive solution to wastewater contamination on the petitioner's property. In this ruling, the mayor of Desamparados requests a further…
Res. 27986-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Incumplimiento de amparo contra el Tribunal Ambiental Administrativo por demora en resolución de expediente 286-04-03-TAA
The Constitutional Chamber examines the claim of noncompliance filed by the petitioner regarding judgment 2024-012481, which ordered the Environmental Administrative Tribunal (TAA) to definitively resolve, within three months, the environmental complaint processed under file 286-04-03-TAA. The TAA reported that it issued the final act through resolution…
Res. 28362-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Derecho al agua no justifica amparo si el servicio existe, aunque sea mediante conexiones precarias
The Constitutional Chamber denies an amparo action filed by residents of Calle Morera in San Antonio de Alajuela against the Costa Rican Institute of Aqueducts and Sewers (ICAA) and the Municipality. The claimants alleged a violation of the fundamental right to drinking water due to administrative obstacles that since 2014 have prevented the extension of a…
Res. 28490-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Inadmisibilidad de amparo por obstrucción de drenaje pluvial
The Constitutional Chamber summarily dismisses an amparo action against the Municipality of Alajuela, filed by a resident who alleged that a neighbor's modification of their driveway with stones and cement obstructed stormwater drainage, causing stagnant water, mosquito breeding sites, and dengue infections within her family. The Chamber finds that the…
Res. 28724-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Legitimación vicaria ambiental y rechazo de amparo sobre deberes del Ministerio de Salud
A municipal inspector from Desamparados filed an amparo action against the Ministry of Health for failing to apply inspection procedures and provisions of Law 5395 (General Health Law) and Law 8839 (Integrated Waste Management Act), concerning a complaint about improper waste disposal. He requested the application of Articles 275 of Law 5395 and 58 of Law…
Res. 28808-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Denegatoria de gestión por incumplimiento en amparo ambiental sobre Sitio Ramsar Gandoca-Manzanillo
The Constitutional Chamber denies a motion of protest and non-compliance filed by a claimant in amparo 24-005929-0007-CO. The claimant alleged that the Director of the Amistad Caribe Conservation Area disobeyed judgment 2024010951-2024, which ordered the updating of the State Natural Heritage certification in the Talamanca Maritime Zone, and denounced…
Res. 28813-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Aclaración y adición rechazadas en caso de calle por parque Montezuma
The Constitutional Chamber rejects as untimely the request for clarification and addition filed against Judgment No. 2025025664. In the earlier ruling, the Chamber had dismissed an amparo action challenging the construction of a public road adjacent to Montezuma Park by the Cóbano District Municipal Council. The petitioner, appearing personally and as…
Res. 29061-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Legitimación de gobierno local para amparo ambiental
The Constitutional Court declares inadmissible an amparo petition filed by the mayor of Belén against the Ministry of Health. The petitioner sought a response to official communications regarding the application of Executive Decree No. 44974-S, which sets a maximum distance of 80 km for final solid waste disposal, arguing that the lack of response violated…
Res. 29174-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Gestión posterior en amparo ambiental carente de legitimación procesal
This ruling by the Constitutional Chamber addresses a post-judgment motion filed by a third party not involved in the already concluded environmental amparo proceeding. Invoking a diffuse interest, the moving party sought to extend the effects of the Naranjo canton ruling to the Alajuela canton, specifically regarding the updating of the national water…
Res. 29201-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Negativa de información sobre Sitio Ramsar 783
The Constitutional Court dismissed an amparo action against SINAC's executive director. The petitioner sought detailed information about Ramsar Site 783, Gandoca-Manzanillo, including administrative files, lists of occupants, constructions, owners, and coordinates. SINAC responded by providing available data, such as a table of coordinates for 756…
Res. 29202-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
SINAC no vulnera derechos al responder sobre caminos en Refugio Gandoca-Manzanillo
The Constitutional Chamber dismisses an amparo action against the National System of Conservation Areas (SINAC) regarding the management of the Gandoca-Manzanillo National Wildlife Refuge. The petitioner claimed the administrator gave evasive answers to his inquiries about roads, road maintenance, and subdivisions within the refuge. The Chamber finds that…
Res. 29211-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Improcedencia de prórroga solicitada por el amparado tras sentencia estimatoria
The Constitutional Chamber addresses a procedural motion filed by the claimant in an already-granted amparo action. The amparo had been granted for violation of Article 41 of the Constitution, ordering the Mayor of Puriscal and the Acting Executive Director of SINAC to resolve and serve pending requests and complaints. Now, the claimant requests a five-day…
Res. 29225-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Falla en planta de tratamiento de condominio no vulnera derecho a ambiente sano
The Constitutional Chamber denies an amparo action filed by a resident of the Condominio Horizontal Residencial con Fincas Filiales Primarias Individualizadas Rincón del Valle (La Valencia) against the Ministry of Health. The petitioner alleged that the condominium administrator had persistently omitted the duty to maintain and repair the wastewater…
Res. 29270-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Omisión municipal y del Ministerio de Salud en denuncia por contaminación sónica en parque recreativo
The Constitutional Court hears an amparo filed by residents of the Jorge Debravo Urbanization in Turrialba, who claim that the operation of the Jorge Debravo Recreational Park, built without neighborhood consultation or usage regulations, generates noise pollution from band rehearsals and other loud activities. The petitioners state they have repeatedly…
Res. 29376-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Permiso construcción en zona de protección de la Quebrada Negritos sin respuesta de la municipalidad
The Constitutional Chamber hears an amparo appeal against the Municipality of San José for failing to respond to a request to open an administrative procedure and impose precautionary measures regarding construction permit No. 067-2022-CFIA-920253 for the DI Escalante Verde project. The appellants, district trustees and council members, allege the permit…
Res. 29628-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Suspensión de permiso de construcción no amparable por ser cuestión de mera legalidad
The Constitutional Chamber flatly rejects an amparo action filed by a corporation and an individual against SINAC and the Municipality of Talamanca. The plaintiffs argued that the authorities suspended their family home construction permit on private property outside the maritime-terrestrial zone, relying on Chamber rulings they claimed were inapplicable.…
Res. 29760-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Desobediencia en contaminación por clorotalonil en Cartago
The Constitutional Chamber grants a disobedience motion against the Ministry of Health, AyA, and the Santa Rosa de Oreamuno ASADA for noncompliance with ruling 2023-013384. That ruling ordered interagency coordination to implement the recommendations of the “Informe Técnico Clorotalonil” and to guarantee drinking water without using contaminated sources.…
Res. 30035-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Improcedencia de amparo por perturbaciones de plantel municipal de recolección de residuos
A 79-year-old senior filed an amparo action against the Municipality of Heredia and a waste collection company, alleging environmental disturbances from a facility near the Heredia Cemetery: noise from motorcycles, fumes and odors from garbage trucks, and waste transfer in public streets. She claimed violation of the right to a healthy environment and…
Res. 30106-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
SINAC puede remitir a plataformas electrónicas para acceso a información ambiental
The Constitutional Chamber dismissed an amparo action against SINAC filed by a citizen who requested detailed information about occupations and permits in the Gandoca-Manzanillo National Wildlife Refuge and Ramsar Site 783. The petitioner claimed that the administration violated his right of access to information by referring him to electronic platforms…
Res. 30124-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Acumulación de amparo sobre modificación al Reglamento Papagayo
The Constitutional Chamber rules on an amparo filed by a citizen against MINAE, the Ministry of the Presidency, and the Ministry of Tourism, challenging the amendment to the Regulation for the Development and Execution of the Golfo de Papagayo Tourism Project via Executive Decree No. 44448 of January 17, 2024. The petitioner claims the amendment harms…
Res. 30301-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Rechazo de amparo sobre permisos de postes de telecomunicaciones y participación ciudadana
The petitioner challenged the grant of 96 permits for the installation of telecommunications poles by ten municipalities, alleging violations of the rights to environmental information and citizen participation, as well as to a healthy environment. She argued that the affected communities were neither informed nor allowed to participate, generating visual…
Res. 30407-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Inadmisibilidad de amparo contra municipalidad por certificado de uso de suelo
The Constitutional Chamber summarily dismissed an amparo action filed by a corporation against the Municipality of San Rafael de Heredia. The petitioner claimed that the municipality disregarded a MINAE resolution (R-555-2024-MINAE) stating that its property was not subject to the restriction of Law LXV of 1888. The municipality, by official letter…
Res. 30464-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Torre de telecomunicaciones y falta de denuncia previa
The Constitutional Chamber denies an amparo action filed against the Municipality of Talamanca over the installation of a 45-meter transmission tower in Puerto Viejo, alleging risks to health, the environment, and groundwater. The Chamber reaffirms its settled jurisprudence that there is no scientific evidence that telecommunications towers pose a risk to…
Res. 30477-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Inadmisibilidad de amparo por falta de agotamiento de vía administrativa en denuncia ambiental
The Constitutional Chamber summarily dismissed an amparo action filed against the Municipality of San José regarding a public tender for cleaning and maintenance services at Finca El Maderal, Mata de Plátano. The claimant argued that brush clearing, tree pruning and felling, and chemical application would threaten the environment, particularly due to…
Res. 30508-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Rechazo de amparo por mora administrativa en nulidad de viabilidad ambiental
The Constitutional Chamber summarily dismisses the amparo filed by the developer of the Bella Flor de Montezuma condominium project against SETENA. The petitioner argued that, after the environmental viability was approved in 2023, a private party requested its nullity and SETENA issued a precautionary measure suspending the viability in November 2024, but…
Res. 30982-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Suspensión de amparo contra compensación de densidad en Polo Turístico Golfo de Papagayo
The petitioner challenged Executive Decree No. 44448-MP-TUR in an amparo action, arguing that it introduced a density compensation mechanism in the Papagayo Gulf Tourist Hub that allows concentrated construction without comprehensive environmental assessment, allegedly causing unconstitutional environmental regression. The Constitutional Chamber noted that…
Res. 31019-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Solicitud de información de diputado a municipalidad enviada a correo no oficial
The Constitutional Chamber hears an amparo action filed by a deputy of the Legislative Assembly against the Municipality of Nicoya. The plaintiff claims that, through a letter sent to two email addresses, he requested information on construction permits, earthmoving permits, land-use certifications, subdivision applications, and public access to Playa…
Res. 31073-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Amparo por inacción del Ministerio de Salud ante contaminación de granja avícola
The Constitutional Chamber reviews an amparo filed by neighbors against the Ministry of Health and SENASA for pollution from the Juan Rodríguez Poultry Farm in Santa Bárbara de Heredia. The petitioners claim that since 2010 they have filed multiple complaints about nauseating odors, fly infestations, and poor wastewater management, without effective…
Res. 33862-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Contaminación por aguas negras frente a vivienda de adulta mayor
This amparo action was filed on behalf of an 86-year-old woman from Purral, Goicoechea, who since January 2024 suffered pollution from sewage that pooled in front of her house. She repeatedly sought help from the Municipality of Goicoechea and the Ministry of Health, but the agencies declared themselves incompetent and did not resolve the problem. The…
Res. 32911-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Prohibición de ingreso de perros en parque infantil no vulnera derechos fundamentales
The Constitutional Chamber hears an amparo appeal filed by a person with Parkinson's disease against the Municipality of Heredia for installing a sign prohibiting dogs in Park No. 4-145 of the Privacía Residential Complex, designated as a children's playground. The appellant argues that his dogs provide therapeutic and assistance support, and that the…
Res. 34700-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Municipalidad debe resolver denuncia ambiental sobre infraestructura pluvial y protección de naciente en plazo razonable
The Constitutional Chamber reviewed an amparo filed by elderly residents of Finca Flor de Mayo in Alajuela, who had reported to the Municipality of Alajuela since May 2023 the lack of adequate stormwater infrastructure, causing flooding, erosion, damage to flora, fauna and a water spring, as well as foul odors affecting health. The municipality processed…
Res. 34699-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Parque de Los Árboles — abandono por falta de denuncias
The Constitutional Chamber dismissed the amparo action against the Municipality of San José concerning the 'Parque de Los Árboles'. The claimant alleged abandonment, sick trees, and occupation by homeless persons, violating the right to a healthy environment. The Chamber held no fundamental rights violation was shown because the municipality demonstrated…
Res. 34701-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Contaminación del río Poás por planta de tratamiento abandonada en urbanización La Senda
The Constitutional Chamber partially grants an amparo filed by residents of La Senda housing development in Carrillos Bajo de Poás, Alajuela, against the Ministry of Health, the Municipality of Poás, and the Costa Rican Institute of Aqueducts and Sewerage (AyA). The petitioners claimed that the development's wastewater treatment plant, built approximately…
Res. 32461-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Amparo sobre información de territorios ancestrales y consulta previa en Plan Regulador de Matina
The Constitutional Chamber hears an amparo action against the Municipality of Matina for failure to respond to an information request regarding the existence of an official map of Afro-Costa Rican ancestral territories, and for not guaranteeing prior, free, and informed consultation in the drafting of the Coastal Regulatory Plan. The petitioner alleges…
Res. 25657-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Rechazo de acción de inconstitucionalidad contra acuerdo municipal sobre estudios hidrogeológicos
The Constitutional Chamber summarily dismisses an unconstitutionality action filed against Municipal Agreement No. 2 of the Municipal Council of San Rafael de Heredia, adopted in ordinary session No. 26-2024 on August 12, 2024. The agreement approved the Management Policies (Phase 3) of the Hydrogeological Studies Project for the Regulatory Plans of the…
Res. 20793-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Amparo prematuro sobre declaratoria de Monumento Natural en El Tirol
The Constitutional Chamber dismisses an amparo action brought by a citizen against the Municipality of San Rafael de Heredia. The petitioner requested a cantonal interest declaration for the El Tirol landscape and the initiation of proceedings to declare it a Natural Monument before MINAE, pursuant to Article 33 of the Organic Environmental Law. The…
Res. 30994-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Amparo por contaminación sónica contra Ministerio de Salud y Municipalidad
The Constitutional Chamber reviewed an amparo action filed by a Turrialba resident against Bar Marbella, the Municipality of Turrialba, and the Ministry of Health. The petitioner claimed the establishment played excessively loud music outside permitted hours, disturbing neighbors’ rest and health in violation of health, environmental, and municipal…
Res. 31010-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Acumulación de amparos por planta de tratamiento La Senda
The Constitutional Chamber orders the consolidation of an amparo filed by residents of La Senda urbanization, in Poás de Alajuela, against AyA, MINAE, and the Ministry of Health, with another pending amparo under file 25-009319-0007-CO. The petitioners complain of the prolonged failure to maintain, repair, and operate the wastewater treatment plant,…
Res. 31020-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Mora del Tribunal Ambiental Administrativo en resolver denuncia por contaminación de aguas subterráneas
The Constitutional Chamber hears an amparo action against the Environmental Administrative Tribunal (TAA) for undue delay in processing administrative file No. 177-13-03-TAA, concerning a complaint about hydrocarbon contamination of the Moín Coastal Aquifer in Limón by a gas station. The complaint dates from 2013, and despite multiple resolutions and…
Res. 31134-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Solicitud de criterio al Procurador no es amparable como derecho de petición
The Constitutional Chamber dismisses on its merits an amparo action filed by a congresswoman against the Attorney General’s Office. The petitioner asked the Attorney General for a technical-legal opinion on whether an administrative act of the Environmental Administrative Tribunal—concerning the appointment of judges and transfer of posts—harmed the…
Res. 31313-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Amparo prematuro por denuncia anónima sobre construcciones en zona de protección del río Bermúdez
The petitioner filed an amparo action against the Municipality of San Rafael de Heredia, alleging failure to address her anonymous complaint about allegedly illegal constructions in the protection zone of the Bermúdez River. She argued that since August 7, 2025, she had requested municipal intervention without receiving a response, which she deemed a…
Res. 31965-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Incumplimiento de orden de amparo en quebrada Los Negritos
The Constitutional Chamber reviews a non-compliance motion filed by a petitioner alleging that the Municipality of Montes de Oca and the MINAE Water Directorate failed to comply with Judgment No. 2025017905, which ordered them to provide a report requested on two dates in 2024. The original judgment had granted an amparo for lack of response to requests…
Res. 31967-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Tala de cipreses en San Rafael de Heredia no viola derecho ambiental
The Constitutional Chamber dismisses a habeas corpus appeal filed by a resident of San Rafael de Heredia against the Municipality for the felling of cypress trees in the El Tirol – Del Monte sector. The appellant alleged massive deforestation, failure to conduct comprehensive risk assessment, and violation of the rights to a healthy environment, life, and…
Res. 31971-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Exigencia de firma digital para peticiones por correo electrónico vulnera derechos fundamentales
The Constitutional Chamber reviews an amparo action filed against the Ministry of Health and the Municipality of Poás for refusing to process a request for information on operating permits of a fairground, requiring a digital signature in the email. The Chamber flatly rejects the claims regarding the suspension of activities or the legality review of…
Res. 32463-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Incumplimiento de solución integral a contaminación de aguas residuales en Residencial Estancia Antigua
The Constitutional Court hears a claim of disobedience filed by residents of Residencial Estancia Antigua against AyA, the Municipality of La Unión, and the Ministry of Health, alleging non-compliance with ruling 2021-022447, which ordered the cessation of illegal discharges into the planned sewer system and the provision of a comprehensive and definitive…
Res. 32466-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Sala Constitucional rechaza gestión de incumplimiento sobre obras en zona de protección
The Constitutional Chamber addresses a non-compliance claim filed by the plaintiff in a previous environmental amparo (Res. 2025017901), which ordered the removal of illegal structures in the protection zone of the Barucito River and Sin Nombre creek, and closure measures. The plaintiff alleges disobedience; the owning company and authorities report…
Res. 32469-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Gestión posterior rechazada en relleno sanitario Los Pinos
The Constitutional Chamber rules on a post-judgment request following amparo ruling No. 2025023963, which ordered the Municipality of Cartago and the Ministry of Health to correct the environmental problem at the Los Pinos Landfill within two months. The mayor requests a six-month extension, citing the need for 2026 budget allocation, compliance with…
Res. 32665-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Regulación municipal de pólvora sonora como gestión exhortativa inadmisible
The Constitutional Chamber reviews an amparo action against the Municipality of Escazú. The petitioner had requested that the municipality regulate the use of fireworks in public spaces due to their negative effects on health, the environment, and public peace, but received no satisfactory response. Subsequently, the Municipal Council declared fireworks of…
Res. 32722-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Amparo prematuro por denuncia ambiental ante municipalidad
The Constitutional Chamber dismisses an amparo action filed by a resident of Tucurrique against the Municipality of Tucurrique and an official, for lack of response to an environmental complaint filed on September 23, 2025. The plaintiff alleged that constructions on two properties altered the course of a river, causing overflows and flooding that affected…
Res. 32864-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Posturas divergentes en amparo contra cierre vial y presuntos incumplimientos de CONAVI y MOPT
By majority decision, the Constitutional Chamber dismisses an amparo action that alleged non-compliance with a prior ruling regarding the condition of national routes 135 and 716, as well as harms caused by the "La Pista" quarry at the entrance of Grecia, Alajuela. Regarding the alleged non-compliance, the Chamber states that the proper avenue is a…
Res. 32890-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Amparo ambiental por inestabilidad de ladera y falta de respuesta a denuncia
The Constitutional Chamber reviewed an amparo filed by a property owner in Sabana Sur, San José, against the Municipality of San José, the National Emergency Commission (CNE), and SETENA. The plaintiff claimed that the “Condominio Torres de Valencia” project and authorized earthworks caused slope instability, structural damage, harm to a water spring and…
Res. 32989-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Amparo por contaminación sónica contra Ministerio de Salud
The Constitutional Chamber reviews an amparo filed by a neighbor in San Ramón against the Ministry of Health, alleging a lack of response and action on a complaint about noise pollution from a gym. The petitioner argued that since July 22, 2025, she filed a complaint, amplified on August 11, without receiving a response or timely action, affecting her…
Res. 33081-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Derecho de petición y acceso a información sobre licencias sanitarias del proyecto Los Mangos
The Constitutional Chamber reviewed an amparo filed by a citizen against the Ministry of Health, claiming that a request for information submitted on August 21, 2025, to the Alajuela 1 Health Area had not been answered. The request asked whether the 'Los Mangos' project had a sanitary license to operate as a landfill, whether a waste transfer station…
Res. 33104-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Inercia del Ministerio de Salud en denuncia por contaminación sónica
The Constitutional Chamber reviews an amparo filed by neighbors in El Coyol, Alajuela, against the Ministry of Health, alleging failure to address noise and air pollution from a truck yard. The petitioners claim that for years they have endured noise and gases from trucks operating day and night, harming their health and rest. After a prior Chamber…
Res. 33135-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Rechazo de amparo por mora de SETENA en criterio de humedales
The Constitutional Chamber summarily dismissed an amparo action against MINAE and SETENA for the alleged delay in resolving a technical opinion request on the presence of wetlands, filed within a public domain watercourse concession procedure. The petitioner argued that temporarily suspending such opinions until the update of Executive Decree 42760-MINAE…
Res. 33390-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Derecho a respuesta por denuncia ambiental sobre contaminación sónica
The Constitutional Chamber reviewed an amparo appeal filed by a resident of Concepción de La Unión against the Municipality of La Unión. The petitioner complained about excessive noise from the 'Chory's' restaurant exceeding permissible decibel levels and alleged the municipality had not responded to his June 2025 complaints, violating his rights to health…
Res. 33787-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Falta de obras de contención ante deslizamientos en Barrio La Isla
The Constitutional Chamber hears an amparo filed by a property owner in Barrio “La Isla” in San Miguel de Desamparados, who claims that since 2022 recurring landslides have affected the community's sole access, preventing emergency vehicles from passing and exposing residents—especially the most vulnerable—to significant risks. The petitioner accuses both…
Res. 33851-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Amparo por falta de respuesta municipal sobre gestión de residuos sólidos
The Constitutional Chamber reviews an amparo filed against the Municipality of San Rafael de Heredia for an alleged violation of the right to petition and timely response. On June 30, 2025, the petitioner requested information on preventive actions taken by the municipality to avoid potential legal claims arising from inadequate solid waste management. The…
Res. 33915-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Omisión administrativa en mediciones sónicas por parte del Ministerio de Salud
The Constitutional Court reviews an amparo action filed by neighbors alleging the Ministry of Health's failure to conduct noise measurements at an adjacent clandestine workshop, which they claim violates their rights to health and a healthy environment, especially affecting a 2-year-old child. The Court finds that the San Ramón Health Authority acted…
Res. 34171-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Amparo contra la gentrificación es rechazado de plano
The Constitutional Chamber rejects as inadmissible an amparo filed by a person claiming to act in the diffuse interest against three ministries and the tourism board, arguing that gentrification —the displacement of local communities by wealthy foreigners— violates the rights to decent housing, not to migrate, and a healthy environment. The Chamber…
Res. 34295-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Inadmisibilidad de amparo por conflicto de legalidad en orden sanitaria
The Constitutional Chamber flatly rejects an amparo action filed by residents of the Lomas de Hidalgo condominium in Alajuela against the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Environment and Energy, and the Municipality of Alajuela. The petitioners alleged contamination of the Ojo de Agua stream by discharges from the Empaques Santa Ana industrial plant.…
Res. 34702-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Rechazo de adición y aclaración sobre orden de regular visitación en Parque Nacional Corcovado
The Constitutional Chamber unanimously denies the motions for addition and clarification filed by the Asociación de Desarrollo Integral de Corcovado-Carate against decision 2025024842. That prior judgment had annulled a resolution that increased daily visitation to Corcovado National Park and ordered the Regional Directorate of the Osa Conservation Area to…
Res. 34712-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Amparo por ubicación de poste de telecomunicaciones en Bahía Ballena
The Sala Constitucional denied an amparo filed by a resident of Bahía Ballena de Osa against the Municipality of Osa. The petitioner argued that a construction permit for a telecommunications pole on a road shoulder obstructed pedestrian use, violating rights to safety, accessibility, and a healthy environment. The Chamber verified that the municipality…
Res. 34784-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Dilación injustificada del TAA en desacumular denuncias ambientales
The Constitutional Chamber reviewed an amparo action against the Administrative Environmental Tribunal (TAA) for allegedly failing to enforce its own order to sever a complex environmental complaint. The complainant had filed a complaint for Forestry Law violations in Bahía Ballena, Osa, and the TAA ordered on June 20, 2025, to split the case into separate…
Res. 34786-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Amparo por denuncias ambientales sin resolver en concesiones de Zona Marítimo Terrestre
The Constitutional Chamber granted the amparo filed by Asociación Cívica de Hermosa against the Cóbano District Municipal Council. The petitioner claimed the municipality granted concessions in the Maritime Terrestrial Zone on lands with forest cover and wetlands, which constitute State Natural Heritage (PNE), and are therefore under the exclusive…
Res. 34849-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Tala en Condominio Eco Residencial Villa Real
The Constitutional Chamber hears an amparo action against the Municipality of Santa Ana for tree felling on a lot within the Eco Residencial Villa Real Condominium. The petitioner alleges excessive and systematic logging of protected timber species, earthmoving, and timber sales without permits, harming a forest ecosystem. The municipality reports that it…
Res. 28806-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Orden de resolución de denuncia por aguas residuales en Cachí
The Constitutional Chamber hears an amparo filed by a resident of Cachí de Paraíso, Cartago, who alleges that an open ditch on her property carries wastewater from neighboring homes, causing stagnant sewage and health and environmental problems for her family (elderly mother and minor children). The complainant filed complaints with the Ministry of Health…
Res. 35872-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
SENASA debe notificar al denunciante los resultados de inspecciones
The Constitutional Chamber heard an amparo action against the National Animal Health Service (SENASA) for alleged inaction regarding complaints about a cattle pen near the petitioner's home causing foul odors, fly proliferation, and health risks. Although SENASA conducted three on-site inspections and ultimately ordered the suspension of livestock…
Res. 36638-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Demora en expropiación de finca en Parque Nacional Marino Las Baulas viola derecho de propiedad
The Constitutional Chamber hears an amparo filed by the president of El Pelícano Marino S.A., registered owner of property 43135-000 located within Las Baulas Marine National Park. The petitioner claims that expropriation proceedings began in 2021 and she accepted the appraisal in 2022, but on January 24, 2024, the Tempisque Conservation Area (SINAC)…
Res. 36585-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Sala Constitucional ordena cumplir Decreto 43368 sobre Área Marina de Manejo del Bicentenario
The Constitutional Chamber granted an amparo action against MINAE and SINAC for failing to comply with Articles 5 and 6 of Executive Decree No. 43368-MINAE. The decree required mobilizing resources to strengthen the Coco Marine Conservation Area, preparing the General Management Plans for Cocos Island National Park and the Bicentennial Marine Management…
Res. 36241-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Acumulación de amparos sobre tala en Finca El Maderal
The Constitutional Chamber issues a procedural ruling in an amparo action brought by residents of Mata de Plátano district, Goicoechea, against the municipalities of San José and Goicoechea, and the Ministry of Health. The petitioners allege that the Municipality of San José, through a reduced bidding process, authorized the felling of trees on Finca El…
Res. 37542-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Tercer amparo por contaminación del tanque del Residencial El Río en Liberia
The petitioner, a resident of the Camino de Luna residential complex in Liberia, files her third amparo in nine years over environmental pollution caused by the malfunctioning wastewater storage and treatment tank of the El Río residential complex. She claims that the cesspool overflows into the Liberia River and neighboring lots, producing foul odors,…
Res. 37551-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Inacción municipal en la tutela de la zona marítimo terrestre de Playa Dominical
The Constitutional Chamber reviews a writ of amparo filed by a citizen against the Municipality of Osa for inaction in protecting the maritime-terrestrial zone (ZMT) of Playa Dominical. The petitioner reported illegal occupation of public domain lands, accompanied by criminal activities such as robberies, drug dealing, and homicide, and requested evictions…
Res. 37490-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Inadmisibilidad de acción contra omisión de consulta previa TCM
The Constitutional Chamber flatly rejects an unconstitutionality action filed by an Afro-descendant citizen against the failure to conduct prior consultation with tribal and indigenous communities in the Moín Container Terminal (TCM) project. The petitioner challenged specific administrative acts: the 2011 award agreement, the 2012 concession contract, and…
Res. 92531-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Impugnación del Decreto 44710-MINAE por omisión de protocolos geológicos
The Constitutional Chamber admits for review an unconstitutionality action against Article 31 of Executive Decree 44710-MINAE, which regulates the incorporation of environmental variables into territorial planning. The plaintiffs claim the new decree, by repealing Decree 32967-MINAE, unjustifiably eliminated two key instruments: the Protocol on Land-Use…
Res. 38330-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Acuerdo municipal que aplica políticas de manejo en ausencia de plan regulador, rechazado de plano
The Constitutional Chamber summarily dismissed an action of unconstitutionality against Agreement No. 2 of the Municipal Council of San Rafael de Heredia (August 12, 2024), which approved the Management Policies (Phase 3) of the Hydrogeological Studies Project. The plaintiff argued that the agreement violated the right to a healthy environment, citizen…
Res. 38435-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Amenaza de tala de árboles en zona marítimo terrestre requiere investigación y aplicación del principio precautorio
The Constitutional Court reviews an amparo against the Municipality of Santa Cruz and MINAE (SINAC) regarding the marking of over 120 trees in the public zone of the Maritime-Terrestrial Zone of Brasilito Beach, allegedly linked to a road improvement donation agreement with a private developer. Although the municipality claimed it never authorized any tree…
Res. 39537-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Amparo por contaminación sónica con lugar contra Ministerio de Salud
The Constitutional Chamber hears an amparo filed against the Municipality of Liberia and the Ministry of Health for noise pollution from a restaurant in a residential zone. The petitioner argues that despite multiple complaints, the authorities have not taken effective action to mitigate the noise, violating his right to a healthy environment. The Chamber…
Res. 40245-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Municipalidad debe resolver denuncia ambiental sobre construcciones en zona de protección de río
The Constitutional Chamber (Sala Constitucional) hears an amparo action against the Municipality of Goicoechea filed by a citizen who reported the alleged invasion of a river protection zone by houses near a bridge connecting the cantons of Goicoechea and Vázquez de Coronado. The Chamber finds that, although the municipality replied by forwarding the…
Res. 40256-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
AyA y mantenimiento de estación de bombeo en residencial El Malinche
The Constitutional Chamber heard an amparo action filed by a resident of the El Malinche Residential Project against the Costa Rican Institute of Aqueducts and Sewers (AyA). The plaintiff alleged that AyA failed to provide adequate maintenance of the wastewater pumping station in the residential complex, causing foul odors, lack of electricity, and risks…
Res. 35727-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Negativa de SINAC a entregar informe de inspección por existir causa penal
The Constitutional Chamber heard an amparo filed by a civic association against SINAC for refusing to provide a report on findings from an inspection carried out in a forested area in Cóbano, Puntarenas. SINAC argued that it could not disclose information because a criminal case was underway. The petitioner also claimed that SINAC failed to address a new…
Res. 35949-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Amparo por falta de respuesta a denuncia ambiental sobre zona de protección del río Ipís
The Constitutional Chamber ruled on an amparo filed against the Municipality of Moravia for its failure to respond to a complaint filed in December 2024 regarding possible constructions within the Río Ipís protection zone. The petitioner claimed a violation of the right to petition, since the municipality had not addressed his environmental complaint. The…
Res. 36174-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Mora administrativa municipal en gestión ambiental se remite a la vía contenciosa
The Constitutional Chamber flatly dismisses an amparo appeal filed against the Municipality of Nicoya for failing to respond to two requests submitted to its Environmental Management Department. The appellant claimed a violation of the right to a prompt and fulfilled administrative procedure, after over a month without reply to his requests from August and…
Res. 36208-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Rechazo de amparo por solicitud de información ambiental prematura
The Constitutional Chamber flatly dismisses an amparo appeal filed against the Ministry of Environment and Energy for failure to respond to an information request submitted on October 18, 2025. The Chamber finds that the claim concerns environmental matters, linked to the right to prompt and complete administrative justice (Article 41 of the Constitution),…
Res. 41025-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Omisión de procedimiento de certificación de bosque ante la AFE no es inconstitucional
The Constitutional Chamber rejected outright an action of unconstitutionality filed against the alleged omission of an official procedure allowing landowners or interested persons to directly request the State Forestry Administration (AFE) for a certification on the existence of forest or forest cover. The plaintiff argued that the lack of such procedure…
Res. 35590-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Solicitud de aclaración y adición de resolución sobre desobediencia en amparo de agua potable
The Constitutional Chamber reviews a request for addition and clarification filed by the legal representative of neighbors from a community in Barva, Heredia, concerning interlocutory ruling No. 2025013529 of May 9, 2025. In that prior ruling, the Chamber upheld a second non-compliance proceeding against the Municipality of Barva for failing to comply with…
Res. 35913-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Omisión de respuesta directa de la Dirección de Aguas a solicitud de información
In this amparo appeal, the Constitutional Chamber examines the failure of the Water Directorate of MINAE to provide a direct and timely response to an information request filed by a private party concerning alleged irregular constructions over water bodies within the Las Brisas project. The request, grounded in the Right of Petition Act (No. 9097),…
Res. 36248-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Acumulación de amparos ambientales y planificación municipal de residuos en Finca El Maderal
The Constitutional Chamber hears an amparo filed by residents of Mata de Plátano, Goicoechea, against the Ministry of Health, the Municipality of Goicoechea, and the Municipality of San José. The petitioners claim that Finca El Maderal, owned by the Municipality of San José, contains secondary forest, springs, and streams, and that the authorities intend…
Res. 36328-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Sala rechaza amparo sobre inclusión de datos de humedal en SNIT
The Constitutional Chamber summarily rejects an amparo filed by a legal entity on behalf of another against SINAC. The petitioner argues that since 2023 there is an official report reducing the area of a wetland in Playa Hermosa de Jacó, but SINAC has not updated the National Territorial Information System (SNIT), causing economic and legal harm to its…
Res. 36408-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Inadmisibilidad del amparo sobre artesanías con mariposas de zoocriadero
The Constitutional Chamber declared inadmissible the amparo filed by a craftsman who uses butterflies from authorized captive breeding facilities to make ornamental frames. The petitioner claimed that legal opinion SINAC-AJ-CJ-21, which prohibits third-party artisans from acquiring and selling such by-products, violated his freedom to work, trade, and…
Res. 36451-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Sala Constitucional rechaza amparo por mora del TAA
The Constitutional Chamber rejects in limine an amparo filed by a commercial company against the Environmental Administrative Tribunal (TAA) requesting an order to issue the final decision in an administrative proceeding initiated in 2008. The TAA had maintained a total work stoppage precautionary measure for over 17 years without resolving the merits. The…
Res. 36565-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Incompetencia para ejecutar medidas del TAA en fase de cumplimiento
The Constitutional Chamber rejects a new non-compliance claim against the Environmental Administrative Tribunal (TAA) filed by a claimant who alleges that the company sanctioned in administrative file 286-04-03-TAA has not executed the ordered restoration measures. The Chamber recalls that in its ruling No. 2024-012481 it ordered the TAA to issue a…
Res. 36569-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Desobediencia por demolición parcial en área de protección de quebrada
The Constitutional Chamber rules on a second contempt motion filed by the petitioner, who claims that the Municipality of Pococí only partially demolished illegal structures in a stream protection zone, violating judgment 2025007754. The municipality reported that all structures invading the protected area were fully demolished, achieving the area’s…
Res. 36571-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Variable climática no es causal de amparo contra viabilidad de relleno sanitario
The Constitutional Chamber denies the amparo filed against SETENA for granting environmental viability to the 'Parque de Tecnología Ambiental Galagarza' sanitary landfill in Montes de Oro. The petitioner argued that the environmental impact assessment (EIA) failed to integrate the 'climate variable' via specific guidelines, violating rights to a healthy…
Res. 36643-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Inundaciones en La Milenita: estese a lo resuelto
The Constitutional Chamber hears an amparo filed by a resident of San Juan de Santa Bárbara against the National Road Council (CONAVI) and the Municipality of Santa Bárbara, for recurrent flooding on National Secondary Route 123, sector 'La Milenita'. He claims the community has endured flooding for ten years, affecting homes, businesses, and traffic…
Res. 36955-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Inadmisibilidad del amparo por mora administrativa ambiental
The Constitutional Chamber rejects outright an amparo petition filed against the Municipality of Nicoya. The petitioner had requested the municipality to investigate the validity of an official communication digitally signed by an assistant of the Environmental Management Department, claiming ideological falsity. After over a month without a response, he…
Res. 37099-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Inadmisibilidad de amparo por falta de agotamiento de vía y control de legalidad
The Constitutional Chamber summarily dismisses an amparo action filed against the Municipality of Curridabat for refusing to grant construction permits to repair a retaining wall adjacent to the Puruses River. The petitioner alleged structural and environmental risks, as well as historical urban planning errors that allowed construction within the river's…
Res. 37112-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Gestión de desobediencia por reubicación de drenaje pluvial cerca de nacientes en Alajuela
The Constitutional Chamber reviews a disobedience claim filed by the petitioner regarding non-compliance with judgment 2025009421, which ordered the Municipality of Alajuela to relocate a storm drainage and discharge channel near the Nombre99132 and Gutiérrez springs within six months. The petitioner argues that the municipality has remained inactive…
Res. 37124-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Gestión de incumplimiento prematura contra el Tribunal Ambiental Administrativo
The Constitutional Chamber of the Supreme Court reviewed a non-compliance claim filed against the Environmental Administrative Tribunal (TAA) for alleged disobedience of ruling No. 2025022311 of July 18, 2025. That prior ruling had ordered the TAA’s president and vice president to definitively resolve an environmental complaint within a maximum of three…
Res. 37129-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Aclaración inadmisible en amparo sobre asentamientos informales y contaminación en Purral de Goicoechea
The Constitutional Chamber addressed a post-ruling motion in amparo case 25-022056-0007-CO, where the Health Area of Goicoechea requested clarification on the exact location to implement measures ordered in judgment N°2025-030968 to address pollution sources. The Court dismissed the motion, finding that the original ruling clearly stated that actions…
Res. 37399-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Inejecución rechazada sobre Relleno Sanitario Los Pinos
The Constitutional Chamber rejects the non-enforcement claim filed against the Municipality of Cartago and the Ministry of Health for failing to comply with judgment No. 2025023963, which ordered remediation of environmental problems at the Los Pinos landfill. The petitioner argued that the deadline had expired and abandonment and health risks persisted.…
Res. 37605-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Inundaciones en Golfito por drenaje insuficiente y competencias institucionales
The Constitutional Chamber grants a writ of amparo filed by an elderly woman on behalf of herself and two legal entities against CONAVI, MOPT, the Ministry of Health, and the Municipality of Golfito. The petitioner reported recurrent flooding since 2022 in the Alamedas neighborhood of Golfito due to insufficient drainage, clogged ditches, deteriorated…
Res. 37607-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Derecho de respuesta municipal sobre tala de árboles no vulnerado si la respuesta se emitió antes del amparo
The Constitutional Chamber reviewed an amparo filed by a citizen who on June 5, 2025, requested from the Municipality of San Rafael de Heredia certified copies of administrative and judicial files and scientific studies regarding the felling of cypress trees in El Tirol Urbanization. The municipality responded on June 23, 2025, via official notice…
Res. 37723-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Amparo por falta de respuesta sobre contaminación del Estero de Puntarenas
The Constitutional Chamber reviewed an amparo action against the Ministry of Health for failing to timely respond to a request for information on contamination of the Puntarenas Estuary, submitted on September 25, 2025. The Ministry replied via official letter MS-DM-6006-2024 on October 28, 2025, after the ten-business-day legal deadline had passed and…
Res. 38456-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Amparo contra derogatoria de medidas fitosanitarias para importación de papa con Zebra Chip es improcedente
The Constitutional Chamber dismisses an amparo brought by a potato farmer against the Ministry of Agriculture and the State Phytosanitary Service (SFE). The petitioner claimed that repealing the 2012 Pest Risk Analysis (PRA) for Candidatus Liberibacter solanacearum (Zebra Chip) via Technical Report 469-2022-NR-ARP-SFE, and subsequently allowing imports of…
Res. 38541-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Derecho de petición de diputada sobre el Humedal Laguna Pozo de Agua
The Constitutional Chamber heard an amparo filed by a congresswoman against MINAE-SINAC, Tempisque Conservation Area, for failing to respond to an information request regarding the Laguna Pozo de Agua Wetland, part of the Palo Verde Ramsar site. The request, sent on September 4, 2025 to the official Conservation Area email, sought detailed information on…
Res. 38710-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Recurso de amparo contra el TAA por falta de respuesta a solicitud de información parlamentaria
The Constitutional Chamber heard an amparo filed by a congresswoman against the Ministry of Environment and Energy, alleging that the Environmental Administrative Tribunal (TAA) had failed to respond to a letter requesting detailed information about vacancies, appointments, and staff reassignments within the tribunal. The petitioner argued that, despite a…
Res. 39223-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Amparo prematuro por falta de respuesta a denuncia ambiental
The Constitutional Chamber rejects outright an amparo action filed against the Ministry of Health for the alleged failure to respond to a complaint regarding the poor condition of a public bus stop shelter with stagnant water, filed on September 27, 2025. The Chamber finds that the amparo is premature because the two-month period the Administration has to…
Res. 39353-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Reiteración de desobediencia a sentencia de amparo ambiental contra TAA y Ministerio de Salud
The Constitutional Chamber addresses a second non-compliance claim filed by the petitioners against the Environmental Administrative Tribunal (TAA) and the Ministry of Health. The original 2020 judgment ordered the TAA to resolve administrative case 410-09-02-TAA within two months and the Ministry of Health to follow up on a health order. More than five…
Res. 39424-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Municipalidad debe notificar al denunciante el resultado de denuncia ambiental sobre zona de protección de quebrada
The Constitutional Chamber reviews an amparo filed by a citizen against the Municipality of Goicoechea, alleging violation of the right to a healthy and ecologically balanced environment due to constructions within the protection zone of the Mozotal stream. Although the Municipality demonstrated it had taken actions —including the removal of encroaching…
Res. 40042-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Amparo prematuro por denuncia ambiental sin respuesta municipal
The Constitutional Chamber declares inadmissible an amparo action filed against the Municipality of Heredia for failure to respond to a complaint regarding light, noise, and dust pollution from a sports complex. The claimant argues that despite filing the complaint on September 23, 2025, no resolution has been provided. The Chamber determines that at the…
Res. 39747-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Amparo por falta de respuesta del MINAE a reclamo administrativo de adultos mayores sobre Parque Nacional Volcán Tenorio
The Constitutional Chamber hears an amparo filed by two elderly adults, owners of a 215-hectare property in El Roble, Bijagua, Upala, which was included within the Tenorio Volcano National Park by Executive Decree 5836-A of 1976. The claimants argue that the inclusion was done without prior consultation or compensation, and that on August 18, 2025, they…
Res. 26093-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Traslado de residuos de la GAM a Limón cuenta con regulación y supervisión
The Constitutional Chamber dismisses an amparo action challenging the transfer of solid waste from the Greater Metropolitan Area (GAM) to the "El Tomatal" Environmental Technology Park landfill in Limón, operated by Empresas Berthier EBI de Costa Rica S.A. The claimant alleged threats to a healthy environment, public health, leachate contamination, tourism…
Res. 20929-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Municipalidad rechaza permiso de movimiento de tierra sin invadir competencias de SETENA
The Constitutional Chamber dismisses in limine the amparo filed by a development company against the Municipality of Alajuela. The petitioner alleged that the municipality improperly denied its earth-movement permit application despite holding a SETENA environmental viability license. It argued compliance with all requirements and claimed the municipality…
Res. 38426-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Gestión de incumplimiento presentada por tercero no legitimado
The Constitutional Chamber addresses a complaint filed by a person who is not a party in amparo proceeding 19-020028-0007-CO, alleging non-compliance with judgment 20200003992 issued on February 28, 2020. That judgment had ordered the Environmental Administrative Tribunal and the Municipality of Santa Ana to resolve administrative files and remove an…
Res. 37560-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Sala Constitucional ampara por inacción de SENASA ante denuncia ambiental
The Constitutional Chamber reviewed an amparo action against the National Animal Health Service (SENASA) for failing to definitively resolve a citizen complaint about a chicken and rooster breeding operation in a residential area of Alajuela, which allegedly caused noise, pests, and foul odors. The petitioner argued that SENASA had been dilatory despite…
Res. 38021-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Seguimiento reforzado a reubicación de drenaje pluvial cerca de nacientes
The Constitutional Chamber addresses a compliance action filed against the Municipality of Alajuela for failing to relocate a storm drain near the Lankaster and Nombre33105 springs within the six-month deadline set by a prior judgment. The Chamber finds that the Municipality encountered documented technical, topographical, and structural obstacles that…
Res. 38086-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Municipalidad de Flores incumple deber de fiscalización por ruidos y operación irregular de empresa en zona residencial
Residents of San Joaquín de Flores filed an amparo against the Municipality of Flores de Heredia for failing to address nuisances caused by the company Trahiza, which operates in an area zoned residential under the local zoning plan. They alleged noise and environmental pollution, unauthorized construction of a workshop, and unpermitted earthworks. Despite…
Res. 38559-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Falta de capacidad hídrica del acueducto no constituye violación de derechos fundamentales cuando la ASADA y AyA actúan dentro del marco legal
The Constitutional Chamber reviewed a petition for amparo filed by a long-time user of the Pénjamo ASADA, who claimed that the ASADA had granted new water connections despite a water deficit, thus violating her acquired rights. The Chamber dismissed the amparo against both AyA and the ASADA. It found that AyA had fulfilled its oversight duties: it issued…
Res. 40183-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Dilación en responder sobre implementación del Decreto 42955 de pesca artesanal
The Constitutional Chamber reviews an amparo filed by representatives of the Network of Responsible Fishing Marine Areas against the Costa Rican Institute of Fisheries and Aquaculture (Incopesca), the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (MAG), and the Office of the President. The petitioners claim a violation of the right to petition and timely response,…
Res. 40409-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Amparo por demolición en zona de protección del Río Ipís sin constatación técnica previa
The Constitutional Chamber reviewed an amparo filed by a family —including a female head of household, a minor, and an older adult— against the Municipality of Vázquez de Coronado and other institutions. The family claimed a violation of due process because the Municipality ordered the demolition of their home, allegedly within the protection zone of the…
Res. 40504-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Inacción municipal ante aparcamiento ilegal en zona residencial
The Constitutional Chamber examines an amparo petition filed against the Municipality of Cartago for failing to enforce an administrative order to cease an illegal heavy truck parking operation on a property located in a very high density residential zone, according to the Territorial Regulatory Plan. The petitioner claims that the activity generates noise…
Res. 40337-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Derecho de petición sobre el Puente de Piedra de Grecia
The Constitutional Chamber reviewed an amparo action filed by Carlos Alberto Chavarría Chavarría against the Ministry of Environment and Energy (MINAE). On August 18, 2025, the petitioner requested information on mining permits, environmental damage, and sanctions regarding the natural geological arch known as the Stone Bridge (Puente de Piedra) in Grecia,…
Res. 40218-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Plazo de caducidad del amparo frente a omisiones municipales sobre concesión minera
The Constitutional Chamber hears an amparo action against the Municipality of Paraíso for failing to respond to a request for information and institutional pronouncement regarding Mining Concession 2022-CDP-PRI-095. The petitioner filed on December 5, 2024, and the Municipal Council agreed to request a technical opinion from the administration. A majority…
Res. 40853-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Inadmisibilidad del amparo ambiental por falta de gestión previa ante la municipalidad
The Constitutional Chamber declares inadmissible an amparo filed by a resident of Osa canton who complained about the lack of recycling collection points and the municipality's failure to implement a waste management system. The petitioner alleged violation of the right to a healthy environment (Article 50 of the Constitution) and asked the Chamber to…
Res. 40861-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Inadmisibilidad del amparo por denuncia ambiental y de salubridad no presentada ante las autoridades competentes
The Constitutional Court summarily dismissed as inadmissible an amparo petition filed by residents of San Rafael de Heredia against the Ministry of Health, the Municipality, MINAE, and the Ministry of Security. Petitioners complained of environmental and sanitary deterioration in Central Park, blaming homeless individuals for contamination with drugs,…
Res. 41063-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Amparo por demora en tramitación de denuncias sanitarias en Santa Teresa
The Constitutional Chamber hears an amparo appeal against the Ministry of Health for the alleged delay in handling several health complaints filed by the appellant against the commercial establishments GOMA, Kooks, and SOMOS in Santa Teresa de Cóbano. The complaints warned about overcrowding, lack of licenses, infrastructure deficiencies, and violations of…
Res. 41068-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Amparo contra escombrera en ampliación de Ruta 32 declarado sin lugar
The Constitutional Chamber dismisses an amparo filed by the owner of a property adjacent to a spoil heap associated with the Route 32 expansion. The claimant alleged that earth accumulation and a drainage trench caused seepage and landslides damaging his synthetic soccer field. The Chamber finds that the spoil heap has SETENA environmental clearance and…
Res. 41078-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Amparo por contaminación sónica de la banda municipal de San José
The Constitutional Chamber reviews an amparo filed by residents of La Favorita Norte in Pavas against the Municipality of San José and the Ministry of Health, alleging noise pollution from the municipal band's rehearsals in nearby facilities. The claimants argued that extreme noise harms the health of children and the elderly, and that the Municipal…
Res. 41306-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Amparo sobre obras viales en zona de nacientes
Residents of Santiago de Puriscal filed an amparo action against the Municipality of Puriscal, claiming that the cantonal road project on El Cirri road threatened nine water springs supplying two thousand people. They argued the Municipality failed to conduct environmental impact studies or obtain necessary permits, and that the road widening would…
Res. 41335-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Recurso de amparo inadmisible por ejecución de medida cautelar penal
The Constitutional Chamber summarily dismissed an amparo action filed by a resident against the Municipality of San Carlos and the Public Force. The petitioner claimed a violation of the right to a healthy environment (Article 50 of the Constitution) due to the demolition of a church, school, and houses in the Chorreras community, carried out in compliance…
Res. 41359-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Devolución de garantía ambiental no es tutelable por amparo
The Constitutional Chamber dismissed an amparo action filed against the National Technical Secretariat (SETENA). The complainant sought the return of an environmental compliance guarantee deposit made under mining file 182014 CDP Río La Vieja for a project in Florencia, San Carlos. He alleged that, despite environmental compliance and having requested a…
Res. 41380-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Acumulación de amparos por contaminación visual en San Ramón
The Constitutional Chamber reviewed an amparo filed against the Municipality of San Ramón, ICE, and SUTEL for alleged inaction regarding complaints of visual contamination caused by disorganized overhead cabling in the canton. The petitioners identified four utility poles with chaotic accumulations of telecommunication cables that they argued affected…
Res. 41558-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Amparo rechazado por incumplir prevención en caso de alcantarillado Vista Verde
The Constitutional Chamber dismissed outright the amparo appeal filed by the Vista Verde Neighborhood Association against the Municipality of Santa Bárbara. The residents alleged violations of their rights to a healthy environment, petition, and timely response due to flooding problems, lack of a stormwater management plan, unauthorized earthworks, and…
Res. 41720-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Inadmisible por prematuro amparo sobre conflicto vecinal y denuncia ambiental municipal
The Constitutional Chamber flatly dismisses an amparo filed by an elderly woman against a security guard hired by neighbors and against the Municipality of San José. The appellant complained about trash accumulation, illegal constructions on green areas and sidewalks, fire risk from irregular electrical connections, and ownership of dogs causing noise and…
Res. 41931-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Amparo por quemas de caña de azúcar en Turrialba
The Constitutional Chamber hears an amparo filed by a 71-year-old oxygen-dependent resident of El Recreo de Turrialba against the MAG, the Ministry of Health, and MINAE. The petitioner claims that since April 1, 2025, he has filed complaints about sugarcane burning on farms in Turrialba, producing black particles that affect his health, but the authorities…
Res. 41926-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Sala Constitucional rechaza amparo por socavación de vía en Playa Hermosa de Garabito
The Constitutional Court heard an amparo filed by residents of Playa Hermosa, Garabito, against the Municipality of Garabito, SINAC, and the CNE. Petitioners alleged violations of their rights to life, free transit, and a healthy environment, caused by progressive erosion of public road 611017 —the sole access to the Playa Hermosa-Punta Mala National…
Res. 42412-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Amparo prematuro por denuncias de contaminación sónica y ambiental
The Constitutional Court declares inadmissible an amparo action filed against the Ministry of Health for failing to address two complaints of noise and environmental pollution lodged on November 22 and December 1, 2025, regarding two butcher shops. The complainant alleged the Ministry had not stopped the use of loudspeakers on public roads or outdoor food…
Res. 41968-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Amparo contra sanciones por contaminación sónica denegado
The Constitutional Chamber rejected an amparo action filed by the owner of Bar and Restaurant Barahona against the Ministry of Health, concerning fines of 462,200 colones each for non-compliance with administrative measures aimed at controlling sonic pollution from the establishment. The petitioner alleged violations of due process and presumption of…
Res. 42066-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Granja en zona residencial no genera riesgo ambiental ni sanitario según pruebas
The Constitutional Chamber dismissed an amparo action filed by residents of Santa Gertrudis Norte, Grecia, against the Ministry of Health, the Municipality of Grecia, and SENASA. The residents claimed that a property housing farm animals (horses, donkeys, a pig, sheep, chickens, and dogs) generated foul odors, proliferation of flies, cockroaches, and…
Res. 42213-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Solicitud de información sobre contaminación del Estero de Puntarenas — Ministerio de Salud responde intra-proceso
A citizen filed an amparo against the Ministry of Health for failing to respond to a request for information on measures, studies, and permits related to pollution of the Estero de Puntarenas, allegedly caused by wastewater from the Puntarenas Municipal Market. The request, sent on November 5, 2025 to the minister's official email, included seven questions…
Res. 06027-2025 Sala Constitucional2025 · Sala Constitucional
Acción de inconstitucionalidad contra el Reglamento de Evaluación, Control y Seguimiento Ambiental (Decreto 43898)
The Constitutional Chamber, by majority, dismissed the unconstitutionality action filed against Executive Decree No. 43898-MINAE-S-MOPT-MAG-MEIC, the Regulation for Environmental Assessment, Control and Monitoring. The majority decision was based on admissibility grounds, primarily the lack of sufficient and precise argumentation in the claim, without…
Res. 00400-2024 Sala Constitucional2024 · Sala Constitucional
Derecho de petición de información sobre relleno sanitario Los Pinos
The Constitutional Chamber granted an amparo against the Municipality of Cartago for violation of the right to petition. The petitioner had requested from the City Council detailed information about the Los Pinos landfill —including environmental viability, permits, leachate studies, and tonnage— but the Municipality failed to provide the requested…
Res. 01082-2024 Sala Constitucional2024 · Sala Constitucional
Registros ambientales en límites del Parque Nacional Marino Las Baulas
The petitioner claims that the National Environmental Technical Secretariat (SETENA) approved environmental registrations (D2-0885-2022 and D2-1158-2022) for building single-family homes on properties partially within Las Baulas National Marine Park, whose only access is a public road inside the park, and one borders the La Chipriota mangrove without…
Res. 01073-2024 Sala Constitucional2024 · Sala Constitucional
Reiteración de cumplimiento de amparo por abastecimiento de agua en Andrómeda III
The Constitutional Chamber resolves a non-compliance proceeding filed by a resident of Andrómeda III in Balsa de Atenas, who claims that the local ASADA and AyA have not definitively resolved the intermittent potable water supply problem, breaching the 2019 ruling No. 2019004066. The respondent authorities report progress: environmental viability obtained…
Res. 01831-2024 Sala Constitucional2024 · Sala Constitucional
Acceso a informes preliminares de pesca de camarón de profundidad ante INCOPESCA
The Constitutional Chamber heard an amparo filed by a legal entity against INCOPESCA for failing to provide requested information about the research project 'New alternatives for responsible deep-sea shrimp fishing in the Costa Rican Pacific Ocean'. INCOPESCA argued that the information was raw, that the requester did not clarify their interest, and that…
Res. 01784-2024 Sala Constitucional2024 · Sala Constitucional
Desacato en amparo por ruido de caninos es improcedente si inspección descarta exceso de niveles
The Constitutional Chamber rules on a contempt claim by Oswaldo Luna Vega against the Ministry of Health and SENASA for alleged non-compliance with judgment 2023025953, which ordered inspection of canine noise at a neighboring property. Authorities reported SENASA inspected on October 23, 2023, finding normal dog behavior and noise within technical…
Res. 01890-2024 Sala Constitucional2024 · Sala Constitucional
Rechazo de amparo por denuncia de humo de tamaladas
The petitioner, an elderly woman with pulmonary emphysema, chronic asthma, and hypertension, filed an amparo against the Ministry of Health for failing to resolve a complaint she submitted on December 7, 2023, regarding environmental pollution from smoke produced by a neighbor's tamale-making business. She claimed the smoke worsened her health and feared…
Res. 02458-2024 Sala Constitucional2024 · Sala Constitucional
Obligación municipal de responder denuncias ambientales sobre áreas de protección de cuerpos de agua
The Constitutional Chamber reviewed an amparo filed by a resident of Playa Sámara, Nicoya, who complained to the Municipality of Nicoya and SINAC about tree cutting, timber extraction, and fires on a property located within a public watercourse protection area. The claimant argued that despite filing complaints in April 2022, neither authority had issued a…
Res. 02497-2024 Sala Constitucional2024 · Sala Constitucional
Denuncias sanitarias por contaminación sónica y accesibilidad no probaron omisión
The Constitutional Chamber reviewed an amparo filed by a neighborhood association against the Ministry of Health, alleging inaction on health complaints. The complaints involved a second-floor restaurant that did not comply with the Equal Opportunities Law (Law 7600), and another establishment due to nighttime noise pollution. Solid-waste management issues…
Res. 02987-2024 Sala Constitucional2024 · Sala Constitucional
Rechazo de ampliación de plazo en amparo por servicio de agua potable
The Constitutional Chamber rules on a request for extension of time filed by officials of the Costa Rican Institute of Aqueducts and Sewers (AyA), who sought to extend the deadline to August 2025 for complying with a 2018 amparo judgment ordering them to restore drinking water service to a resident of the Berlín community. Although AyA argues that the…
Res. 03237-2024 Sala Constitucional2024 · Sala Constitucional
Acceso a información sobre obras de drenaje y órdenes sanitarias en Oreamuno
The Constitutional Chamber reviews an amparo action filed by Denia María Guillén Martínez and Melvin Guillén Martínez on behalf of Dinorah María, Sociedad Anónima, against the Ministry of Health and the Municipality of Oreamuno. The petitioners claim that on June 15, 2023, they submitted requests for information regarding the progress of stormwater…
Res. 04005-2024 Sala Constitucional2024 · Sala Constitucional
Coordinación municipal y del Ministerio de Salud ante contaminación de la quebrada Gata
Neighbors of San Ramón filed an amparo action against the Municipality of San Ramón and the Ministry of Health for failing to definitively resolve their complaints about the pollution of Quebrada Gata. The Constitutional Chamber found that, despite complaints filed in September 2023, after more than four months the problem had not been solved, even though…
Res. 04153-2024 Sala Constitucional2024 · Sala Constitucional
Procedencia de amparo por derecho de petición respecto de proyecto Boulevard
The Constitutional Chamber heard an amparo action filed by a resident of San Vito against the Municipality of Coto Brus, alleging lack of response to a January 10, 2024 information request regarding a project called "Boulevard". The petitioner questioned potential street closures, lack of public consultation, and non-compliance with environmental and…
Res. 04364-2024 Sala Constitucional2024 · Sala Constitucional
Amparo prematuro por falta de respuesta a denuncia ambiental
The Constitutional Chamber declares inadmissible, as premature, a writ of amparo filed against the Municipality of Turrialba. The petitioner alleged lack of response to a complaint regarding foul odors from vehicle traffic near a property, submitted on January 8, 2024. The Chamber recalls that, per its jurisprudence (vote 2008-02545), the proper venue to…
Res. 04384-2024 Sala Constitucional2024 · Sala Constitucional
Amparo prematuro por denuncia de alcantarilla con aguas negras
The Constitutional Chamber dismisses as premature the amparo filed by a resident against the National Road Council (CONAVI) for lack of response to a complaint about a sewage overflow in front of his house, which caused foul odors and serious risk to public health and the environment. The complaint was filed on January 30, 2024, and the amparo on February…
Res. 03964-2024 Sala Constitucional2024 · Sala Constitucional
Comunicación oportuna de actuaciones en denuncias ambientales
The Constitutional Chamber hears an amparo action against SINAC for failing to respond to a complaint about tree felling filed by the petitioners. While it confirms that SINAC did carry out inspections and other administrative proceedings, and even coordinated a parallel criminal investigation with the Environmental Prosecutor's Office, it finds that the…
Res. 04472-2024 Sala Constitucional2024 · Sala Constitucional
Acceso a información pública sobre registro de manipulación genética ante CONAGEBIO
In this amparo appeal, the Constitutional Chamber examines the alleged violation of the right of access to public information by the National Commission for Biodiversity Management (CONAGEBIO). The claimant, an elderly person, requested on March 10, 2022, the names of individuals and legal entities that have carried out genetic manipulation activities…
Res. 92405-2024 Sala Constitucional2024 · Sala Constitucional
Admisión de acción de inconstitucionalidad contra el Plan de Manejo y Plan Regulador de Gandoca-Manzanillo
The Constitutional Chamber admits for study an unconstitutionality action filed by the Talamanca Ecotourism and Conservation Association and other social actors against three regulatory and administrative instruments related to the Gandoca-Manzanillo National Wildlife Refuge (REGAMA). The action challenges the 2017–2023 General Management Plan, the…
Res. 04735-2024 Sala Constitucional2024 · Sala Constitucional
Amparo por falta de respuesta ante solicitud de uso de suelo en zona de protección de naciente
The Constitutional Chamber dismisses an amparo appeal filed against the Municipality of Naranjo for an alleged failure to respond to a land-use permit request. The petitioner claimed he filed the request on November 8, 2023 and received no answer. However, the Chamber found it proven that the municipality responded by official letter dated November 14,…
Res. 04692-2024 Sala Constitucional2024 · Sala Constitucional
SETENA y viabilidad ambiental sobre humedales en Cahuita
The Constitutional Chamber examined an amparo against SETENA and SINAC regarding the environmental viability granted to the Coastal Regulatory Plan of Cahuita, Talamanca. The petitioner argued that technical and legal requirements were not met and that wetlands were left unprotected. The Chamber verified that SETENA granted viability based on SINAC's…
Res. 04807-2024 Sala Constitucional2024 · Sala Constitucional
Inacción de SINAC y Municipalidad ante invasión de humedal Laguna Carrizal
The Constitutional Chamber granted an amparo action filed by an adjacent landowner to the Carrizal Lagoon, a recognized wetland that forms part of the Paso Las Lapas Biological Corridor in Garabito. The plaintiff reported that since October 2023, invasions, construction of a gate, opening of a road, earthworks, and uncontrolled burns were being carried out…
Res. 05358-2024 Sala Constitucional2024 · Sala Constitucional
Inadmisibilidad de amparo por denuncia ambiental prematura contra municipalidad
The Constitutional Chamber summarily dismisses an amparo filed by residents of Dulce Nombre de Naranjo against the Municipality of Naranjo for failure to respond to a complaint submitted on January 26, 2024, regarding noise from a mechanical workshop. The petitioners alleged harm to the health of an elderly adult with psychological disorders and epilepsy.…
Res. 01523-2024 Sala Constitucional2024 · Sala Constitucional
Desobediencia por contaminación del acuífero de Moín rechazada
The Constitutional Chamber rejects a noncompliance claim filed against several authorities (MINAE, AyA, SINAC, Municipality of Limón, Ministry of Health) regarding compliance with judgment No. 2022022070. That judgment ordered the creation of an inter-institutional commission and the design of a plan to address contamination of the Moín aquifer on…
Res. 05456-2024 Sala Constitucional2024 · Sala Constitucional
Incumplimiento de sentencia por estabilización de talud en parque municipal
The Constitutional Chamber dismisses a non-compliance motion filed by the petitioner against the Municipality of Moravia. The previous ruling (2023-17842) ordered the municipality to address a complaint about landslides and cracking on municipal land adjacent to the petitioner's property and to keep her informed. The petitioner alleged non-compliance, but…
Res. 05470-2024 Sala Constitucional2024 · Sala Constitucional
Gestión de desobediencia sobre órdenes sanitarias en la Quebrada Barreal
The Constitutional Chamber dismisses a non-compliance claim filed by Moravia residents against the Ministry of Health and the municipalities of Moravia and Goicoechea. The applicants alleged failure to comply with judgment 2023-031791, which ordered the creation of an interinstitutional committee to address issues of noise pollution, environmental…
Res. 05499-2024 Sala Constitucional2024 · Sala Constitucional
Inadmisibilidad de amparo contra viabilidad ambiental de SETENA
The Constitutional Court declares inadmissible the amparo action filed against the environmental feasibility granted by SETENA for the León Cortés Waste-to-Energy project. The petitioner claims violation of the right to water, health, and a healthy environment, citing inconsistencies in the project's location and risks of contamination to water sources in…
Res. 06032-2024 Sala Constitucional2024 · Sala Constitucional
Amparo inadmisible por litispendencia
The petitioner, a resident of Miramar de Montes de Oro, filed this amparo against the Municipality of Montes de Oro due to the threat of a construction permit being issued for a second landfill in the canton, backed by a SETENA environmental viability that is not yet final. The Constitutional Chamber rejects the petition outright as manifestly…
Res. 06188-2024 Sala Constitucional2024 · Sala Constitucional
Cumplimiento de sentencia sobre aforo en Parque Nacional Manuel Antonio
This ruling addresses a non-compliance claim filed by Luis Diego Marín Schumacher, alleging that SINAC and the administration of Manuel Antonio National Park (PNMA) violated Constitutional Court ruling 2023011233 of 2023. That ruling ordered the daily visitation to be reduced to the carrying capacity of 1120, calculated per the December 2022 flow model,…
Res. 06366-2024 Sala Constitucional2024 · Sala Constitucional
Amparo contra el Tribunal Ambiental Administrativo por mora en resolver denuncia
The Constitutional Chamber reviews an amparo filed by a citizen against the Environmental Administrative Tribunal (TAA), alleging failure to resolve an environmental complaint lodged on January 19, 2023, regarding illegal occupation of the maritime-terrestrial zone in Puerto Viejo de Talamanca. The complainant cited commercial stalls (“chinamos”) blocking…
Res. 06259-2024 Sala Constitucional2024 · Sala Constitucional
Vecinos de La Gacela contra Municipalidad de Tibás y AyA por inacción ante riesgo de deslizamientos en quebrada Rivera
Residents of La Gacela neighborhood in Llorente de Tibás filed an amparo against the Tibás Municipality, the Costa Rican Institute of Aqueducts and Sewers (AyA), the National Emergency Commission (CNE), and the Ministry of Health, alleging violation of the right to a prompt and effective administrative procedure, as well as to life and physical integrity,…
Res. 06306-2024 Sala Constitucional2024 · Sala Constitucional
Sala Constitucional deniega amparo sobre incorporación como parte en expediente de corta de árboles
The Constitutional Chamber dismissed an amparo action filed against SINAC. The plaintiff asked to suspend all tree-cutting permits on a property where a condominium was planned in an area previously classified as forest. He also claimed that SINAC denied him the right to be a party in the administrative file, violating his rights to public participation…
Res. 06353-2024 Sala Constitucional2024 · Sala Constitucional
Amparo prematuro por construcción sin permisos
The Constitutional Chamber flatly rejects an amparo petition filed against the Municipality of Carrillo for failing to inspect and shut down the “SeaScape” project, a condo tower in Playas del Coco, Guanacaste. The petitioner claimed the project lacked building permits and environmental viability, and that her requests from December 18, 2023, reiterated on…
Res. 06272-2024 Sala Constitucional2024 · Sala Constitucional
Amparo sobre felinos en el Zoológico La Marina
The Constitutional Chamber dismisses the amparo filed by individuals on behalf of four felines held at La Marina Zoo in San Carlos. The claimants argued that the enclosures violated the right to a healthy environment and sought relocation to a sanctuary. The Court found the zoo holds proper SINAC permits, is implementing an improvement plan, and that the…
Res. 07061-2024 Sala Constitucional2024 · Sala Constitucional
Amparo por extracción de material en ríos sin evaluación de impacto ambiental bajo decreto de emergencia
The Constitutional Chamber hears an amparo action against the Municipality of Santa Cruz and the Ministry of Public Works and Transport for the extraction and movement of material from the Diría and En medio rivers without environmental impact studies. The petitioner alleges violation of the right to a healthy and ecologically balanced environment,…
Res. 07066-2024 Sala Constitucional2024 · Sala Constitucional
Denuncia por contaminación sónica sin formalizar no admite amparo
The Constitutional Chamber hears an amparo action filed by a resident of Pérez Zeledón against the Municipality and the Ministry of Health, alleging failure to address noise pollution complaints from the commercial establishment “El Rancho”. The complainant submitted writings to both entities on October 31, 2022, without using the official forms required…
Res. 07463-2024 Sala Constitucional2024 · Sala Constitucional
Amparo prematuro por falta de alcantarillado sanitario
The Constitutional Chamber declares inadmissible the amparo filed by residents of the Palo Campano urbanization in Alajuelita against AyA and the Municipality. The plaintiffs claim their homes lack sanitary and storm sewer systems, causing stagnation of blackwater, foul odors, pests, and pollution of streams, violating their right to a healthy environment.…
Res. 07523-2024 Sala Constitucional2024 · Sala Constitucional
Denuncia ambiental contra lote abandonado en Hatillo
The Constitutional Chamber flatly rejects, as premature, an amparo filed by the president of the Condominio Oasis de San José neighborhood association against the Ministry of Health and the Municipality of San José. The petitioner had reported an abandoned lot (former Cen-Cinai) in Hatillo, Sagrada Familia, which had become a shelter for homeless people…
Res. 07541-2024 Sala Constitucional2024 · Sala Constitucional
Inadmisibilidad por prematuro de amparo ambiental por camino desplomado y contaminación de aguas negras en San Antonio de Barranca
The Constitutional Chamber summarily dismissed an amparo petition filed by residents of San Antonio de Barranca de Naranjo against the Municipality of Naranjo and the Ministry of Health. The petitioners claimed failure to respond to a complaint about a collapsed public road, life-threatening risk, and contamination of the Barranca River by blackwater,…
Res. 07579-2024 Sala Constitucional2024 · Sala Constitucional
Desbordamiento de alcantarilla con aguas servidas y plazo de respuesta municipal
The Constitutional Chamber reviewed an amparo action filed by a Desamparados resident who complained about a sewer overflow with untreated water in front of his house, causing foul odors and endangering his health and right to a healthy environment. The petitioner claimed he filed the complaint with the Municipality of Desamparados on January 24, 2024, and…
Res. 07827-2024 Sala Constitucional2024 · Sala Constitucional
Suspensión de amparo ambiental por pendencia de acción de inconstitucionalidad sobre canon de agua
The Constitutional Chamber hears an amparo filed against AyA, MAG, MINAE, MIDEPLAN, and SENARA regarding the PAACUME megaproject. The petitioner challenges the project’s financial viability, the alteration of the water regime, the impact on Lomas de Barbudal Biological Reserve (a Ramsar site), and the discriminatory water-use royalty set by Executive…
Res. 08016-2024 Sala Constitucional2024 · Sala Constitucional
Derecho a respuesta pronta en denuncias ambientales ante la Municipalidad de Moravia
The Constitutional Chamber granted an amparo action for violation of the right to prompt administrative justice. The petitioner filed a complaint with the Municipality of Moravia requesting information on whether constructions near the Ipís River respected the protection zone under Article 33 of the Forestry Law. The municipality did not respond until more…
Res. 07828-2024 Sala Constitucional2024 · Sala Constitucional
Falta de construcción del Parque Metropolitano de Los Diques en Cartago
The Constitutional Chamber reviewed an amparo filed by a Cartago resident on behalf of the community against several state institutions (MIVAH, MOPT, MINAE, CNE, INVU, National Museum, and the Municipality of Cartago) for the alleged violation of fundamental rights due to a budget amendment that reduced the funds originally allocated for the first stage of…
Res. 08317-2024 Sala Constitucional2024 · Sala Constitucional
Prórroga de plazo para cumplimiento de sentencia sobre vertedero de Turrialba
The Constitutional Chamber grants a new twelve-month extension to the mayor of Turrialba to comply with judgment 2018-004801, which ordered the resolution of the environmental and sanitation problems at the municipal landfill through the construction of a solid waste transfer station. The ruling evaluates the progress reported in the last period, including…
Res. 07905-2024 Sala Constitucional2024 · Sala Constitucional
Prórroga para tala de árbol de mango en Ciudad Colón
The Constitutional Chamber addresses a request from the Mayor of Mora for an extension to comply with judgment No. 2024005628, which ordered the definitive resolution of the issue concerning a mango tree located 600 meters west and 100 meters south of the Ciudad Colón clinic. The original judgment, issued on March 1, 2024, granted 15 days for compliance.…
Res. 08187-2024 Sala Constitucional2024 · Sala Constitucional
Rechazo de plano por falta de firma en amparo ambiental por ruido de gallos
The petitioner filed an amparo action against the Ministry of Health, alleging failure to enforce a sanitary order regarding noise pollution from a neighbor's roosters in Siquirres. She claimed that despite multiple complaints, the order issued on February 20, 2023 —requiring removal of the animal and submission of a noise-containment plan— remained…
Res. 08500-2024 Sala Constitucional2024 · Sala Constitucional
Amparo sobre suministro ilegal de agua en Rancho Cartagena
The Constitutional Chamber hears an amparo filed by representatives of several companies owning properties in the Rancho Cartagena project, Guanacaste. They claim that CHIPCOM S.A. illegally supplies drinking water without well-drilling permits, water concessions, SETENA approval, or authorization from ICAA or ARESEP, charging for untreated water and…
Res. 08788-2024 Sala Constitucional2024 · Sala Constitucional
Improcedencia de amparo para exigir cierre de cantinas en Boruca
The Constitutional Chamber denies and partially dismisses the amparo filed by a resident of the Boruca indigenous community against the Municipality of Buenos Aires. The petitioner claimed non-compliance with a previous judgment allegedly ordering bar closures, disregard of his complaints, and noise pollution and lack of business licenses. The Chamber…
Res. 08891-2024 Sala Constitucional2024 · Sala Constitucional
Deber de traslado de gestión municipal: respuesta insuficiente lesiona derecho de petición
The Constitutional Chamber heard an amparo appeal against the Municipality of Grecia for failing to fully respond to a request for information regarding construction permits for property no. 537962. The petitioner alleged that on February 19, 2024, he filed a request with the Municipal Council seeking data on land use, environmental verifications, INVU…
Res. 09175-2024 Sala Constitucional2024 · Sala Constitucional
Juego de pólvora en Dota no es amparable
The Constitutional Chamber summarily rejects an amparo action filed by a resident challenging the municipal and Health Ministry permits for a fireworks display during the patron saint festivities in Santa María de Dota. The claimant alleged a violation of the right to a healthy environment (Article 50 of the Constitution), noise pollution, and harm to…
Res. 09410-2024 Sala Constitucional2024 · Sala Constitucional
Rechazo de ampliación de plazo para obras en Río Ocloro por retraso de ocho años
The Constitutional Chamber denies a subsequent motion filed by San José Mayor Johnny Araya Monge, who requested a further extension of the deadline to implement hydraulic works ordered in the 2016 judgment n.° 2016007570 to prevent flooding in Ciudadela Calderón Muñoz. Almost eight years have passed since the original ruling, and an extension was already…
Res. 09446-2024 Sala Constitucional2024 · Sala Constitucional
Acceso a informes técnicos preparatorios de SETENA previo a viabilidad ambiental
The Constitutional Chamber reviews an amparo filed by members of the Comité Oromontano Pro Ambiente against SETENA, challenging the granting of environmental viability to the Parque Tecnología Ambiental Galagarza project (file D1-0635-2021-SETENA). Petitioners claim that the technical report DT-DEA-1227-2023, which served as the basis for the decision, was…
Res. 09471-2024 Sala Constitucional2024 · Sala Constitucional
Conexiones ilegales de aguas residuales al sistema pluvial en Escazú
The Constitutional Chamber dismisses an amparo appeal filed by a neighbor of Bello Horizonte, Escazú, against the Mayor and the Health Area Directorate of Escazú. The appellant claimed that the authorities allowed third parties to discharge soapy water into the stormwater drain, polluting rivers and causing foul odors. The Chamber finds that the respondent…
Res. 10056-2024 Sala Constitucional2024 · Sala Constitucional
Acceso a Playa La Leona y derecho de petición contra Concejo Municipal de Paquera
The Constitutional Chamber reviewed an amparo filed by members of a women's association against the Municipal District Council of Paquera. The petitioners claimed non‑renewal of their use permit in the maritime‑terrestrial zone of Playa La Leona, lack of response to their information requests, granting of the permit to a foreign company that allegedly…
Res. 09451-2024 Sala Constitucional2024 · Sala Constitucional
Denuncia ambiental ante municipalidad sin resolver no es amparable si está en plazo
The petitioner filed an amparo against the Municipality of Barva claiming that his complaint about an irregular construction on the banks of the Río Segundo had not been addressed. The construction lacked municipal permits, did not respect the river setback, generated noise pollution, and deposited waste into the riverbed. The Constitutional Chamber…
Res. 10048-2024 Sala Constitucional2024 · Sala Constitucional
Gestión posterior en recurso de amparo por contaminación y construcciones en Quebrada Barreal no es acogida
The petitioners, residents of Moravia, filed two subsequent petitions after partial grant of amparo ruling 2023031791, which ordered the Municipalities of Moravia and Goicoechea and the Ministry of Health to form an inter-institutional commission and design a remedial plan to address noise pollution, environmental contamination, and encroachment on the…
Res. 10187-2024 Sala Constitucional2024 · Sala Constitucional
Acumulación de amparo por tala de árbol de Copey
The Constitutional Chamber decided to accumulate the amparo appeal filed by Marjorie Eugenia Torres Borge with case file 24-007095-0007-CO, previously filed by Karol Carmona Alvarado. Both appeals challenged the authorization to cut down a Copey tree granted by the Costa Rican Railroad Institute (INCOFER), despite SINAC having indicated that pruning was a…
Res. 10035-2024 Sala Constitucional2024 · Sala Constitucional
Desobediencia en amparo por vertido de aguas residuales en Atenas
The Constitutional Chamber rules on a noncompliance claim filed by the petitioner in an amparo that had been granted. The original judgment ordered the Atenas Health Area to address a complaint about wastewater discharges and to notify the petitioner of the outcome within six months. The petitioner alleges noncompliance. The health authority reports…
Res. 10086-2024 Sala Constitucional2024 · Sala Constitucional
Amparo por denuncia de basurero y criadero en Barrio Fátima, Heredia
The Constitutional Chamber hears an amparo filed by a resident of Barrio Fátima, Heredia, against the Municipality of Heredia. On December 26, 2023, the complainant reported via email that an abandoned property in his neighborhood was used as an open-air dump, animal breeding ground, and source of contamination, with no municipal response for almost two…
Res. 10150-2024 Sala Constitucional2024 · Sala Constitucional
Negativa de acceso a expediente penal a copropietario no apersonado
The Constitutional Chamber hears an amparo action filed by a lawyer on behalf of a company that co-owns properties where a clandestine dump and a charcoal kiln operate. The petitioner claims that the Desamparados Prosecutor's Office denied access and copies of the corresponding criminal file, despite having accredited a legitimate interest and having…
Res. 10170-2024 Sala Constitucional2024 · Sala Constitucional
Derecho de petición no ampara solicitudes de investigación probatoria
The Constitutional Chamber heard an amparo action against the Municipality of Montes de Oca, filed by a property owner who was denied a construction permit due to the protection radius of a water spring. The petitioner argued that his lawyer submitted a document requesting an investigation into whether neighboring properties had been granted land use and…
Res. 10540-2024 Sala Constitucional2024 · Sala Constitucional
Reiteración de orden municipal para resolver el problema de manejo de aguas pluviales
The Constitutional Chamber rules on a non-compliance action filed by residents of Alajuela regarding a 2018 judgment that ordered the Municipality of Alajuela to solve the environmental problem caused by stormwater runoff on their property. The complainants argue that after more than five years, no definitive solution has been implemented, despite the…
Res. 10062-2024 Sala Constitucional2024 · Sala Constitucional
Demora en resolver denuncia ambiental sobre tala en Cóbano por SETENA y ACT
The Constitutional Chamber reviewed an amparo action filed by a Cóbano resident against SETENA and the Tempisque Conservation Area (ACT). The petitioner claimed that since August 18, 2023, she had filed an expanded environmental complaint concerning alleged unauthorized logging and land-use change at the Residencias Lati project (file D1-0092-2022-SETENA),…
Res. 10948-2024 Sala Constitucional2024 · Sala Constitucional
Amparo por botadero en Santa Cruz
The Constitutional Chamber dismisses an amparo action filed by a resident of Santa Cruz de Guanacaste against the Municipality of Santa Cruz and the Ministry of Health. The plaintiff claimed that "calle La Cuesta" was still being used as an open dump for ordinary and hazardous waste, affecting a water spring and creating public health risks. The Chamber…
Res. 10894-2024 Sala Constitucional2024 · Sala Constitucional
Amparo por quemas en Salitrillos — falta de denuncia previa ante la Municipalidad
The Constitutional Chamber summarily dismisses an amparo filed by a resident of San Miguel de Desamparados against the Municipality of Aserrí. The petitioner alleges that for years, burning has been carried out on a plot in Salitrillos de Aserrí whose owners have not been identified. The smoke produces foul odors that affect his family and the…
Res. 11161-2024 Sala Constitucional2024 · Sala Constitucional
Omisión de seguimiento a orden sanitaria sobre contaminación fecal
The Constitutional Chamber hears an amparo against the Santa Ana Health Area for the alleged failure to address an environmental complaint filed in June 2022. The petitioner claimed that her neighbor discharged wastewater and feces onto her property, causing foul odors and health impacts. The respondent issued sanitary orders in August 2023, granting 30…
Res. 10833-2024 Sala Constitucional2024 · Sala Constitucional
Incumplimiento de amparo por estudios del Río Bermúdez
The Constitutional Chamber addressed a non-compliance motion filed by Horacio de Jesús Vargas Morandi regarding judgment No. 2022-011677, which ordered the Municipality of Heredia to carry out the necessary studies to solve the problems of the Bermúdez River and to notify the petitioner of the outcome. The Municipality reported that, after completing…
Res. 10847-2024 Sala Constitucional2024 · Sala Constitucional
Derecho de petición frente a consultas municipales sobre proyecto urbanístico Condominio Hacienda Garabito
The Constitutional Chamber hears an amparo filed by Eduardo Enrique Chinchilla Mora against the Municipality of Alajuela. The petitioner submitted a complaint and multiple queries regarding alleged irregularities in the permitting of the Condominio Hacienda Garabito development project. He argues that the municipality failed to respond fully or timely,…
Res. 10887-2024 Sala Constitucional2024 · Sala Constitucional
Orden sanitaria por aguas residuales en alcantarillado previsto
The Constitutional Chamber hears an amparo filed by residents of Calle La Nueva, Mata de Plátano, Goicoechea, against the Ministry of Health, the Municipality of Goicoechea, and the Costa Rican Institute of Aqueducts and Sewers (AyA). The claimants report the collapse of a sanitary sewer manhole on the public road, from which black and gray waters emanate,…
Res. 10864-2024 Sala Constitucional2024 · Sala Constitucional
Demora en trámite de denuncia ambiental ampliada ante SETENA
The Constitutional Chamber decides an amparo action filed against SETENA and the Tempisque Conservation Area for delay in resolving the expansion of an environmental complaint regarding the Residencias Lati project. The petitioner alleged unauthorized logging in Cóbano, loss of biodiversity, and impact on a biological corridor, and requested precautionary…
Res. 11381-2024 Sala Constitucional2024 · Sala Constitucional
Incumplimiento de orden sobre aguas residuales en La Pacífica
The Constitutional Chamber resolves a non-compliance motion filed by Wálter Brenes Soto regarding judgment 2014-017445, which ordered several authorities to coordinate to solve a health and environmental problem in the La Pacífica housing development in Grecia. After gathering reports, the Chamber finds that the Ministry of Health issued sanitary orders to…
Res. 12155-2024 Sala Constitucional2024 · Sala Constitucional
Recurso de amparo contra construcción de antena de telecomunicaciones
The Constitutional Chamber hears an amparo action filed by a corporation through its representative against the Municipality of Alajuela regarding the construction of a telecommunications antenna in front of its property. The petitioner alleges violation of the rights to health and a healthy environment due to alleged infrared radiation exposure and lack…
Res. 12481-2024 Sala Constitucional2024 · Sala Constitucional
Amparo por demora del Tribunal Ambiental Administrativo en resolver denuncia sobre quebrada La Granada
The Constitutional Chamber heard an amparo filed by a citizen against the Environmental Administrative Tribunal (TAA), the Municipality of Heredia, and MINAE, alleging unjustified delay in resolving an environmental complaint filed in 2004 regarding landfilling, piping, and construction of a wall within the protection area of La Granada creek. The works…
Res. 12565-2024 Sala Constitucional2024 · Sala Constitucional
Inundaciones en Quebrada Seca por omisión de obras de drenaje
The Constitutional Chamber reviewed an amparo action filed by a resident of Quebrada Seca, Garabito, who claimed that his home and other properties were flooded in 2022 due to lack of stormwater management and undersized culverts on National Route 34. The plaintiff asked CONAVI and the Municipality of Garabito to comply with Technical Report…
Res. 12482-2024 Sala Constitucional2024 · Sala Constitucional
Improcedencia de amparo que solicitaba declarar nulidad absoluta del Plan Regulador Costero de Cahuita
The Constitutional Chamber rejects an amparo filed by the Integral Development Association of the Bribri Indigenous Reserve of Keköldi against the Municipal Council of Talamanca. The petitioner argued that the Talamanca-Cahuita Coastal Regulatory Plan had been annulled by a previous ruling of this same Chamber (2023-033104), and therefore requested that…
Res. 12608-2024 Sala Constitucional2024 · Sala Constitucional
Recolección de basura en Tilarán: amparo de vecino de Cabeceras
The Constitutional Chamber hears an amparo filed by a resident of Cabeceras de Tilarán against the Ministry of Health and the Municipality of Tilarán for the lack of trash collection service along a 10-kilometer stretch between Cabeceras and Finca Terra Viva. The petitioner claims the community is 'drowning in trash' and that the authorities have given…
Res. 12680-2024 Sala Constitucional2024 · Sala Constitucional
Amparo prematuro por descarga pesquera en Cieneguita
The Constitutional Chamber heard an amparo action filed against the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Fisheries and Aquaculture (INCOPESCA) for failing to address dangerous sanitary conditions at the Cieneguita river mouth fishing unloading site in Limón. The petitioner sought immediate measures to protect fishers' health and product safety. The…
Res. 12684-2024 Sala Constitucional2024 · Sala Constitucional
Municipalidad debe entregar información certificada sobre uso de suelo y naciente
The Constitutional Chamber heard an amparo appeal against the Municipality of Naranjo for failing to provide certified public information requested by a citizen. The petitioner sought copies of responses to revocation appeals, denied land-use permits, and administrative files for four properties in Alajuela. The municipality partially responded via email,…
Res. 12877-2024 Sala Constitucional2024 · Sala Constitucional
Improcedencia de amparo contra instalación de torre de telecomunicaciones frente a vivienda
The Constitutional Chamber dismisses on the merits the amparo filed against the Municipality of Pérez Zeledón and UFINET regarding the installation of a 24-meter telecommunications tower in front of a residence. The petitioners alleged violations of the rights to health, property, a healthy environment, due process, and transit, as well as fears of…
Res. 12955-2024 Sala Constitucional2024 · Sala Constitucional
Desobediencia por construcciones colindantes al Parque Nacional Marino Las Baulas
The Constitutional Chamber dismisses a non-compliance motion filed by Andrea Blanco Alfaro against SETENA and SINAC regarding alleged non-compliance with judgment 2024-01082, which ordered inspections of constructions under D2 environmental permits near Las Baulas National Marine Park. The plaintiff argued that construction continued, causing irreversible…
Res. 13166-2024 Sala Constitucional2024 · Sala Constitucional
Constitucionalidad condicionada del artículo 2 del Reglamento de Zonificación de Belén
The Constitutional Chamber reviewed a challenge to Article 2 of the Zoning and Road Plan Regulation of the Belén Regulatory Plan, which allows extending the regulations of one zone up to 100 meters onto a lot divided by a zone boundary. Plaintiffs claimed the provision degrades protection of green areas and protection zones, violating environmental…
Res. 04424-2024 Sala Constitucional2024 · Sala Constitucional
Granja porcina Los Corrales no genera contaminación ambiental probada
The Constitutional Chamber dismisses an amparo filed by a neighbor of the Solaris Condominium in Santa Ana, who claimed that the Los Corrales pig farm caused serious environmental damage and odor nuisances, and that the authorities (Municipality of Santa Ana, Ministry of Health, and SENASA) had failed to address his complaints. Based on the reports…
Res. 05140-2024 Sala Constitucional2024 · Sala Constitucional
Inercia administrativa en denuncia por contaminación hídrica
Neighbors of Palmares complained that the business 'Pinchos de la Plata' discharged untreated wastewater into the Quebrada Azul. The Municipality declared lack of jurisdiction and forwarded the case to the Ministry of Health, action that the Chamber deemed lawful. As for the Ministry of Health, the complaint was filed in September 2023, but the inspection…
Res. 13403-2024 Sala Constitucional2024 · Sala Constitucional
Omisión de respuesta a denuncia ambiental por desbordamiento de aguas y tala de árboles
The Constitutional Chamber heard an amparo appeal filed by a resident of Aserrí who had administratively complained to the Municipality about water overflow and tree felling where he lives. The complaint was submitted on February 19, 2024, but by April 21, 2024, when the amparo was filed, no substantive response had been issued. The Municipality merely…
Res. 13324-2024 Sala Constitucional2024 · Sala Constitucional
Omisión de SETENA en atender denuncia sobre pérdida de relleno en Playa Moín
The petitioner, an elderly person, filed an amparo action against SETENA for failing to respond to his request to investigate the loss of fill material at Moín Beach, near the APM Terminals Container Terminal. He requested the formation of a Mixed Monitoring Commission (COMIMA) to determine the causes and potential environmental harm, including impacts on…
Res. 13975-2024 Sala Constitucional2024 · Sala Constitucional
Obras de alcantarillado sanitario no vulneran derechos fundamentales por contar con viabilidad ambiental y medidas de mitigación
The Constitutional Chamber reviewed an amparo filed by residents of the Chalets Los Andes residential community in Vásquez de Coronado against the Costa Rican Institute of Aqueducts and Sewers (AyA) and the municipalities of Coronado and Moravia. The residents claimed that the sanitary sewer works under the Metropolitan Area Environmental Improvement…
Res. 14296-2024 Sala Constitucional2024 · Sala Constitucional
Improcedencia del amparo por cierre del Zoológico Simón Bolívar
The Constitutional Chamber flatly rejects the amparo action filed by José Carlos Chacón Rodríguez on behalf of FUNDAZOO against MINAE’s decision not to renew the contract for the administration of the Simón Bolívar National Zoological and Botanical Park and the Santa Ana Conservation Center. The Chamber holds that the core issue—contractual performance and…
Res. 04425-2024 Sala Constitucional2024 · Sala Constitucional
Desobediencia reiterada por no resolver expediente TAA
The Constitutional Chamber addresses a subsequent claim of non-compliance with judgment 2020-017177, which had ordered the Environmental Administrative Tribunal (TAA) to resolve case 410-09-02-TAA within two months, and the Ministry of Health to follow up on sanitary resolution 001252-F-S1-2020. After two prior findings of disobedience, the petitioner…
Res. 13978-2024 Sala Constitucional2024 · Sala Constitucional
Municipalidad de Liberia debe atender denuncias por basura, paradas de bus y árbol riesgoso
The Constitutional Chamber heard an amparo action filed by a resident of Santa Luisa Catalana neighborhood in Liberia, who complained that the Municipality had not resolved three issues: accumulation of trash along a creek creating mosquito breeding sites and dengue risk, bus stops that did not comply with Law 7600 leaving vulnerable people exposed to the…
Res. 14139-2024 Sala Constitucional2024 · Sala Constitucional
Acceso a información ambiental sobre humedal en investigación penal
The Constitutional Chamber reviewed an amparo action against the Amistad Caribe Conservation Area (ACLAC) for denying a citizen a copy of a technical report on drainage and filling of a wetland in Playa Negra, allegedly carried out by the Municipality of Talamanca. The authority claimed the information was confidential due to an ongoing judicial…
Res. 14514-2024 Sala Constitucional2024 · Sala Constitucional
Inadmisibilidad de amparo contra alcantarillado municipal en San Carlos
The Constitutional Chamber summarily dismisses an amparo filed by residents of La Fortuna, San Carlos, against municipal sewer works. The petitioners alleged that laying a drainage pipe in front of their property to carry soapy water into the Peñas Blancas River violated their right to a healthy environment and that they were not consulted. The Chamber…
Res. 14517-2024 Sala Constitucional2024 · Sala Constitucional
Acumulación de amparo por tala de árbol de Copey en Belén
The Constitutional Chamber hears an amparo action filed by a neighbor in San Antonio de Belén against INCOFER, SINAC, and the Municipality of Belén for authorizing the felling of a Copey tree, a scarce species in the canton, located within the railway right-of-way. The petitioner alleges a violation of the right to a healthy and ecologically balanced…
Res. 14884-2024 Sala Constitucional2024 · Sala Constitucional
Amparo por aguas residuales en cauce y omisión municipal de respuesta
The Constitutional Chamber hears an amparo filed by the legal representative of Mariluz El Ángel S.A. against the Municipality of Puriscal. The petitioner alleges that on January 10, 2024, a formal complaint was lodged regarding the discharge of sewage and stormwater from the central area of Santiago de Puriscal onto a property where an educational center…
Res. 15334-2024 Sala Constitucional2024 · Sala Constitucional
Denuncia ambiental sin respuesta y amparo prematuro
The Constitutional Chamber summarily rejects an amparo action filed by a resident of Turrialba who had filed a complaint with the Ministry of Health regarding the mishandling of wastewater at a neighboring property—specifically, an exposed pipe on the sidewalk that releases foul-smelling liquids and poses a public health hazard. The claimant argued that…
Res. 14497-2024 Sala Constitucional2024 · Sala Constitucional
Incumplimiento parcial de sentencia sobre recolección de residuos en Isla Chira
The Constitutional Chamber reviews a third non-compliance petition filed by a resident of Isla Chira against the Municipality of Puntarenas for allegedly failing to comply with orders (1) and (3) of judgment No. 2023019610 (August 11, 2023). The original judgment required immediate measures to mitigate pollution and ensure regular, continuous waste…
Res. 14608-2024 Sala Constitucional2024 · Sala Constitucional
Amparo prematuro por denuncia de ruido no resuelta
The Constitutional Chamber reviewed an amparo filed by an individual who complained about excessive noise at the Farmers’ Market in Filadelfia, Carrillo, before the Ministry of Health. The petitioner argued that loud music disturbed the peace and that his complaint remained unanswered. The Chamber recalled that, since ruling 2008-02545, claims about…
Res. 14811-2024 Sala Constitucional2024 · Sala Constitucional
Amparo por falta de resolución oportuna de denuncia sobre aguas negras
The Constitutional Chamber heard an amparo filed against the Ministry of Health and the Municipality of Santa Ana, regarding sewage emanating from a sewer in front of the Fuerte Ventura Condominium, causing foul odors and endangering passersby health. Although the petitioner did not file a formal complaint, neighbors did so starting June 2023. The health…
Res. 15534-2024 Sala Constitucional2024 · Sala Constitucional
Inadmisibilidad del amparo contra fiscalía ambiental por retención de vehículo y madera
The Constitutional Chamber hears an amparo filed by a truck driver against the Public Ministry after his truck and a timber shipment were seized by public police, allegedly under instructions from the Environmental Prosecutor's Office of the Second Judicial Circuit. The petitioner claims violation of his rights to free transit and to work, as nine days…
Res. 15681-2024 Sala Constitucional2024 · Sala Constitucional
Amparo contra SINAC por denuncia ambiental no resuelta sobre humedal y manglar en Playa Sámara
The Constitutional Chamber heard an amparo filed by a resident of Playa Sámara who complained about the destruction of wetlands and mangroves, as well as landfill, in the Lagarto River estuary —an area of high environmental fragility and state natural heritage— and the granting of concessions in the Maritime Terrestrial Zone by the Municipality of Nicoya.…
Res. 16120-2024 Sala Constitucional2024 · Sala Constitucional
Corrección de condenatoria en costas a SETENA en lugar del Estado en amparo
The Constitutional Chamber corrects a clerical error in ruling 2023026912, which had ordered the State to pay costs and damages, when the respondent was the National Environmental Technical Secretariat (SETENA), an entity with its own legal personality and assets. The petitioner requested the correction under Article 12 of the Constitutional Jurisdiction…
Res. 15725-2024 Sala Constitucional2024 · Sala Constitucional
Desalojo en zona de alto riesgo por deslizamiento no es revisable en amparo
The Constitutional Chamber dismisses as inadmissible an amparo action against eviction orders issued by the Ministry of Health. The orders were based on a technical report from the National Commission for Risk Prevention and Emergency Response (CNE) that classified the property as a high-threat zone (red) due to mudflows and avalanches following a…
Res. 15744-2024 Sala Constitucional2024 · Sala Constitucional
Amparo por colocación de postes en aceras no procede si no se gestionó previamente ante las autoridades
The Constitutional Chamber denies an amparo filed by a Curridabat resident challenging the placement of new utility poles on the sidewalk in front of La Colina Ecological Park. The petitioner argued that pedestrian transit, especially for seniors and disabled persons, was affected, the natural landscape was visually deformed, and the existing solar-panel…
Res. 16163-2024 Sala Constitucional2024 · Sala Constitucional
Inadmisibilidad de amparo por denuncia sanitaria no resuelta
The Constitutional Chamber flatly rejects an amparo filed by an elderly woman against the Health Ministry. She alleged a violation of the right to a healthy environment due to the Ministry's failure to properly address her complaints about septic tank seepage and humidity from a neighboring property. The Court holds that the 2022 complaint and resulting…
Res. 16119-2024 Sala Constitucional2024 · Sala Constitucional
No procede adición ni aclaración sobre amparo por Parque Metropolitano Los Diques
The Constitutional Chamber reviewed a request for addition and clarification of judgment 2024-007828, which had denied the amparo filed on behalf of the Cartago community regarding a budget modification for the Parque Metropolitano Los Diques project. The Chamber determined that the petitioner did not seek to clarify obscure terms or add omitted points but…
Res. 16399-2024 Sala Constitucional2024 · Sala Constitucional
SETENA y Dirección de Aguas no violentan derecho a ambiente sano al otorgar viabilidad ambiental a proyecto en Escaleras
The Constitutional Chamber denied an amparo filed by a neighbor of Escaleras de Bahía Ballena, Osa, against the Water Directorate and SETENA. The claimant argued that the "Acquarello Dominical" real‑estate project—granted environmental viability by SETENA in January 2023—threatened bodies of water, springs, and protection zones, and that earthworks and a…
Res. 16382-2024 Sala Constitucional2024 · Sala Constitucional
Incumplimiento de sentencia sobre alcantarillado sanitario en Puerto Viejo
The Constitutional Chamber reviews a non-compliance petition filed by a resident of Puerto Viejo de Talamanca, who claims that the respondent authorities (AyA, Municipality of Talamanca, and Ministry of Health) have not fully complied with ruling No. 2019007689 of 2019, which ordered them to resolve the wastewater pollution problem in the community. The…
Res. 17289-2024 Sala Constitucional2024 · Sala Constitucional
Acceso vehicular a inmueble en zona de riesgo ambiental
The Constitutional Chamber reviews an amparo action against the Municipality of Santa Ana, which placed debris and a flex-beam barrier preventing the petitioner's vehicular access to his possessed property. Although the property is located in an area affected by the 'Rancho Tico' landslide, where the petitioner conducted unauthorized waste recovery and…
Res. 17568-2024 Sala Constitucional2024 · Sala Constitucional
Tala de árbol de Copey en San Antonio de Belén requiere proceso sumario de derribo
The Constitutional Chamber granted an amparo appeal against INCOFER for authorizing the felling of a 70-year-old Copey tree in San Antonio de Belén, nullifying the permit. The Chamber held that when a tree is claimed to be dangerous or a threat, the proper route to decide its felling or pruning is the summary demolition proceeding before the Agrarian…
Res. 18144-2024 Sala Constitucional2024 · Sala Constitucional
Municipalidad de Mora — desfogue irregular de aguas pluviales y riesgo a vivienda
The Constitutional Chamber grants an amparo filed by a family against the Municipality of Mora. The petitioners alleged that a culvert installed by the municipality diverted stormwater onto their property, causing land subsidence that endangered their house and the lives of its occupants (two older adults and two minors). The court found that, although the…
Res. 17874-2024 Sala Constitucional2024 · Sala Constitucional
Amparo por falta de respuesta municipal ante denuncia ambiental en Puerto Viejo
The Constitutional Chamber hears an amparo filed by a citizen who reported anomalies at a commercial property in Puerto Viejo, including vegetation destruction to expand parking near the beach and alleged unpermitted commercial activity. The Chamber finds that the Municipality of Santa Cruz conducted inspections and issued orders but failed to definitively…
Res. 17909-2024 Sala Constitucional2024 · Sala Constitucional
Ruido de gallos y orden sanitaria del Ministerio de Salud
The petitioner filed complaints about noise pollution from roosters kept on a neighboring property. The Ministry of Health issued a sanitary order requiring the animals to be relocated and a noise confinement plan to be submitted. After verifying that the animal was moved, the authority considered the order complied with. The petitioner filed new…
Res. 18031-2024 Sala Constitucional2024 · Sala Constitucional
Permiso de construcción a adulto mayor en Isla Chira
The Constitutional Chamber heard an amparo action filed by an elderly beneficiary of a housing voucher in Isla Chira against the Municipality of Puntarenas for failing to resolve a construction permit application. The municipality initially denied receiving the application, but it was proven that the designated professional submitted the request on behalf…
Res. 18464-2024 Sala Constitucional2024 · Sala Constitucional
Reapertura de local no constituye inejecución de sentencia anterior
The Constitutional Chamber denies a motion for non-compliance with a prior ruling where the petitioner alleged that Bar Lisboa had reopened under the same conditions causing noise and light pollution, thus violating ruling 2023-006935. The Chamber verifies that the original ruling was complied with because the establishment closed after the death of its…
Res. 18755-2024 Sala Constitucional2024 · Sala Constitucional
Municipalidad debe atender denuncia de árbol peligroso en plazo razonable
The Constitutional Chamber examined an amparo filed by a Curridabat resident who reported to the municipality an exogenous tree on a neighboring sidewalk whose roots and foliage damaged the sidewalk, obstructed gutters, created humidity, and posed a danger to pedestrians, property, and electrical infrastructure. The complaint was filed on July 26, 2023,…
Res. 18803-2024 Sala Constitucional2024 · Sala Constitucional
Omisión municipal y de salud ante basurero clandestino y quemas en San Rafael de Alajuela
The Constitutional Chamber reviews an amparo action filed by residents of San Rafael de Alajuela against the Ministry of Health, the Municipality of Alajuela, the Environmental Administrative Tribunal (TAA), and the Fire Department for failing to address a clandestine dump and recurring burning on two private properties. The Chamber finds that, despite…
Res. 19042-2024 Sala Constitucional2024 · Sala Constitucional
Denegatoria de amparo por respuesta extemporánea pero previa a la notificación de curso
The Constitutional Chamber hears an amparo action against the Ministry of Environment and Energy for failure to respond to a request for information filed on May 21, 2024. The petitioner had asked about logging and forest harvesting permits in protected wild areas (ASP), encroachment into protection zones, restrictions on tree felling and development…
Res. 18748-2024 Sala Constitucional2024 · Sala Constitucional
Uso de parque infantil y contaminación sónica en Pinares de Curridabat
The Constitutional Chamber reviews an amparo filed by residents of Pinares in Curridabat against the Municipality of Curridabat and the Ministry of Health. The claimants allege that the neighborhood children's park is used at night by outsiders consuming alcohol and drugs, generating excessive noise that disturbs residents' rest, and that their complaints…
Res. 19169-2024 Sala Constitucional2024 · Sala Constitucional
Desistimiento de amparo sobre uso de parque municipal
The Constitutional Chamber heard an amparo action filed against the Municipality of San José alleging violations of fundamental rights related to the use of a community park in Urbanización Montealegre, Phase 1. The petitioner argued that the park, normatively intended for rest and ornamentation, was being used for incompatible activities such as sports,…
Res. 19236-2024 Sala Constitucional2024 · Sala Constitucional
Desobediencia reiterada de Municipalidad de Garabito a sentencia de amparo ambiental
The Constitutional Chamber reviews a new disobedience motion filed by the petitioner against the coordinator of the Technical Services Process of the Municipality of Garabito, Robert Guevara Guevara, for failing to comply with ruling 2021-012726, which ordered the municipality to address a complaint about irregular constructions, tree felling, and illegal…
Res. 19401-2024 Sala Constitucional2024 · Sala Constitucional
Amparo prematuro contra Municipalidad de Orotina por denuncia ambiental sin respuesta
The Constitutional Chamber reviewed an amparo filed by a resident against the Municipality of Orotina, alleging violation of the rights of petition and to a healthy environment. The petitioner stated that on June 12 and 28, 2024, he sent documents to the Public Services and Environmental Management departments reporting environmental damage at a specific…
Res. 20240-2024 Sala Constitucional2024 · Sala Constitucional
Amparo contra Área Rectora de Salud por falta de respuesta a denuncia ambiental
The Constitutional Chamber hears an amparo filed by José Enrique Corrales Medrano against the Health Authority of La Cruz Guanacaste. The petitioner claims he filed an environmental complaint on June 24, 2024, regarding the inadequate maintenance of an empty lot used as a garbage dump and pest breeding ground, and that as of the date of filing the amparo…
Res. 19547-2024 Sala Constitucional2024 · Sala Constitucional
Instalación de postes de telecomunicaciones no requiere evaluación ambiental
The Constitutional Chamber dismissed an amparo petition filed by an elderly woman against the Municipality of San Pablo de Heredia and the Ministry of Health regarding the installation of a telecommunications pole in front of her home. The petitioner alleged violation of the right to a healthy environment, damage to the urban-cultural landscape, structural…
Res. 20386-2024 Sala Constitucional2024 · Sala Constitucional
Rechazo de amparo sobre cupos en audiencia pública de POT
The Constitutional Chamber summarily rejects an amparo remedy against the Municipality of Pérez Zeledón for denying the petitioner a space at the public hearing on the Territorial Zoning Plan. The petitioner argued that the 300-person capacity was filled, preventing his participation. The Chamber holds that the hearing was held, the capacity limit was…
Res. 20494-2024 Sala Constitucional2024 · Sala Constitucional
Acceso a la información sobre compensación ambiental y permisos forestales
The Constitutional Chamber reviewed an amparo action filed by a congressman against the Tempisque Conservation Area (ACT) of SINAC for failure to respond to an environmental information request. On May 10, 2024, the petitioner emailed an official ACT address requesting information on compliance with an environmental compensation plan under SETENA file…
Res. 21052-2024 Sala Constitucional2024 · Sala Constitucional
Falta de respuesta a denuncia ambiental ante la Municipalidad de Liberia
The Constitutional Chamber hears an amparo filed by a resident against the Municipality of Liberia, alleging a lack of response to an environmental complaint submitted on June 28, 2024. The complaint concerned an abandoned, overgrown lot that was a source of pests and affected passersby and a nearby medical office. The Chamber recalls its case law since…
Res. 01836-2024 Sala Constitucional2024 · Sala Constitucional
Amparo ambiental contra condominio vertical La Esperanza en Naranjo
The Constitutional Chamber denies an amparo filed by a neighbor against the Municipality of Naranjo and SETENA, challenging the authorization of the 'La Esperanza Vertical Condominium' project. The petitioner alleged threats to springs, streams, and biodiversity, insufficient road access and drinking water, and lack of an environmental impact study. The…
Res. 01838-2024 Sala Constitucional2024 · Sala Constitucional
El MINAE debe responder solicitudes de información ambiental en un plazo razonable
In this ruling, the Constitutional Chamber reviews a writ of amparo filed by a group of citizens against the Ministry of Environment and Energy (MINAE), claiming that the institution had failed to respond to an environmental information request submitted in September 2023. The detailed and extensive request concerned progress in various climate action…
Res. 01854-2024 Sala Constitucional2024 · Sala Constitucional
Denuncia ambiental sin identificación de responsables no obliga a investigación de oficio
The Constitutional Court reviewed an amparo action against the Ministry of Health and the Municipality of Santa Ana for their alleged failure to address a complaint of water contamination in the Quebrada Rodríguez. The plaintiffs argued that the authorities refused to investigate because the specific polluting properties were not identified. The Court…
Res. 01874-2024 Sala Constitucional2024 · Sala Constitucional
Proyecto Acosta Activa no destruye cancha ni vulnera derecho al deporte
The Constitutional Chamber hears an amparo filed by residents of Acosta against the Municipality, arguing that the "Acosta Activa" project would destroy the soccer field on a public domain property designated as a sports plaza, violating their right to sport and recreation. The municipal authority reports that the project does not destroy the field but…
Res. 01938-2024 Sala Constitucional2024 · Sala Constitucional
Inadmisibilidad del amparo por mora administrativa en revisión de anchos viales
The Constitutional Chamber flatly dismisses an amparo filed by a citizen who complained of delay by the National Roads Council and the MOPT's Road Inspection Department in resolving a request to review road widths in central La Fortuna. The petitioner alleged violations of Articles 27, 39 and 41 of the Constitution and vaguely mentioned harm to the…
Res. 02044-2024 Sala Constitucional2024 · Sala Constitucional
Recurso de amparo por tala sin permiso y reclamo de daños rechazado de plano
The Constitutional Chamber summarily dismissed an amparo action filed by the owner of a farm in Limón, who alleged that employees of the Costa Rican Electricity Institute (ICE) entered her property without permission in 2019 and 2020 and cut down approximately 186 timber trees. The petitioner sought compensation for ecological, environmental, and economic…
Res. 00363-2024 Sala Constitucional2024 · Sala Constitucional
Denegatoria de ampliación de plazo por desobediencia grave en ruta 304
The Constitutional Chamber denies CONAVI’s request for a further extension to comply with ruling 2020-002416, which ordered the construction of sidewalks, road alignment, and stormwater drainage on Route 304 between EBAIS El Llano and Bar Que Toque. Despite a previous extension and a finding of noncompliance, the respondent authorities (MOPT, CONAVI, and…
Res. 00364-2024 Sala Constitucional2024 · Sala Constitucional
Desobediencia reiterada de la Municipalidad de Garabito por construcciones irregulares y tala en Cerro Fresco
The Constitutional Chamber hears a second disobedience proceeding against the Municipality of Garabito for failing to comply with an order to address a complaint about irregular constructions, logging, and illegal well exploitation in Hermosa Hills, Cerro Fresco. The Municipality reported conducting inspections, filing criminal complaints with the Agrarian…
Res. 00409-2024 Sala Constitucional2024 · Sala Constitucional
Cierre técnico de vertedero municipal no es revisable en amparo
The Constitutional Chamber dismissed an amparo action filed by the owner of a property used as a municipal dump in Pérez Zeledón for 25 years. The plaintiff claimed the municipality had abandoned the land, failed to complete the ordered technical closure, and hollowed out her property rights, seeking compensation and environmental measures. The Court…
Res. 00737-2024 Sala Constitucional2024 · Sala Constitucional
Inadmisibilidad por incumplimiento de prevención sobre oficio distinto
The Constitutional Chamber summarily rejected this amparo appeal for failure to comply with a court order. The appellant claimed a lack of response to an official communication (AEL-00156-2023) whereby he requested information on the composition of the Regional Environmental Council of the Caribbean Environmental Conservation Area (ACLAC). The Chamber…
Res. 01084-2024 Sala Constitucional2024 · Sala Constitucional
Incumplimiento de amparo sobre el río Barranca
The Constitutional Chamber addresses a non-compliance filing regarding amparo 23-014766-0007-CO, which had ordered the Municipality of Puntarenas and the Directorate of Geology and Mines of MINAE to form an interinstitutional commission and design a plan to address erosion on the banks of the Barranca River, specifically at Terrón del Colorado or Vuelta…
Res. 01114-2024 Sala Constitucional2024 · Sala Constitucional
Recolección de basura en precario y derecho a un ambiente sano
The Constitutional Chamber hears an amparo filed by residents of an informal settlement (Martina Bustos, Liberia) against the Municipality of Liberia for lack of garbage collection, waste accumulation, clandestine dumps, and pollution. Petitioners claim violation of the right to a healthy and ecologically balanced environment. The municipality defends…
Res. 01115-2024 Sala Constitucional2024 · Sala Constitucional
Derecho de petición y pronta respuesta en denuncias ambientales
The Constitutional Chamber hears an amparo action filed by a resident of Mata de Plátano, Goicoechea, against the Municipality of Goicoechea and SINAC. The petitioner claims that the Municipality responded incompletely or failed to answer various requests for information regarding permits, land use, coverage, and regulatory compliance of a plastic bag…
Res. 01139-2024 Sala Constitucional2024 · Sala Constitucional
Recurrente contra Municipalidad de Talamanca por inundaciones de aguas pluviales y residuales en hotel
The Constitutional Chamber dismisses an amparo filed by the owner of Hotel Puerto Viejo against the Municipality of Talamanca. The claimant alleges that for seven years his property has flooded with stormwater and sewage every time it rains, due to the illegal closure of a drain by a neighbor and municipal inaction. The Chamber finds that the Ministry of…
Res. 01160-2024 Sala Constitucional2024 · Sala Constitucional
Sala rechaza amparo por contaminación sónica de bar en Alajuela
The petitioners, affected by excessive noise from a neighboring bar in San Rafael de Alajuela, filed an amparo against the Ministry of Health and the Municipality of Alajuela for alleged inaction on their noise-pollution complaint. The Constitutional Chamber verified that both authorities had acted: the Ministry had taken measurements since 2018, issued…
Res. 01531-2024 Sala Constitucional2024 · Sala Constitucional
Cumplimiento parcial de medidas ambientales en Isla Chira
The Constitutional Chamber rules on a second non-compliance claim regarding Judgment No. 2023019610, which ordered the Municipality of Puntarenas to take immediate measures to mitigate pollution on Isla Chira, educate the community about waste management, and guarantee a regular waste collection service. The petitioner claims that points 1 (immediate…
Res. 21461-2024 Sala Constitucional2024 · Sala Constitucional
Cierre sanitario previo no exime de permisos para escombrera en Tajo Montano
The Constitutional Chamber examined an amparo action filed by a resident of Santa Rosa de Santo Domingo de Heredia against the Municipality of Santo Domingo and the Health Area Directorate, regarding the operation of a spoil bank at Tajo Montano, a property owned by the Ministry of Public Works and Transport (MOPT), used to deposit waste from the…
Res. 21401-2024 Sala Constitucional2024 · Sala Constitucional
Amparo contra audiencia pública de plan regulador por falta de publicidad y limitación de participación
The Constitutional Chamber hears an amparo filed by a resident of Pérez Zeledón against the Municipality, alleging violation of the principles of publicity and citizen participation in the regulatory plan adoption process. The claimant argues that information was only disclosed electronically, that the draft was not published in the Official Gazette before…
Res. 21117-2024 Sala Constitucional2024 · Sala Constitucional
Cancelación de Declaratoria Turística por falta de avance del proyecto
The Constitutional Chamber flatly rejects the amparo appeal filed by the companies Playa Blanquita S.A. and Asdevexel Interin S.A. against the Costa Rican Tourism Institute (ICT). The appellants challenged the cancellation of the national tourism interest declaration for the "Hotel Punta La Joya" project, located in Playa Blanca de Paquera, Puntarenas,…
Res. 21415-2024 Sala Constitucional2024 · Sala Constitucional
Rechazo de gestión de revisión en amparo ambiental por permiso de tala de cedro amargo
The Constitutional Chamber rejects the subsequent motion filed by the head of the SINAC Heredia Subregional Office, who requested review and correction of the judgment that granted an environmental amparo. In that prior judgment, the Chamber annulled a felling permit for a bitter cedar tree (Cedrela odorata) issued by SINAC and ordered the office to…
Res. 21457-2024 Sala Constitucional2024 · Sala Constitucional
Falta de respuesta administrativa sobre poda de árboles peligrosos
The Constitutional Chamber hears an amparo filed by the director of the Dr. Roberto Chacón Paut National Psychiatric Hospital on behalf of neighbors, employees, and hospital users against MOPT and CONAVI. The claim concerns the lack of response to repeated complaints about trees in poor condition on National Route 202, threatening the safety of pedestrians…
Res. 21429-2024 Sala Constitucional2024 · Sala Constitucional
Amparo por falta de plan regulador y daño ambiental en Garabito
The Constitutional Chamber hears an amparo filed by a resident of the canton of Garabito against the National Housing and Urbanism Institute (INVU), the National Environmental Technical Secretariat (SETENA), and the Municipality of Garabito. The claimant argues that the absence of a coastal zoning plan has led to uncontrolled urban growth, with…
Res. 22003-2024 Sala Constitucional2024 · Sala Constitucional
Deslizamiento en Cedral de Aserrí y respuesta institucional
The Constitutional Chamber dismissed an amparo action filed by a resident of Cedral Abajo de Aserrí against the Municipality of Aserrí and the National Commission for Risk Prevention and Emergency Response (CNE). The petitioner alleged inaction regarding a landslide threatening her property and community safety after bridge construction. The Chamber found…
Res. 22201-2024 Sala Constitucional2024 · Sala Constitucional
Desobediencia por cancelación de crédito paraliza planta de tratamiento de Palmares
The Constitutional Chamber addresses a new disobedience claim filed by Álvaro Sagot Rodríguez against the Municipality of Palmares, the Costa Rican Institute of Aqueducts and Sewers (AyA), and the Ministry of Health, regarding Judgment 2003-001431 that ordered the construction of a wastewater treatment plant for the canton of Palmares. The petitioner…
Res. 19565-2024 Sala Constitucional2024 · Sala Constitucional
Amparo contra el AYA y Aresep por desabastecimiento de agua en Alajuelita
The Constitutional Chamber partially granted an amparo filed by a resident on behalf of the inhabitants of Alajuelita against the Costa Rican Institute of Aqueducts and Sewers (ICAA/AYA) and the Regulatory Authority for Public Services (ARESEP) due to frequent, prolonged, and unannounced drinking water service interruptions. Although the Chamber had…
Res. 22417-2024 Sala Constitucional2024 · Sala Constitucional
Desobediencia parcial por plan de control y protección en áreas silvestres protegidas
The Constitutional Chamber addresses a non-compliance claim filed by Mauricio Álvarez Mora (FECON) regarding judgment 2017-14907, which ordered several authorities to develop and implement a control and protection plan for protected wild areas. The claimant asserts that environmental issues persist, citing budget cuts and the deterioration of Corcovado…
Res. 22514-2024 Sala Constitucional2024 · Sala Constitucional
Aclaración sobre actuaciones del TAA pendiente su integración
The Constitutional Chamber dismisses a request for addition and clarification filed by the President and Vice President of the Environmental Administrative Tribunal (TAA) regarding judgment 2024-018803, which had ordered the TAA to coordinate and carry out all actions within its powers to resolve an environmental problem within three months, and to issue…
Res. 22638-2024 Sala Constitucional2024 · Sala Constitucional
Amparo por información de asociación de desarrollo en reserva indígena Guaymí
The Constitutional Chamber reviewed an amparo filed by members of the Guaymí Indigenous Reserve Integral Development Association of Coto Brus, who also comprised the Payment for Environmental Services (PES) commission. The petitioners had requested financial, accounting, and operational information from the board of directors concerning the year 2023 and…
Res. 22690-2024 Sala Constitucional2024 · Sala Constitucional
Amparo sobre respuesta a gestiones ante SINAC
The Constitutional Chamber hears an amparo appeal filed by a deputy against SINAC for failure to respond to a request submitted in March 2023 regarding tree felling in Residencial El Monte in San Rafael de Heredia. The request contained four questions, including the regional directorate's position, awareness of court orders for felling, and actions for…
Res. 22560-2024 Sala Constitucional2024 · Sala Constitucional
Acceso a información sobre cuerpos de agua y áreas de protección
A congressman filed an amparo action against the Water Directorate (Dirección de Aguas) of MINAE for failing to respond to a public information request regarding water bodies, springs, and protection areas on several properties. The Constitutional Chamber found that the administration did not timely address the request, with 27 days passing without a…
Res. 22958-2024 Sala Constitucional2024 · Sala Constitucional
Ampliación de plazo para desalojo en asentamiento informal La Pitiguirra
The Constitutional Chamber, in judgment No. 2023-008920, had ordered the Naranjo Health Area, the Municipality of Naranjo, and SINAC to develop a comprehensive plan to eliminate wastewater pollution in the Pilas River from the informal settlement La Pitiguirra. In this resolution, the Ministry of Health representative requests an extension of the execution…
Res. 23257-2024 Sala Constitucional2024 · Sala Constitucional
Orden de responder solicitudes de información sobre lesividad y protección del Refugio Gandoca-Manzanillo
The Constitutional Chamber hears an amparo filed by a citizen alleging failure by the Presidency, INDER, SINAC, and MINAE to respond to a request for information about compliance with Judgment 2019-012745. That judgment partially annulled Law 9223 and ordered SINAC to delimit the forested area within the Gandoca-Manzanillo National Wildlife Refuge (REGAMA)…
Res. 23266-2024 Sala Constitucional2024 · Sala Constitucional
Desobediencia de sentencia de amparo sobre protección de la Laguna de Carrizal
The Constitutional Chamber reviews an amparo filed by Mario Zamora Campos, owner of a property adjacent to the Carrizal Lagoon in Garabito, Puntarenas, against the Ministry of Environment and the Municipality of Garabito. The petitioner claims that the authorities have failed to comply with a previous ruling (vote No. 2024-004807, case 24-002313-0007-CO),…
Res. 23299-2024 Sala Constitucional2024 · Sala Constitucional
Falta de respuesta clara del Alcalde de Mora sobre consultas del plan regulador
The Constitutional Chamber hears an amparo action filed by Gilberto Monge Pizarro against the Municipality of Mora. The petitioner claims that since February 23, 2024, he submitted to the Municipal Council a series of queries regarding the application of the canton's partial zoning plan, concerning a possible overlap between the district's rest zone under…
Res. 23561-2024 Sala Constitucional2024 · Sala Constitucional
Inadmisibilidad de gestión de desobediencia por prematura
The Constitutional Chamber addressed a contempt motion filed by Eric Matamoros Benavides against the Administrative Environmental Tribunal (TAA), alleging non-compliance with Judgment No. 2024-012481 of May 10, 2024. In that earlier judgment, the Chamber had granted an amparo and ordered the TAA to definitively resolve environmental complaint No.…
Res. 92426-2024 Sala Constitucional2024 · Sala Constitucional
Admisión de acción de inconstitucionalidad contra artículo 2 bis de la Ley General de Caminos
The Constitutional Chamber admits for processing an unconstitutionality action filed against Article 2 bis of the General Roads Law (Law No. 10395 of 11-14-2023). The plaintiff, invoking the defense of diffuse interests and the right to a healthy environment, argues that the reform eliminates prior environmental safeguards by exempting public entities from…
Res. 24101-2024 Sala Constitucional2024 · Sala Constitucional
Erosión del río María Aguilar y omisión municipal de ejecutar obras de protección
The Constitutional Chamber hears an amparo filed by residents of La Alborada neighborhood in Zapote, who denounce the San José Municipality's inaction regarding erosion on the right bank of the María Aguilar River. The claimants argue that since 1995 the municipality diverted the Ocloro River, worsening erosion, and in 2011 built a retaining wall on the…
Res. 23811-2024 Sala Constitucional2024 · Sala Constitucional
Sala Constitucional rechaza gestión posterior que cuestionaba veracidad de informe municipal sobre poda de árboles
The Constitutional Chamber denied a post-judgment motion filed against a ruling that had previously granted an amparo remedy. The petitioner claimed the Mayor of Oreamuno falsely reported that tree pruning work was completed, whereas only three of ten trees had been trimmed. The Chamber held that under Article 44 of the Constitutional Jurisdiction Law,…
Res. 16313-2024 Sala Constitucional2024 · Sala Constitucional
Rechazo de amparo sobre prórroga de concesiones de radiodifusión
The Constitutional Chamber summarily dismisses an amparo action filed by a broadcasting concessionaire against the Presidency of the Republic and MICITT. The petitioner claimed that its request for an automatic renewal of the concession had not been timely addressed and that the president's statements and a draft decree threatened its fundamental rights…
Res. 20070-2024 Sala Constitucional2024 · Sala Constitucional
No tutela del derecho de petición sobre solicitud de valoración de daño ambiental en zona de recarga acuífera
The Constitutional Chamber denied the amparo filed by a citizen who requested the Amistad Caribe Conservation Area (SINAC) to conduct a comprehensive environmental damage assessment in the Moín aquifer recharge zone (Zone 6), affected by land-use change, indiscriminate logging, and illegal settlements. SINAC denied the request, arguing that criminal…
Res. 26397-2024 Sala Constitucional2024 · Sala Constitucional
Municipalidad de Puriscal ordenada a tomar medidas frente a talud inestable
The Constitutional Chamber resolved an amparo filed by a Puriscal resident whose home is threatened by an adjacent unstable slope. Since 2022, the petitioner reported the issue, attributed to the lack of gutters for stormwater drainage. The National Emergency Commission (CNE) issued geological reports recommending mitigation works and relocation of the…
Res. 25976-2024 Sala Constitucional2024 · Sala Constitucional
Desestimación de gestión de desobediencia a sentencia firme por inactividad procesal
The Constitutional Chamber dismisses the disobedience claim filed by Álvaro Francisco Pacheco Pacheco regarding the 2006 ruling that ordered the resolution of sewage contamination on his property in Cocaleca, Zaragoza de Palmares. The Chamber finds that the claimant lacks standing because the original petitioner was Alexander Pacheco Pacheco. Moreover, the…
Res. 26477-2024 Sala Constitucional2024 · Sala Constitucional
Falta de resolución de denuncia ambiental por filtración de aguas negras
The petitioner filed an amparo action against the Ministry of Health for the delay in resolving a complaint about sewage seepage from a neighboring property. The Constitutional Chamber determined that although the authority had scheduled an inspection for August 2024 (four months after the complaint), substantive actions began only after notification of…
Res. 26530-2024 Sala Constitucional2024 · Sala Constitucional
Derecho de petición sobre la hormiga loca y respuesta del MINAE
The Constitutional Chamber reviewed an amparo action filed by a conservationist association against MINAE, MAG, and the Ministry of Health for failing to respond to an information request regarding the status of the inter-ministerial commission and plans to address the crazy ant (Nylanderia fulva) plague, an invasive exotic species affecting wildlife,…
Res. 26564-2024 Sala Constitucional2024 · Sala Constitucional
Amparo por contaminación lumínica en condominio colindante con hotel
The Constitutional Chamber reviews an amparo filed by a resident and his 98-year-old mother, alleging that LED lights installed in the parking lot of Hotel Irazú (Grupo Marta) in April 2024 are excessive, invasive, and violate their rights to health and a healthy environment, shining directly into the mother's bedroom window at night and preventing sleep.…
Res. 27206-2024 Sala Constitucional2024 · Sala Constitucional
Copia de permisos forestales y legitimación difusa
The Constitutional Chamber resolved an amparo action filed by a citizen against the Área de Conservación La Amistad Caribe (ACLAC). The petitioner requested complete copies of forest harvesting permits issued in Talamanca over the last ten years, a list of the corresponding cadastral plan numbers, and to be recognized as an interested party in all future…
Res. 12950-2024 Sala Constitucional2024 · Sala Constitucional
Improcedencia del amparo por dilación en procedimiento ambiental
The Constitutional Chamber dismissed an amparo writ filed by a company accused before the Environmental Administrative Tribunal (TAA) for alleged environmental damage in the Quebrada Gata. The petitioner argued that the delay of over three years in resolving the sanctioning procedure violated the right to prompt justice. The Chamber rejected the amparo,…
Res. 17779-2024 Sala Constitucional2024 · Sala Constitucional
Privacidad de la denuncia ambiental en investigación penal
The Constitutional Chamber denied the amparo filed by Marco Levy Virgo against SINAC for refusing access to a copy of the complaint report regarding the draining and filling of the Yolillo wetland for a housing project. The petitioner requested the report from the Amistad Caribe Conservation Area, but SINAC refused, arguing that the case is under judicial…
Res. 27224-2024 Sala Constitucional2024 · Sala Constitucional
Demora municipal en denuncia ambiental sobre lote con basura y drenaje
The Constitutional Chamber reviewed an amparo filed by a resident of Barva, Heredia, against the Municipality and the Health Area, alleging delay in addressing complaints about garbage accumulation on a neighboring lot that blocked drains and caused flooding. The petitioner claimed she had filed multiple complaints since 2006 without effective solutions.…
Res. 27274-2024 Sala Constitucional2024 · Sala Constitucional
Derecho de respuesta en denuncia ambiental por aguas residuales
The Constitutional Chamber resolves an amparo action filed by a resident of Residencial Caribe, Limón, against the Ministry of Health. The petitioner claimed that despite a prior amparo in 2008 ordering the correction of environmental pollution from untreated wastewater, the wastewater treatment system remained non-functional and her May 2024 complaint had…
Res. 27318-2024 Sala Constitucional2024 · Sala Constitucional
Amparo por omisión municipal en atender denuncia ambiental
The Constitutional Chamber heard an amparo filed by a resident against the Municipality of Pérez Zeledón, alleging inaction on a confidential complaint filed on June 6, 2024 in the Integrated System for Processing and Attention of Environmental Complaints (SITADA). The complaint reported pig farms, poultry farms, and a solid waste transfer station that…
Res. 27712-2024 Sala Constitucional2024 · Sala Constitucional
Incumplimiento por respuesta insuficiente en zonificación urbana de Mora
The Constitutional Chamber dismissed the noncompliance petition filed by José Gilberto Monge Pizarro against the Municipality of Mora and its mayor, for alleged failure to comply with a previous ruling ordering a response to his information request on zoning overlaps. The petitioner had asked about the overlap between the urban growth zone of the 1982 GAM…
Res. 03954-2024 Sala Constitucional2024 · Sala Constitucional
Amparo por explosiones en construcción no procede por existir permisos y vía penal abierta
The Constitutional Chamber dismissed an amparo action filed by residents of Las Palomas neighborhood against the Municipality of Carrillo and later against SETENA. The claimants argued that the construction of a house on lot 21 of the Bahía Cocos Horizontal Condominium involved the use of explosives without permits, causing material damage to nearby homes…
Res. 28026-2024 Sala Constitucional2024 · Sala Constitucional
Desobediencia a orden de coordinación interinstitucional en drenaje vial
The Constitutional Chamber resolves the disobedience claim filed by Diego Ramírez Calderón against CONAVI, MOPT, and the Municipality of Cartago for alleged non-compliance with Judgment No. 2024002486 of February 2, 2024. That judgment ordered the respondent authorities to coordinate and execute, within six months, a definitive solution to the hydraulic…
Res. 28024-2024 Sala Constitucional2024 · Sala Constitucional
Retardo del TAA en resolver denuncia por desvío de quebrada
The Constitutional Chamber hears an amparo filed in 2023 by a resident of Tarrazú, who since November 2018 had reported to the Ministry of Environment and Energy that engineer Carlos Elizondo Vargas diverted a stream bordering her property, thereby creating a lot that was later sold. The complaint was referred to the Environmental Administrative Tribunal…
Res. 28594-2024 Sala Constitucional2024 · Sala Constitucional
Inejecución de amparo por información municipal
The Constitutional Court resolves a non-enforcement motion filed by the petitioner in a previous amparo action, in which the Municipality of Oreamuno had been ordered to provide certain information. The petitioner claimed that the municipal authorities failed to comply with the ruling that granted the amparo. The mayor reported under oath that the…
Res. 28612-2024 Sala Constitucional2024 · Sala Constitucional
Improcedencia de amparo contra resoluciones de la Dirección de Geología y Minas por conflicto de legalidad
The Constitutional Chamber declares inadmissible an amparo filed against the Legal Advisory Department of MINAE. The petitioner complained about noise and dust from MECO's operations and requested cancellation of mining concessions. The Chamber finds that the Directorate of Geology and Mines already responded—albeit belatedly—to the complaint, so there is…
Res. 28863-2024 Sala Constitucional2024 · Sala Constitucional
Gestión de desobediencia por incumplimiento del Proyecto de Mejoras al Acueducto de Coto Brus
The Constitutional Chamber reviews a contempt (desobediencia) management filed by the General Manager of AyA (Costa Rican Institute of Aqueducts and Sewers), reporting on the progress of actions ordered in ruling No. 2023029820, which granted an amparo and required the Coto Brus Aqueduct Improvement Project to be operational within nine months. Despite…
Res. 28859-2024 Sala Constitucional2024 · Sala Constitucional
Incumplimiento de sentencia sobre recolección de basura en Isla Chira
The Constitutional Chamber hears a fourth non-compliance motion against the Municipality of Puntarenas for failing to comply with section 3 of ruling N° 2023019610, which ordered the municipality to guarantee periodic and continuous waste collection services on Isla Chira. The Municipality argued material and legal impossibility to transport the garbage…
Res. 28864-2024 Sala Constitucional2024 · Sala Constitucional
Amparo contra ampliación de camino público y riesgos ambientales
The Constitutional Chamber dismissed an amparo action filed by Leticia Lolita Moya Guido on behalf of Jorge Arturo Moya Baltodano against the Municipality of Carrillo, MINAE, and CNE. The petitioner claimed that the expansion of an easement—converted into a public road—eliminated natural barriers along the Tempisque River, exposing the protected person's…
Res. 29029-2024 Sala Constitucional2024 · Sala Constitucional
Desestimación de amparo por conexión de aguas residuales a planta de tratamiento
The Constitutional Chamber dismisses the amparo filed by residents of La Independencia Urbanization in Alajuela against the Municipality and the Ministry of Health. The petitioners alleged that connecting sewage from a new shopping center to the existing treatment plant would overload the system, causing foul odors, pests, erosion by the Ciruelas River,…
Res. 29201-2024 Sala Constitucional2024 · Sala Constitucional
Recurso de amparo inadmisible por ser asunto de trámite penal
The Constitutional Chamber declares inadmissible the amparo appeal filed by PELÍCANO INVESTORS OF MANUEL ANTONIO S.A., represented by Kurt Thomas Hocker, against the Assistant Prosecutor of Quepos and Parrita. The petitioner claimed a violation of the right to a prompt and proper justice, since since January 2024 they had filed a criminal complaint for…
Res. 29778-2024 Sala Constitucional2024 · Sala Constitucional
Omisión del Consejo Nacional Ambiental en nombrar jueces del Tribunal Ambiental paraliza resolución de denuncia
The Constitutional Chamber heard an amparo action against the National Environmental Council and the Environmental Administrative Tribunal (TAA). The petitioner complained that although the case file of an environmental complaint for wetland destruction and beach damage against the RIU hotel complex was ready for judgment since early 2024, the proceedings…
Res. 29765-2024 Sala Constitucional2024 · Sala Constitucional
Retardo municipal en atender denuncia sobre protección de río y retiros forestales
The Constitutional Chamber reviews an amparo action against the Municipality of Moravia for failure to respond to a complaint filed on May 6, 2024, in which the petitioner requested information on whether several houses near the IPIS River complied with the setback required by Article 33 of the Forestry Law (river protection areas). The municipality did…
Res. 30134-2024 Sala Constitucional2024 · Sala Constitucional
Desechamiento de amparo por denuncia ambiental prematura
The Constitutional Chamber dismisses as inadmissible an amparo filed by Iztaru Alfaro Guerrero against the Municipality of San José. The petitioner forwarded to the mayor an environmental complaint regarding earthworks and tree cutting without permits on a property with water springs, but had received no response in less than a month. The Chamber finds the…
Res. 30146-2024 Sala Constitucional2024 · Sala Constitucional
Consulta municipal sobre permisos ambientales
The Constitutional Chamber summarily dismissed an amparo filed by Gilberto Monge Ortiz against the Municipality of Pérez Zeledón. The petitioner claimed he had asked the Municipal Council to investigate whether CoopeAgri's project had municipal and SETENA permits and complied with the regulatory plan, but received no response. The Court found the amparo…
Res. 30620-2024 Sala Constitucional2024 · Sala Constitucional
Sinac declarado no desobediente de resolución sobre protección de naciente Plantón
The Constitutional Chamber reviewed a disobedience claim filed by the petitioners against SINAC regarding its compliance with judgment No. 2021000679, which ordered SINAC to definitively resolve a complaint about contamination and encroachment of the protection zone of the Plantón spring in Cipreses de Oreamuno. The petitioners alleged that SINAC failed to…
Res. 26875-2024 Sala Constitucional2024 · Sala Constitucional
Ampliación de plazo para gestión de aguas residuales en La Unión rechazada
This Constitutional Chamber decision denies a second request for a deadline extension filed by the Municipality of La Unión to comply with an order to definitively resolve wastewater pollution in the canton. The original 2021 ruling granted 24 months, extended by an additional 12 months in 2022. In this new petition, the municipality requested 120 more…
Res. 30769-2024 Sala Constitucional2024 · Sala Constitucional
Amparo sobre derecho de petición y acceso a información ambiental en Urbanización Kamir
The Constitutional Chamber reviews an amparo filed by a resident against the Municipality of Goicoechea, alleging failure to respond to an information request dated April 22, 2024, concerning construction in the Kamir development and municipal actions to protect a forest area. The Chamber finds that the municipality did respond via official letters dated…
Res. 30880-2024 Sala Constitucional2024 · Sala Constitucional
Inadmisibilidad de amparo por competencia de alcantarillado pluvial
The Constitutional Chamber dismissed outright an amparo action filed against the Municipality of Alajuela for failing to complete a storm drainage system near the Colibrí Residential Complex, which caused flooding and damage to private property. The complainant alleged violations of the right to a healthy environment and to the proper functioning of public…
Res. 08794-2024 Sala Constitucional2024 · Sala Constitucional
Amparo por atraso en disponibilidad de agua para adulto mayor
The Constitutional Chamber reviews an amparo filed by an older adult against the Costa Rican Institute of Aqueducts and Sewers (ICAA) for failing to respond to a water availability request submitted on December 21, 2023. The petitioner claims violation of fundamental rights due to his vulnerable condition. During the proceedings, the ICAA issued a response…
Res. 08851-2024 Sala Constitucional2024 · Sala Constitucional
Amparo municipal por nacientes y solicitud de información prematura
The Constitutional Chamber analyzes an amparo filed by a citizen against the Municipality of Sarchí for the alleged failure to respond to a request dated January 26, 2024, concerning springs and construction permits. The Chamber finds that the petitioner’s submission contains two types of requests: a complaint regarding possible infractions in spring…
Res. 31515-2024 Sala Constitucional2024 · Sala Constitucional
Amparo sobre ejecución de cancelación de concesión y portones en zona pública
The Constitutional Chamber partially grants an amparo filed by a resident against the District Municipal Council of Cóbano. The petitioner claimed the municipality has failed to enforce a 2019 decision canceling a concession to company Colemu S.A. and ordering demolition of illegal structures in a protected area of Santa Teresa beach, and that it has not…
Res. 31476-2024 Sala Constitucional2024 · Sala Constitucional
Lote baldío y derecho fundamental a salud y ambiente sano
The Constitutional Chamber examines an amparo filed by a neighbor against the Ministry of Health and other authorities regarding a vacant lot adjacent to her house that had 5-meter-high weeds, garbage, pests, and squatters, posing a fire hazard and a source of contamination. Before the filing, the Ministry of Health had already conducted inspections and…
Res. 31729-2024 Sala Constitucional2024 · Sala Constitucional
Solicitud de informes sobre plaguicidas registrados no contestada en plazo
The petitioner requested from the Minister of Agriculture copies of technical reports, agronomic and chemical analyses, environmental risk assessments, and efficacy tests for 37 pesticides registered under Executive Decree 43838-MAG-S-MINAE. The administration responded after the amparo was filed, informing the cost of the digital copies required for…
Res. 05142-2024 Sala Constitucional2024 · Sala Constitucional
Desobediencia en amparo sobre botadero ilegal en La Cuesta, Santa Cruz
The Constitutional Chamber resolves a non-compliance claim filed by the petitioner regarding ruling 2021017825, which ordered municipal and health authorities to address the illegal dumping of waste at 'La Cuesta a Santa Bárbara'. The petitioner alleges partial non-compliance and that the problem persists, with new contamination affecting a water spring…
Res. 32292-2024 Sala Constitucional2024 · Sala Constitucional
Rechazo de inconstitucionalidad contra aprobación legislativa de concesiones insulares
The Constitutional Chamber summarily dismissed a claim of unconstitutionality against Article 42 of the Maritime-Terrestrial Zone Law (Law 6043), which requires legislative approval for concessions on maritime islands or islets. The petitioner, a private individual, argued that this requirement violated the equality principle of Article 33 of the…
Res. 32296-2024 Sala Constitucional2024 · Sala Constitucional
Desobediencia de sentencia sobre construcciones ilegales en Cerros de La Carpintera
The Constitutional Chamber resolves a new disobedience claim filed by neighbors against the Municipality of La Unión for allegedly failing to comply with judgment 2019-021889, which ordered the verification and legalization of illegal constructions in the Cerro de la Carpintera Protected Zone. The Chamber finds that the current petitioners lack standing as…
Res. 32351-2024 Sala Constitucional2024 · Sala Constitucional
Rechazo de amparo por ruidos en zona agrícola
The Constitutional Chamber dismissed the amparo action filed by a resident of San Pedro de Barva de Heredia against INVU, the Municipality of Barva, and the Ministry of Health. The petitioner claimed that the operations of Tikagro S.A. (Tierra Tica), a company engaged in packing and distributing agricultural products, generated noise pollution affecting…
Res. 32334-2024 Sala Constitucional2024 · Sala Constitucional
Improcedencia del amparo para revisar el contenido técnico de la viabilidad ambiental de SETENA
The Constitutional Chamber dismisses an amparo filed by residents of the Nicoya Peninsula against resolution 1078-2023-SETENA, which granted environmental viability to a non-metallic mining extraction project in the Arío Riverbed. The plaintiffs alleged that the permit ignored the ecological fragility of the area, impacts on water sources, the presence of…
Res. 33135-2024 Sala Constitucional2024 · Sala Constitucional
Inacción municipal y del Ministerio de Salud ante lote baldío insalubre
The Constitutional Chamber reviewed an amparo action filed by a resident of Hatillo Centro against the Ministry of Health and the Municipality of San José. The plaintiff reported that an adjacent vacant lot was used for drug consumption, illegal dumping, and burning of garbage and copper wire by homeless individuals, creating insecurity, health risks, and…
Res. 33139-2024 Sala Constitucional2024 · Sala Constitucional
Amparo prematuro por denuncia ambiental ante municipalidad
The Constitutional Chamber dismisses an amparo as premature. The petitioner had filed a complaint with the Municipality of La Cruz regarding an unmaintained vacant lot affecting public health and the environment, invoking Article 50 of the Constitution. The Chamber finds that the complaint was submitted on June 24, 2024, and the amparo was filed only…
Res. 33149-2024 Sala Constitucional2024 · Sala Constitucional
Amparo por ruido excesivo contra restaurante: sin lugar al no probarse dilación administrativa
Neighbors of the Condominio Puebla Real in San Pablo de Heredia filed an amparo action against the Municipality of San Pablo de Heredia and the Ministry of Health, claiming undue delay in addressing their complaints about noise pollution from the Restaurante Prana, located 250 meters east of the Red Cross in San Pablo. They alleged that since November…
Res. 33152-2024 Sala Constitucional2024 · Sala Constitucional
Recolección de basura, alcantarillado y parques en Desamparados
The Constitutional Chamber reviewed an amparo filed by a resident against the Municipality of Desamparados for alleged failures in solid waste collection, storm sewer maintenance, and the condition of a playground. The complainant stated he had filed eleven complaints since 2022 without resolution, leading to garbage accumulation, bad odors, sewer…
Res. 33228-2024 Sala Constitucional2024 · Sala Constitucional
Denuncia ambiental y acceso a la información sobre protección de pozo
The Constitutional Chamber heard an amparo filed by the citizen collective CONCEVERDE against the Municipality of San Rafael de Heredia for failing to address an environmental complaint and for not responding to a request for public information concerning the protection of the La Meseta Well, used for drinking water supply. The petitioners alleged…
Res. 33335-2024 Sala Constitucional2024 · Sala Constitucional
Improcedencia de amparo por uso de medio no oficial para solicitar información a SETENA
The Constitutional Chamber dismissed an amparo action filed against the National Environmental Technical Secretariat (SETENA) for allegedly failing to respond to a request for information. The petitioner had asked via SETENA's WhatsApp for the name and official email of the Secretary General and for information on certain project files. SETENA reported…
Res. 33429-2024 Sala Constitucional2024 · Sala Constitucional
Inadmisibilidad de amparo sobre solicitud de información del Plan Regulador Costero de Talamanca
The Constitutional Chamber declares inadmissible the amparo appeal filed by Marco Vinicio Levy Virgo against INVU. The appellant had requested environmental technical information on adjustments to the Cahuita Coastal Regulatory Plan in Talamanca, following a SINAC certification of new State Natural Heritage polygons. The court finds that the respondent…
Res. 34113-2024 Sala Constitucional2024 · Sala Constitucional
Derecho de petición satisfecho antes de notificación del amparo
The Constitutional Chamber reviews an amparo filed by Efraín Barrios Sánchez against the Office of the President of Costa Rica. The petitioner had requested, on October 2, 2024, the name and email of the Secretary General of SETENA via email to the President's office. Receiving no timely response, he filed the amparo on October 25, 2024, alleging a…
Res. 33975-2024 Sala Constitucional2024 · Sala Constitucional
Árboles en vía pública y deber de la municipalidad de atender denuncias de riesgo
Neighbors of San Rafael de Escazú filed an amparo action against the Municipality of Escazú for failing to provide an effective solution to the danger posed by two "Llama del Bosque" trees located on the sidewalk of 130th Street, Maynard neighborhood. The petitioners argued that the trees obstruct pedestrian passage, forcing people onto the road at a curve…
Res. 34397-2024 Sala Constitucional2024 · Sala Constitucional
Inejecución de sentencia que ordenó resolver sin dilaciones denuncia ambiental ante el TAA
The Constitutional Chamber reviews a non-enforcement claim filed by the petitioner in a previously granted amparo. The original judgment (No. 2023006498) ordered the handling judge of the Environmental Administrative Tribunal (TAA) to definitively resolve, without undue delay, the environmental complaint processed under file No. 62-14-02-TAA. The…
Res. 34547-2024 Sala Constitucional2024 · Sala Constitucional
Amparo prematuro por falta de respuesta a denuncia ambiental
The Constitutional Chamber declares inadmissible the amparo filed by Edwin Phillips Ávalos against the Municipality of San José. The petitioner alleged that on October 29, 2024, he filed a complaint regarding a clogged drain with mud and garbage, without receiving a response. Based on Article 9 of the Constitutional Jurisdiction Law and its jurisprudence…
Res. 34854-2024 Sala Constitucional2024 · Sala Constitucional
Ejecución de resolución administrativa y mora en atención de gestión ambiental
The Constitutional Chamber hears an amparo appeal filed by Plantación Las Panteras S.A. against MINAE, claiming failure to execute resolution DA-315-2020 ordering a third party to remove a ramp on Jade Creek, and delay in responding to the execution request filed in March 2024. The Chamber dismisses the claim for execution of the administrative resolution…
Res. 34795-2024 Sala Constitucional2024 · Sala Constitucional
Municipalidad de Carrillo debe resolver denuncia ambiental en dos meses
The Constitutional Chamber hears an amparo against the Municipality of Carrillo filed by a resident who, since April 2024 and through official channels, has complained about road-level raising, stream diversion, and illegal constructions affecting her home and vulnerable persons in her care. The municipality acknowledged the complaint but admitted that due…
Res. 04023-2024 Sala Constitucional2024 · Sala Constitucional
Omisión de respuesta del MINAE sobre acciones para proteger el tiburón martillo
The Constitutional Chamber reviews an amparo action against the Ministry of Environment and Energy (MINAE) for failing to respond to two information requests filed by a citizen on August 15 and October 20, 2023. The requests sought details on actions taken by MINAE to comply with a Sala Primera ruling that declared the hammerhead shark endangered and…
Res. 04041-2024 Sala Constitucional2024 · Sala Constitucional
Obligación municipal de responder peticiones ambientales pese a fallas de forma
The Constitutional Chamber granted an amparo against the Municipality of Sarapiquí for failing to respond to an information request regarding the canton's solid waste management. The petitioner, an elderly person representing an ecological association, sent the request by email and received an acknowledgment, but the municipality argued this was not an…
Res. 04004-2024 Sala Constitucional2024 · Sala Constitucional
Derecho de acceso a información sobre plan regulador en trámite y respuesta tardía de la administración
The Constitutional Chamber reviewed an amparo action filed by a citizen against the Municipality of Moravia, alleging a violation of the right to petition and access to information. The petitioner requested copies of the cantonal development plan, the municipal strategic plan, technical criteria for a land-use change, information on a public hearing, and…
Res. 04768-2024 Sala Constitucional2024 · Sala Constitucional
AyA debe responder formalmente denuncia de aguas servidas
The Constitutional Chamber hears an amparo filed by an elderly person who reported to the Costa Rican Institute of Aqueducts and Sewers (AyA) sewage contamination in front of his home, caused by an open manhole cover left after repairs. The complainant sent his report by email on January 5 and 8, 2024, and received no formal response. AyA stated it…
Res. 07746-2024 Sala Constitucional2024 · Sala Constitucional
Reiteración de cumplimiento inmediato de sentencia por desobediencia municipal en manejo de aguas y construcciones ilegales
The Constitutional Chamber addresses a new claim of disobedience regarding ruling 2022003192, which ordered the Municipality of Alajuela to resolve, within three months, illegal commercial activities and constructions on the affected properties, as well as the management of stormwater and sewage causing public health issues and environmental harm. Despite…
Res. 35644-2024 Sala Constitucional2024 · Sala Constitucional
Amparo por aguas residuales y fallas municipales en Montes de Oro
The Constitutional Chamber heard an amparo by a Montes de Oro resident against the Ministry of Health and the local Municipality. The plaintiff alleged her property received stormwater, wastewater, and soapy water due to a damaged municipal culvert and improper neighbor connections, causing public health issues (foul odors, stagnant water, mosquitoes) and…
Res. 35539-2024 Sala Constitucional2024 · Sala Constitucional
Amparo contra operación de restaurante y contaminación sónica es rechazado por inacción no acreditada
The Constitutional Chamber dismissed an amparo filed by a neighbor against the Ministry of Health and the Municipality of San José regarding the reopening of Restaurante Zapote, located adjacent to her home, after a previous closure for unsanitary conditions and public health risks. The petitioner alleged noise pollution, foul odors, pests, and electrical…
Res. 35641-2024 Sala Constitucional2024 · Sala Constitucional
Archivo de denuncia ambiental por imposibilidad de contacto con denunciante
The Constitutional Chamber reviews an amparo filed by a resident of San Cayetano against the Municipality of San José and the Ministry of Health, alleging that an adjoining construction built without permits caused damage to his home and that his complaints were not promptly addressed. The Chamber finds that the Southeastern Metropolitan Health Authority,…
Res. 36171-2024 Sala Constitucional2024 · Sala Constitucional
Incumplimiento municipal en la construcción del puente sobre la Quebrada Guape
The Constitutional Chamber hears a new contempt proceeding filed by Luis Alejandro Álvarez Mora against the mayor and the president of the Municipal Council of Santa Cruz for non-compliance with the amparo judgment ordering the construction of a vehicular bridge over Quebrada Guape. Although the Chamber had previously accepted a contempt motion and ordered…
Res. 35625-2024 Sala Constitucional2024 · Sala Constitucional
Acceso a información sobre regeneración de humedal
The Constitutional Chamber hears an amparo filed by an individual against the Ministry of Environment and Energy (MINAE) and the National System of Conservation Areas (SINAC) for failing to provide complete information on the regeneration status of the Central Caribbean Wetland. The petitioner requested copies of two old reports (2011 and 2013) and a…
Res. 36527-2024 Sala Constitucional2024 · Sala Constitucional
Improcedencia de amparo por ruido en fiestas patronales
The Constitutional Chamber declares an amparo action inadmissible on its face. The action was filed against a parish, the Municipality of Heredia, and the Ministry of Health regarding the 'Diana' (a parade with music) held during patron saint festivities, which allegedly exceeded permitted noise levels and lacked proper authorization. The petitioner…
Res. 26300-2024 Sala Constitucional2024 · Sala Constitucional
Incumplimiento de la sentencia 2019-12745 sobre delimitación del Refugio Gandoca-Manzanillo
The Constitutional Chamber finds that Judgment 2019-012745, which partially annulled Law No. 9223 and ordered SINAC to demarcate the forested area excluded from the Gandoca-Manzanillo National Wildlife Refuge and to take legal actions to protect public property, has not been complied with. Despite technical studies, an official delimitation has not been…
Res. 36778-2024 Sala Constitucional2024 · Sala Constitucional
Rechazo de amparo por conflicto de legalidad ordinaria y mora administrativa
The Constitutional Chamber flatly rejects an amparo petition filed by Ricardo Madrigal Madrigal against the Rural Development Institute (INDER). The petitioner sought information on the actions of an inter-institutional commission regarding occupations in the Osa Peasant Settlement and an inspection of a parcel affected by illegal bulldozing within the…
Res. 36803-2024 Sala Constitucional2024 · Sala Constitucional
Desistimiento de amparo por botadero clandestino en Palmares
The Constitutional Chamber reviews an amparo filed by residents of La Cocaleca sector in Palmares, who reported an illegal solid waste dump contaminating the Río Grande, affecting aquifers, the landscape, and residents' quality of life. The petitioners filed complaints with the Municipality of Palmares, the Ministry of Health, and SINAC. They argued that…
Res. 37055-2024 Sala Constitucional2024 · Sala Constitucional
Acceso digital a expedientes municipales no es exigible si existen en formato físico
The Constitutional Chamber hears an amparo action against the Municipality of Santa Cruz for refusing to provide digital copies of administrative files related to a construction permit and a concession in the Maritime Terrestrial Zone. The petitioner requested full digital copies of both files, but the municipality replied that it could not send them…
Res. 37925-2024 Sala Constitucional2024 · Sala Constitucional
Amparo por botadero de basura y chatarrería contaminante en zona residencial de Alajuelita
Residents of Alajuelita filed an amparo action against the Municipality of Alajuelita and the Ministry of Health for the illegal operation of a garbage dump and scrapyard without proper permits, located near the Tiribí River. They reported environmental contamination, pest proliferation, foul odors, and public health risks. Although the authorities closed…
Res. 07872-2024 Sala Constitucional2024 · Sala Constitucional
Amparo ambiental contra SENASA por omisión en clausura de gallinero ilegal
The Constitutional Chamber granted an amparo filed by neighbors affected by the ongoing operation of an illegal chicken coop on an adjacent property. The petitioners claimed that the unpermitted activity—without a Veterinary Operation Certificate and less than 5 meters from their home—worsened their daughters' respiratory conditions and attracted vultures…
Res. 37853-2024 Sala Constitucional2024 · Sala Constitucional
Amparo por falta de respuesta a denuncias sobre zona franca Las Brisas
The Constitutional Chamber dismisses an amparo filed against the Municipality of Desamparados for the alleged failure to respond to complaints related to the 'Las Brisas' industrial development. The petitioner argued that the municipality had not addressed his inquiries about the lack of environmental viability for properties where the complex was built,…
Res. 37857-2024 Sala Constitucional2024 · Sala Constitucional
Derecho de acceso a información ambiental y plazo de respuesta de SETENA
The Constitutional Chamber hears an amparo action against the National Environmental Technical Secretariat (SETENA). The petitioner requested information and clarifications regarding a report on the Los Pinos landfill in Cartago. At the time of filing, SETENA had not responded or provided the information, despite the request being submitted over a month…
Res. 37875-2024 Sala Constitucional2024 · Sala Constitucional
Amparo contra el Concejo de Cóbano por falta de respuesta a denuncias sobre concesiones en Patrimonio Natural del Estado
The Cívica de Hermosa Association filed an amparo appeal against the Cóbano District Municipal Council, claiming a violation of the right to a prompt and completed procedure after filing complaints in August 2024 regarding five concessions granted in the maritime-terrestrial zone that affected State Natural Heritage (PNE) and forest areas. The association…
Res. 37927-2024 Sala Constitucional2024 · Sala Constitucional
Amparo parcialmente concedido por respuesta incompleta a solicitud de información sobre acueducto municipal
The Constitutional Chamber heard an amparo filed by Caleb Andrés Pichardo Aguilar against the Municipality of Cartago, for failure to respond to an information request submitted on August 21, 2024, to the Deputy Director of the Technical Aqueduct Area. The request contained extensive questions about water production, distribution, losses, well projects,…
Res. 37931-2024 Sala Constitucional2024 · Sala Constitucional
Acceso a informe de muestreo ambiental en denuncia sanitaria
The petitioner filed an amparo appeal against the Ministry of Health for failing to provide a copy of the report on volatile organic compound (VOC) sampling conducted by the National University's Environmental Analysis Laboratory, within the context of a sanitary complaint about INCOFER emissions. The Constitutional Chamber established that the request for…
Res. 37905-2024 Sala Constitucional2024 · Sala Constitucional
Omisión del Ministerio de Salud en resolver denuncia ambiental
The Constitutional Chamber grants the amparo relief filed against the Ministry of Health for failing to comprehensively resolve a complaint submitted on September 11, 2024 to the Palmares Health Area. The claimants alleged discharge of wastewater onto their property, poor waste management at a furniture workshop, and other environmental irregularities.…
Res. 11832-2024 Sala Constitucional2024 · Sala Constitucional
Deber del Ministerio de Salud ante contaminación sónica residencial
The Constitutional Chamber rejects an amparo action against the Ministry of Health for alleged inaction regarding complaints of noise, unsanitary conditions, and disturbances at a dwelling in Heredia. The Chamber finds that the Health Area of San Rafael-Barva conducted multiple inspections, issued sanitary orders, closed the noise case, and secured the…
Res. 35955-2024 Sala Constitucional2024 · Sala Constitucional
Desobediencia de orden de poda de eucalipto peligroso
The Constitutional Chamber hears a disobedience action filed by the petitioner regarding judgment 2024-013696, which ordered the Municipality of La Unión to resolve within two months the danger posed by a eucalyptus tree leaning over his home in a municipal park. The Municipality failed to comply within the deadline and requested a two-month extension,…
Res. 09420-2024 Sala Constitucional2024 · Sala Constitucional
Negativa de conexión de agua potable por existencia de naciente
The Constitutional Chamber hears an amparo action filed by the owner of a property in San José de la Montaña, Barva, against the ASADA of Porrosati for denying him connection to the potable water service. The ASADA based its denial on the existence of a water spring in front of the property. The claimant argued that he meets the requirements of Article 68…
Res. 25592-2024 Sala Constitucional2024 · Sala Constitucional
Control de constitucionalidad del Transitorio V de la Ley 9885 (Parque Manuel Antonio)
The Constitutional Chamber reviewed a constitutional challenge to Law 9885, which amended the regulations of Manuel Antonio National Park. The plaintiffs argued that Transitory V, which authorized a one-time use of park trust funds to address the COVID-19 emergency, violated the principle of conexity (relevance/connection), since the original bill aimed to…
Res. 15732-2024 Sala Constitucional2024 · Sala Constitucional
Acceso a expediente administrativo denegado por falta de interés legítimo
The Constitutional Court denied an amparo action against the Ministry of Health. The petitioner, representing a company, claimed that the Aserrí Health District denied access to an administrative file concerning an illegal dump affecting the company’s properties. The Court held that the denial was legally justified. Based on Articles 273 and 275 of the…
Res. 33873-2024 Sala Constitucional2024 · Sala Constitucional
Omisión municipal en zona de riesgo fluvial en Palomo de Orosi
The Constitutional Court grants an amparo against the Municipality of Paraíso for its prolonged failure to address flooding and landslide risks on the right bank of the Grande de Orosi River in Palomo de Orosi, where irregular constructions without permits were allowed. Despite binding technical reports from the National Emergency Commission (CNE) since…
Res. 35978-2024 Sala Constitucional2024 · Sala Constitucional
Permisos de investigación de pesca de arrastre de camarón y acción de inconstitucionalidad
The Constitutional Chamber examines an amparo action against INCOPESCA for granting research permits for shrimp trawling under the project “New Alternatives for Responsible Deep-Sea Shrimp Fishing in the Costa Rican Pacific 2023-2024.” The claimant alleges violations of Articles 7, 21, 30, 50, 69, and 89 of the Constitution and international treaties,…
Res. 13301-2024 Sala Constitucional2024 · Sala Constitucional
Acceso de abogado a expediente penal en etapa preparatoria requiere apersonamiento formal
The Constitutional Chamber reviewed an amparo filed by a lawyer who was denied access to criminal case file No. 23-002052-0369-PE, prosecuted for usurpation to the detriment of State Water Resources by the Heredia Prosecutor's Office. The petitioner claimed interest in representing Grupo Acuza Barveña Ltda. but provided no authorization and did not…
Res. 13989-2024 Sala Constitucional2024 · Sala Constitucional
Sala Constitucional desestima amparo por contaminación del agua en Tibás
The Constitutional Chamber reviews an amparo filed by a resident of Tibás against the Costa Rican Institute of Aqueducts and Sewers (AyA) and the Ministry of the Presidency, arising from water contamination affecting several cantons in the Greater Metropolitan Area in January 2024. The petitioner alleged that the water had foul taste and odor, that AyA…
Res. 13262-2024 Sala Constitucional2024 · Sala Constitucional
Amparo sobre disponibilidad de agua potable de AyA y demora administrativa
The petitioner, manager of a company, purchased a property in Montes de Oca relying on a positive water availability certificate issued by ICAA for a six-unit condominium. After changing the project to student residences, he applied for a new availability, which ICAA denied citing insufficient hydraulic infrastructure in the Tres Ríos system. He filed a…
Res. 13263-2024 Sala Constitucional2024 · Sala Constitucional
Municipalidad exigió firmeza de viabilidad ambiental antes de otorgar permiso de construcción para relleno sanitario
The Constitutional Court ruled on an amparo action filed by a resident of Montes de Oro against the municipality, alleging it would grant a construction permit for a second landfill without the SETENA environmental viability being final. The petitioner invoked the precautionary principle and pointed out numerous deficiencies in the environmental…
Res. 16380-2024 Sala Constitucional2024 · Sala Constitucional
Desobediencia parcialmente acogida por falta de instalación de radares de control marítimo
The Constitutional Chamber reviewed a contempt proceeding filed by artisanal fishermen from the Gulf of Nicoya against several state agencies, alleging non-compliance with Judgment No. 2019-004046, which ordered the installation of maritime surveillance radars and the updating of fishing closure criteria. The petitioners argued that illegal fishing…
Res. 16740-2024 Sala Constitucional2024 · Sala Constitucional
Amparo contra MINAE por denegatoria de participación en expedientes de recalificación de tanques
The Constitutional Court summarily dismissed an amparo action filed by a citizen against MINAE. The petitioner requested to be recognized as a party in all proceedings for the recalibration of fuel storage tanks, arguing potential environmental harm and diffuse interests. The authority denied his request, stating that access to proceedings and copies is…
Res. 17125-2024 Sala Constitucional2024 · Sala Constitucional
Amparo contra el Ministerio de Salud y el Ministerio de Seguridad Pública por falta de respuesta a gestiones sobre eventos masivos
The Constitutional Chamber ruled on an amparo action filed by a resident of Cóbano against the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Public Security, and the Municipality of Cóbano. The petitioner claimed she submitted inquiries on January 8, 18, and February 8, 2024, requesting information about requirements and authorizations for mass events in the area,…
Res. 17184-2024 Sala Constitucional2024 · Sala Constitucional
Amparo contra tala de árbol de Guanacaste en Tamarindo
The petitioner challenged the cutting of a Guanacaste tree in Tamarindo, alleging violation of the right to a healthy environment, given its status as a native species, national symbol, and wildlife habitat. She claimed that SINAC authorized the felling and that despite community complaints, the tree had been partially pruned. The Constitutional Chamber…
Res. 16451-2024 Sala Constitucional2024 · Sala Constitucional
Omisión de respuesta a denuncias ambientales en SITADA por dos años vulnera derecho a ambiente sano
The Constitutional Chamber reviewed an amparo filed by an indigenous Bribrí person from Salitre territory, who reported illegal logging, burning, and tree felling near water sources on approximately 3 hectares. The complaints were submitted in May and June 2022 through MINAE's SITADA system. Although the authority took some steps—such as a forest…
Res. 17275-2024 Sala Constitucional2024 · Sala Constitucional
Amparo por falta de respuesta a denuncia sobre maltrato en territorio indígena Kéköldi
The Constitutional Chamber hears an amparo action against the Minister of Environment and Energy for the alleged failure to respond to a complaint filed by the petitioner, president of the YISKI Conservationist Association, regarding events that occurred in September 2023 in the Kéköldi Indigenous Territory. The complaint alleges that an official of the…
Res. 15726-2024 Sala Constitucional2024 · Sala Constitucional
Desalojo y demolición por riesgo de deslizamiento en río Aguas Zarcas
The Constitutional Chamber dismissed an amparo appeal against the Ministry of Health, the National Emergency Commission (CNE), and the Municipality of San Carlos. The appellant, owner of commercial property in the Aguas Zarcas area, challenged the health order for evacuation and the declaration of uninhabitability issued after the July 2023 landslide in…
Res. 16512-2024 Sala Constitucional2024 · Sala Constitucional
Archivo de amparo por duplicidad en riesgo por deslizamiento
An elderly woman filed an amparo against the Municipality of Puriscal and the National Emergency Commission, claiming that the failure to build drainage ditches and protective works on her property to mitigate a landslide threatening her home and the safety of her family of vulnerable women violated her fundamental rights. The Constitutional Chamber found…
Res. 16739-2024 Sala Constitucional2024 · Sala Constitucional
Detención y caza de iguanas no lesiona derechos mediante hábeas corpus
The Constitutional Chamber denies a habeas corpus petition filed on behalf of an undocumented Nicaraguan national who was apprehended by Public Force officers while allegedly participating in the illegal hunting of iguanas in Cariari de Pococí. The petitioner argued that the arrest involved excessive force, including gunshots into the air, and that the…
Res. 30616-2024 Sala Constitucional2024 · Sala Constitucional
Inconstitucionalidad del sistema de autorizaciones para la inspección técnica vehicular
The Constitutional Chamber struck down provisions of Costa Rica's Traffic Law that allowed a system of "authorizations" for private parties to provide vehicle technical inspection services. The court held that vehicle inspection is a public service owned by the State and that any delegation to private entities must follow public procurement procedures and…
Res. 18925-2024 Sala Constitucional2024 · Sala Constitucional
Omisión de respuesta de SETENA por solicitud no recibida
The Constitutional Chamber reviews an amparo action against SETENA for alleged failure to respond to a request regarding environmental permits in Puntarenas. The petitioner claims to have sent the request via certified mail on December 7, 2023, with no reply. The Ministry of Environment, as hierarchical superior, reports under oath that the request never…
Res. 19564-2024 Sala Constitucional2024 · Sala Constitucional
Audiencia pública para Plan Regulador debe garantizar participación ciudadana efectiva
The Constitutional Chamber denied an amparo action against the Municipality of Pérez Zeledón for alleged violations of publicity and citizen participation in the Regulatory Plan process. The plaintiff claimed that information was only disseminated via Facebook, the public hearing was limited to 300 people with electronic registration, and the project was…
Res. 20082-2024 Sala Constitucional2024 · Sala Constitucional
Persiste contaminación en Relleno Sanitario Los Pinos pese a sentencia de amparo
This interlocutory decision by the Constitutional Chamber addresses a third non-compliance motion filed by petitioner [Nombre1] in amparo 19-005199-0007-CO, which was partially granted in judgment 2020-002374. That judgment had ordered the Ministry of Health, the Municipality of Cartago, and SETENA to jointly issue sanitary and environmental orders to…
Res. 19235-2024 Sala Constitucional2024 · Sala Constitucional
Incumplimiento de desabastecimiento de agua en Miravalles I
The Constitutional Court granted the non-compliance claim against the respondent authorities for failing to comply with Judgment 2019-012231 regarding the water shortage in the Miravalles I urban development project in Tirrases, Curridabat. Despite multiple Court orders and extended deadlines that expired on May 8, 2024, the problem has not been resolved.…
Res. 19552-2024 Sala Constitucional2024 · Sala Constitucional
Amparo por agua contaminada con hidrocarburos en Tibás
The Constitutional Chamber granted an amparo filed by a resident of Tibás, who complained that the Costa Rican Institute of Aqueducts and Sewers (ICAA) was supplying hydrocarbon-contaminated drinking water. The contamination affected several communities in the cantons of Goicoechea, Moravia, Tibás, San José, and Montes de Oca, endangering health and the…
Res. 20427-2024 Sala Constitucional2024 · Sala Constitucional
Desabastecimiento de agua en Maquenco y Terciopelo — fase de ejecución
The Constitutional Chamber reviews a new amparo filed by residents of Terciopelo and Maquenco in Sámara, Nicoya, against the Costa Rican Institute of Aqueducts and Sewers. They claim that the drinking water shortage previously addressed in ruling 2018007758 (case 18-005520-0007-CO) persists, despite orders to conduct a hydrogeological study and propose a…
Res. 21958-2024 Sala Constitucional2024 · Sala Constitucional
Incumplimiento de ICAA en resolver recurso de revocatoria sobre disponibilidad de agua
The Constitutional Chamber reviews an amparo filed by two elderly women who requested two water connections from the Costa Rican Institute of Aqueducts and Sewers (ICAA) to build apartments on their property in La Unión, Cartago. After a previous positive availability certificate expired, a new request was denied in February 2024 due to a water deficit in…
Res. 21964-2024 Sala Constitucional2024 · Sala Constitucional
Se declara sin lugar amparo contra convocatoria y realización de audiencia pública del Plan de Ordenamiento Territorial de Pérez Zeledón
The Constitutional Chamber ruled on an amparo filed by residents of Pérez Zeledón canton against the Municipality. The petitioners alleged violations of the right to citizen participation, access to information, and the principle of publicity in the call and failed execution of the public hearing for the Land-Use Plan scheduled for April 4, 2024. They…
Res. 22959-2024 Sala Constitucional2024 · Sala Constitucional
Incumplimiento orden muro de retención Municipalidad de Belén
The Constitutional Chamber hears a third non-compliance petition against the Municipality of Belén regarding its original judgment 2023-006432, which ordered the municipality to resolve a collapsed retaining wall on an adjacent property. The petitioner, affected by a 2021 landslide, submits a geological report stating that an uncompacted fill slope, 5-7…
Res. 23272-2024 Sala Constitucional2024 · Sala Constitucional
Derecho a ambiente sano y omisión de seguimiento a orden sanitaria por granja porcina
The Constitutional Chamber reviewed an amparo appeal filed by a neighbor of a property where pig and cattle farming activities were carried out, alleging that foul odors, pests, and wastewater discharge violated his rights to health and a healthy environment. The Chamber analyzed the actions of two authorities: the Alajuela 2 Health Area Directorate of the…
Res. 23805-2024 Sala Constitucional2024 · Sala Constitucional
Ampliación de plazo ordenado a Municipalidad de Desamparados por inundaciones del río Cañas
The Constitutional Chamber, through this interlocutory resolution, grants an extension of the deadline originally set in judgment 2024-017126 for the Municipality of Desamparados to resolve the flooding caused by the Cañas River overflow in Villa Fuente urbanization. The Mayor requested a two-year, four-month extension, arguing the technical, economic, and…
Res. 23862-2024 Sala Constitucional2024 · Sala Constitucional
Desobediencia por muro de llantas en área de protección de quebrada
The Constitutional Chamber rules on a non‑compliance claim filed against the Municipality of Puriscal and the National System of Conservation Areas (SINAC) for failing to execute judgment no. 2022013129 of June 10, 2022. That judgment ordered both institutions to coordinate and carry out, within one year, the works needed to remedy a tire wall built inside…
Res. 23945-2024 Sala Constitucional2024 · Sala Constitucional
Acceso a reportes operacionales de gestores de residuos por parte de comisión municipal
The petitioner, president of the Environmental Affairs Commission of the Municipality of Goicoechea, requested copies of the operational reports of two waste management companies for the period 2020-May 2024 from the local Health Authority. The Ministry of Health denied the request based on Articles 272 and 273 of the General Public Administration Act,…
Res. 22237-2024 Sala Constitucional2024 · Sala Constitucional
Inadmisibilidad de amparo contra permisos de construcción de condominio
The Constitutional Chamber flatly rejects an amparo filed against the Municipality of Belén for granting construction permits and water availability to a condominium project. The claimant alleged irregularities such as lack of green space dedication, approval by an incompetent body, and absence of prior hydrological studies, invoking the precautionary…
Res. 24490-2024 Sala Constitucional2024 · Sala Constitucional
Rechazo de amparo sobre delimitación de humedales y afectación a propiedad privada
The Constitutional Chamber summarily dismisses an amparo filed by Grupo Condeco VAC S.A. against INVU, the Municipality of Quepos, and SINAC. The company claimed that the delimitation of Humedal Colinas in Quepos' Urban Regulatory Plan, based on a 2014 SINAC report and later modified in 2023, affected its properties as a zone of absolute protection without…
Res. 24663-2024 Sala Constitucional2024 · Sala Constitucional
Cumplimiento de amparo: muro de retención vs. tapia divisoria
The Constitutional Chamber addresses two opposing motions following its amparo ruling 2023-006432. The petitioner requests that the order to solve the retaining wall problem be executed according to geological reports recommending significant works, arguing that the Municipality of Belén proposes a mere one-meter partition wall, insufficient to prevent a…
Res. 25738-2024 Sala Constitucional2024 · Sala Constitucional
Amparo por tardanza en respuesta a denuncia ambiental municipal
The petitioner, a member of the Public Services Defense Committee of San Isidro de Heredia, alleges that the municipality failed to timely respond to her request for intervention and technical assessment of a bridge and river in Santa Elena, whose deficiencies cause flooding, property damage, and risks to neighbors. She argues that despite multiple…
Res. 25897-2024 Sala Constitucional2024 · Sala Constitucional
Derecho de acceso a la información sobre la Ruta de Salud Ambiental
The petitioner requested the Ministry of Health to provide details of the "Environmental Health Route," announced in April 2024, via email to official accounts. Having received no response within ten business days, he filed an amparo action alleging violation of his rights of petition and access to information. During the proceedings, the Ministry answered…
Res. 00136-2023 Sala Constitucional2023 · Sala Constitucional
Amparo contra viabilidad ambiental del Parque Logístico Coyol
The Constitutional Chamber flatly rejects an amparo petition filed against MINAE, SETENA, and the Municipality of Alajuela regarding the environmental viability granted to the Coyol Logistics Park project. The petitioner argued that viability was granted without adequate environmental and traffic impact studies, and that her objections were dismissed as…
Res. 00498-2023 Sala Constitucional2023 · Sala Constitucional
Improcedencia de amparo: solicitud de medida cautelar en zona de protección del Río Agres
The Constitutional Chamber heard an amparo filed by a citizen against the Municipality of Escazú, MINAE, OIJ, and the Prosecutor's Office. The petitioner sought to halt commercial use and construction within the Río Agres protection zone, alleging environmental harm and a lack of precautionary measures in a criminal investigation. The Chamber dismissed the…
Res. 00445-2023 Sala Constitucional2023 · Sala Constitucional
Amparo por contaminación de humo de fogón y horno de leña
The Constitutional Court reviews a writ of amparo filed by an elderly woman against the Ministry of Health and the Municipality of Escazú for failing to resolve her complaint about smoke pollution from her neighbor's wood-burning stove and oven. The petitioner claims the authorities have not prevented the use of these devices, which harm her health and…
Res. 00449-2023 Sala Constitucional2023 · Sala Constitucional
Amparo por obstrucción del río María Aguilar y falta de respuesta municipal
The Constitutional Chamber heard an amparo filed by residents of Curridabat against the Municipality of Curridabat regarding obstruction of the María Aguilar riverbed by a bamboo clump, mesh, sediment, and other materials. The plaintiffs alleged that despite filing a complaint on May 5, 2022 (case No. 8494-2022), the municipality had neither resolved the…
Res. 00560-2023 Sala Constitucional2023 · Sala Constitucional
Rechazo de amparo por incumplimiento de prevención sobre copia de denuncia ambiental
The Constitutional Chamber dismisses an amparo action filed against the Environmental Administrative Tribunal (TAA) for allegedly failing to resolve an environmental complaint concerning the illegal diversion of a river channel. The petitioner argued that the right to a healthy and ecologically balanced environment was violated by the TAA's inaction for…
Res. 00660-2023 Sala Constitucional2023 · Sala Constitucional
Mora del Tribunal Ambiental Administrativo en denuncia ambiental
The Constitutional Chamber hears an amparo against the Environmental Administrative Tribunal (TAA) for delay in resolving an environmental complaint filed in 2017 against Hotel Pacuare Lodge. The petitioner alleges violation of the right to a prompt and completed procedure and to a healthy environment. The Chamber finds that despite inspections and…
Res. 00609-2023 Sala Constitucional2023 · Sala Constitucional
Acceso al agua potable y plazo para resolver recurso de apelación
The Constitutional Chamber heard an amparo against the AyA for delay in resolving potable water availability for a property in Curubandé, Liberia. The petitioner applied in August 2022; AyA denied availability because there were no networks in front of the property and required building an easement, extending piping, and submitting plans. The petitioner…
Res. 01069-2023 Sala Constitucional2023 · Sala Constitucional
Orden de coordinar plan para solucionar inundaciones en Urbanización El Porvenir
The Constitutional Chamber hears an amparo filed by residents of Urbanización El Porvenir in San Ramón, who report recurrent flooding caused by the overflow of the Quebrada Estero, exacerbated by sediments, mud, garbage, and illegal wastewater connections. The petitioners point to omissions by the Costa Rican Institute of Aqueducts and Sewers (ICAA), the…
Res. 01058-2023 Sala Constitucional2023 · Sala Constitucional
Postura sobre altura de chimeneas excede el amparo ambiental
The Constitutional Chamber rejects a motion to supplement and clarify a ruling that denied an amparo filed by a resident of Escazú. The plaintiff alleged inaction by the Ministry of Health and the Municipality of Escazú regarding an environmental complaint about wood smoke pollution lodged in 2021. The Chamber confirmed that both agencies processed the…
Res. 01174-2023 Sala Constitucional2023 · Sala Constitucional
Derecho de petición de información pública sindical sobre recurso hídrico incumplido parcialmente por AyA
The Constitutional Chamber reviewed an amparo action filed by the General Secretary of the Union of Workers of the Costa Rican Institute of Aqueducts and Sewers (SITRAA) against the Institute (AyA), claiming lack of response to a detailed 11-point public information request covering access to potable water, institutional finances, infrastructure projects,…
Res. 01228-2023 Sala Constitucional2023 · Sala Constitucional
Amparo sobre derecho de petición y acceso a información del proyecto Agua para la Bajura
The Constitutional Chamber hears an amparo action filed by the Asociación Confraternidad Guanacasteca against the Presidency of the Republic for lack of response to a request submitted on November 14, 2022, seeking detailed information about the “Agua para la Bajura” project. The petitioner alleged violation of the right to petition and access to public…
Res. 01738-2023 Sala Constitucional2023 · Sala Constitucional
Incumplimiento de sentencia sobre prohibición del Fipronil
The Constitutional Chamber rules on a non-compliance claim filed by an active coadjuvant regarding ruling 2021024807, which ordered several state authorities to complete technical studies on the effects of the pesticide Fipronil on bees and other pollinators, and to include adequate measures if serious harm was determined. The claimant argues that,…
Res. 01774-2023 Sala Constitucional2023 · Sala Constitucional
Municipalidad debe intervenir cauce del Río Cañas ante riesgo de inundaciones
The Constitutional Chamber granted an amparo filed by residents of the Boca del Monte Phase 2 development and Concepción Arriba of Alajuelita, who claimed that erosion and flooding from the Cañas River were endangering their lives and homes since 2008, without the Municipality of Alajuelita or the National Commission for Risk Prevention and Emergency…
Res. 01797-2023 Sala Constitucional2023 · Sala Constitucional
Solicitud de fundamento legal no constituye derecho de petición
The Constitutional Chamber denies an amparo filed by the president of an ecological association against the administrator of the Gandoca-Manzanillo National Wildlife Refuge. The petitioner requested the legal basis for developing a zone of the refuge, referencing a communication from the Environmental Prosecutor's Office. The administration argued that the…
Res. 01800-2023 Sala Constitucional2023 · Sala Constitucional
Municipalidad de Nicoya omite atender denuncia ambiental sobre invasión de zona marítimo terrestre en Playa Sámara
The Constitutional Chamber granted an amparo action against the Municipality of Nicoya for failing to process and resolve an environmental complaint filed on November 18, 2021, concerning illegal construction and occupation in the coastal zone (ZMT) of Playa Sámara, specifically at boundary markers M128 and M127 and an adjacent property. The Chamber…
Res. 01877-2023 Sala Constitucional2023 · Sala Constitucional
Conexiones ilícitas de aguas pluviales en urbanización no constituyen daño probado a la salud o al ambiente
The Constitutional Chamber hears an amparo filed by Mutual Sociedad de Fondos de Inversión S.A., the operator of a wastewater treatment plant in the Las Palmeras housing development, Heredia. The petitioner asserts that many property owners have built structures (some without permits) that connect rainwater into the sanitary sewer, disrupting the plant's…
Res. 01931-2023 Sala Constitucional2023 · Sala Constitucional
Desestimación de amparo por inhabitabilidad de vivienda en Quitirrisí
The petitioner, owner of a home in the indigenous territory of Quitirrisí de Mora, filed an amparo against the Municipality of Mora and the Ministry of Health, claiming that the declaration of uninhabitability and the eviction order violated her fundamental rights. She argued that the Municipality granted the construction permit in 2015 without noticing…
Res. 07571-2023 Sala Constitucional2023 · Sala Constitucional
Falta de respuesta municipal y ministerial ante denuncia de contaminación de naciente en Abangares
The Constitutional Chamber reviewed and granted an amparo action filed by the representative of a rural water board (ASADA) against the Municipality of Abangares, the Health Area of the Ministry of Health, and SINAC, due to their failure to respond and insufficient action regarding an environmental complaint filed on September 29 and October 10, 2022. The…
Res. 17174-2023 Sala Constitucional2023 · Sala Constitucional
Órdenes administrativas del SINAC en áreas de bosque como actos iniciales del procedimiento administrativo
The Constitutional Chamber ruled on an amparo appeal filed by the owner of a property in Buenos Aires, Puntarenas, who challenged an administrative order issued by SINAC officials. The order prohibited him from cutting trees, applying agrochemicals, allowing the entry of bovine or domestic animals, cutting undergrowth, planting crops, and required him to…
Res. 25041-2023 Sala Constitucional2023 · Sala Constitucional
Desobediencia a sentencia que ordenó resolver procedimiento TAA sin dilaciones
The Constitutional Chamber reviewed a disobedience claim against the Environmental Administrative Tribunal (TAA) for alleged non-compliance with ruling 2021-021912. That ruling had ordered the TAA Vice-President to ensure the proceeding’s continuity without undue delay and to definitively resolve consolidated file 98-15-02-TAA / 070-06-03-TAA within three…
Res. 25146-2023 Sala Constitucional2023 · Sala Constitucional
Derecho de petición y acceso a la información frente a la Municipalidad de Paraíso
A deputy filed an amparo against the Municipality of Paraíso for failing to respond to several requests for information on topics such as road infrastructure, environmental pollution, landslide risks, historical site protection, and labor lawsuits, submitted between October 2022 and June 2023. The Constitutional Chamber found that some requests were…
Res. 25556-2023 Sala Constitucional2023 · Sala Constitucional
Rechazo de amparo prematuro contra silencio administrativo en denuncia ambiental
The Constitutional Chamber summarily dismissed an amparo action filed against the University of Costa Rica for the alleged failure to respond to an environmental complaint submitted on September 5, 2023. The petitioners claimed that the operation of a UCR internal bus generated excessive noise and horn use on a street near their homes, affecting their…
Res. 25235-2023 Sala Constitucional2023 · Sala Constitucional
Demora municipal en demolición de construcción ilegal en bien demanial
The Constitutional Chamber hears an amparo action against the Municipality of Grecia for failing to demolish an illegal construction built on municipal land designated as a children's park, despite the complaint filed in 2020. It was verified that the building lacks permits, encroaches on public roads, and affects water management. The Municipality…
Res. 25273-2023 Sala Constitucional2023 · Sala Constitucional
Filtraciones de agua entre vecinos sin nexo causal probado
The Constitutional Chamber hears an amparo action filed by a neighbor in Desamparados who alleges water seepage from an adjacent property causes dampness, fungi, and bad odors in his home, affecting two elderly adults. The petitioner claims the Ministry of Health has failed to resolve the issue. The Chamber reviews the actions of the Desamparados Health…
Res. 25365-2023 Sala Constitucional2023 · Sala Constitucional
Amparo por negativa de información a colectivo ambiental
The Constitutional Chamber reviews an amparo filed by the Commission for the Defense of the El Chayote Protected Zone against the Municipality of Naranjo. The petitioner, an informal social movement without legal status, requested information on permits and complaints related to avocado planting in the protected zone, as well as the requirement of an…
Res. 26161-2023 Sala Constitucional2023 · Sala Constitucional
Amparo ambiental inadmisible por denuncia aún en plazo legal
This Constitutional Chamber ruling declares inadmissible an amparo filed against the Ministry of Health for failing to respond to an environmental complaint. The petitioners, residents of Guácimo, alleged violations of their right to a healthy environment due to noise pollution, stagnant water, and inadequate animal care, affecting vulnerable individuals.…
Res. 26643-2023 Sala Constitucional2023 · Sala Constitucional
Gestión de desacato por incumplimiento de amparo sobre puente en Río Negro
The Constitutional Chamber rules on a contempt motion filed by the petitioner, who claims that the Cóbano District Municipal Council has failed to comply with the judgment ordering the construction of a bridge over the Río Negro and the repair of a hammock bridge. The municipal authorities report that the original bridge site was deemed unviable due to…
Res. 92341-2023 Sala Constitucional2023 · Sala Constitucional
Admisión de acción de inconstitucionalidad contra Manual de Planes Reguladores Costeros
The Constitutional Chamber admits an unconstitutionality action against several articles of the Manual for the Preparation of Coastal Regulatory Plans in the Maritime-Terrestrial Zone, published in 2021. The claimant argues that these norms eliminate environmental controls and create unjustified exceptions to the requirement of subjecting coastal…
Res. 26770-2023 Sala Constitucional2023 · Sala Constitucional
Amparo por falta de infraestructura pluvial en Cóbano
The Constitutional Chamber heard an amparo filed by residents of the Cóbano district, Puntarenas, against the District Municipal Council and the Ministry of Public Works and Transportation. The petitioners alleged the failure to build a stormwater drainage system on the district route C6-01-001, at the Playa del Carmen-Quebrado del Carmen crossing, causing…
Res. 26729-2023 Sala Constitucional2023 · Sala Constitucional
Amparo sobre obras viales en zona marítimo terrestre sin denuncia previa
The Constitutional Chamber reviewed an amparo remedy against the District Municipal Council of Cóbano, MINAE, and SETENA concerning the widening and paving of a district road within the maritime-terrestrial zone of Montezuma-Cabuya, Puntarenas. The petitioners alleged environmental damage (tree cutting, mangrove destruction, erosion, impact on a stream)…
Res. 26803-2023 Sala Constitucional2023 · Sala Constitucional
Taller mecánico ilegal y deber de actuación sanitaria oportuna
The Constitutional Chamber heard the amparo of an elderly adult against the Ministry of Health for failing to address an illegal auto repair shop operating in a residential house in Hatillo. The complainant reported excessive noise, pollution from gases and chemicals, and obstruction of public roads, affecting his rights to health and a healthy…
Res. 26912-2023 Sala Constitucional2023 · Sala Constitucional
Falta de respuesta de SETENA a gestión sobre Plan Regulador de Talamanca
In this amparo action, the Constitutional Chamber addresses a citizen's complaint against the National Environmental Technical Secretariat (SETENA) for failing to issue an express and congruent response to an environmental filing (AEL-0042-2023). The petitioner sought revocation of the environmental viability granted to the Coastal Regulatory Plan of…
Res. 27397-2023 Sala Constitucional2023 · Sala Constitucional
Inejecución prematura por plazo no vencido
The Constitutional Chamber dismisses as premature a non-execution complaint filed by the petitioner. The petitioner claimed that the Municipality of Desamparados had failed to comply with the order to respond to his environmental complaint within the deadline set in the previous ruling. However, the Chamber verifies that the notification of the judgment…
Res. 28026-2023 Sala Constitucional2023 · Sala Constitucional
Amparo prematuro por aguas pluviales y denuncia ambiental
The Constitutional Chamber summarily dismisses an amparo action filed by a neighbor against the Municipality of La Unión. The plaintiff reported flooding problems on her property and the access easement caused by stormwater and sewage from an adjacent condominium. She argued that the municipality had failed to compel the developer to build the approved…
Res. 27496-2023 Sala Constitucional2023 · Sala Constitucional
Incumplimiento carente de interés actual por resolución emitida
The Constitutional Chamber hears a noncompliance claim filed by Walter Brenes Soto against the National Environmental Technical Secretariat (SETENA), in case file 23-003658-0007-CO. The claimant alleges that SETENA failed to comply with the order issued in judgment No. 2023-5950 of March 10, 2023, which required it to resolve his request for annulment of…
Res. 27507-2023 Sala Constitucional2023 · Sala Constitucional
Falta de respuesta a denuncias sobre contaminación por aguas residuales en Cocaleca de Palmares
The Constitutional Chamber heard an amparo appeal filed by a property owner who complained about the contamination of his land in Cocaleca, Palmares, due to wastewater from a stormwater/sanitary sewer system without a treatment plant. The appellant alleged that the respondent authorities (the Costa Rican Institute of Aqueducts and Sewers [ICAA], the…
Res. 28511-2023 Sala Constitucional2023 · Sala Constitucional
Amparo prematuro por falta de legitimación y plazo vigente para cerrar vertedero de Turrialba
The Constitutional Chamber flatly dismisses an amparo action filed by a Turrialba resident against the Municipality of Turrialba and the Ministry of Health over the operation of an open-air landfill. The petitioner alleged contamination from leachate, methane gas, and scavenger birds, and sought an immediate halt to waste disposal and site rehabilitation.…
Res. 28467-2023 Sala Constitucional2023 · Sala Constitucional
Ampliación del Humedal Laguna Pochotal
The Constitutional Chamber reviewed an amparo filed by an official of the Municipality of Garabito against the Ministry of Environment and Energy (MINAE). The petitioner alleged that the boundaries of the Pochotal Lagoon Wetland were improperly expanded in the National Territorial Information System (SNIT) without an executive decree, undermining legal…
Res. 28231-2023 Sala Constitucional2023 · Sala Constitucional
Desobediencia por falta de agua potable en Montserrat de Coronado
The Constitutional Chamber hears a noncompliance claim filed by Ignacio Leitón Hernández against the Costa Rican Institute of Aqueducts and Sewers (AyA) and the Cascajal de Coronado ASADA, for failure to comply with ruling 2021-026568. That ruling ordered the authorities to resolve within 18 months the lack of potable water supply in the community of…
Res. 28933-2023 Sala Constitucional2023 · Sala Constitucional
Amparo prematuro por falta de respuesta a denuncia ambiental
The Constitutional Chamber summarily dismisses an amparo action filed against the National Animal Health Service (SENASA) for allegedly failing to respond to a communication from the Ministry of Health. The petitioner claimed that the respondent authority had not answered official letter MS-DM-8233-2023, which forwarded a complaint dated September 8, 2023,…
Res. 92342-2023 Sala Constitucional2023 · Sala Constitucional
Admisión de acción de inconstitucionalidad contra el Reglamento 43898-MINAE por desregulación ambiental
The Constitutional Chamber admits for processing an unconstitutionality action filed by two citizens against multiple articles of the Regulation on Environmental Assessment, Control, and Monitoring (Executive Decree No. 43898-MINAE-S-MOPT-MAG-MEIC). The plaintiffs argue that the regulatory reform eliminates or reduces preventive controls that existed in…
Res. 29042-2023 Sala Constitucional2023 · Sala Constitucional
Recurso de amparo por denuncia municipal de saneamiento ambiental
The Constitutional Chamber reviewed an amparo action filed against the Municipality of Vázquez de Coronado for alleged violation of the right to prompt administrative justice, in connection with an environmental complaint filed by the petitioner on November 3, 2022, and January 17, 2023. By judgment No. 2023-17180 of July 14, 2023, the Chamber partially…
Res. 29056-2023 Sala Constitucional2023 · Sala Constitucional
Suspensión de amparo sobre ajuste de planes reguladores costeros por acción de inconstitucionalidad pendiente
The Asociación de Desarrollo Integral de Mal País y Santa Teresa filed an amparo action against the Concejo Municipal de Distrito de Cóbano regarding adjustments and rectifications to the Coastal Regulatory Plans of Punta Barrigona and Peñón de Arío. The petitioner argued that these adjustments were not subjected to environmental assessment by SETENA, that…
Res. 29101-2023 Sala Constitucional2023 · Sala Constitucional
Amparo por invasión y entubamiento de quebrada en Alajuela
In this amparo action, a property owner in Desamparados de Alajuela claimed that her neighbor had carried out earthworks, partially piped an intermittent stream called Targua, deposited debris, and built without permits, affecting both the environment and her property. The petitioner filed complaints with SINAC and the Municipality of Alajuela, alleging…
Res. 24862-2023 Sala Constitucional2023 · Sala Constitucional
Acceso a expediente de planta de tratamiento Fontana Real
The Constitutional Chamber reviewed an amparo action filed by a Santa Ana resident against the Municipality for allegedly failing to provide a complete copy of the municipal file regarding the construction of the Fontana Real residential development wastewater treatment plant. The petitioner had submitted multiple requests between August 4th and 15th, 2023…
Res. 29028-2023 Sala Constitucional2023 · Sala Constitucional
Desobediencia a orden de amparo sobre canalización de aguas pluviales en Pacific Heigh
The Constitutional Chamber resolves a disobedience proceeding regarding judgment 2021026548, which ordered the Municipality of Santa Cruz to fix improper stormwater drainage causing flooding in homes between Las Catalinas supermarket in Playa Potrero and the Pacific Heigh tourism development. Despite the judgment issued in November 2021 and a ten-month…
Res. 29044-2023 Sala Constitucional2023 · Sala Constitucional
Omisión municipal en construir puente y responder peticiones sobre camino a FUDEBIOL
The Constitutional Chamber hears an amparo filed by a municipal councilor of Pérez Zeledón against the Municipality. The petitioner denounced the lack of a bridge on public road 1-19-0743, which leads to FUDEBIOL, and the failure to answer requests for information regarding the road and water pollution. The Chamber finds that although the Municipality was…
Res. 29054-2023 Sala Constitucional2023 · Sala Constitucional
Acceso a información sobre Plan Regulador Costero de Cahuita
The Constitutional Chamber denies an amparo filed by two citizens against the Municipality of Talamanca regarding an alleged failure to respond to an information request on the Coastal Regulatory Plan for the Cahuita district. The petitioners had sought copies of council minutes, environmental studies, a hydrogeological vulnerability matrix, environmental…
Res. 29196-2023 Sala Constitucional2023 · Sala Constitucional
Desglose y curso parcial de amparo sobre contaminación del acuífero Moín
The Constitutional Chamber reviews an amparo filed by Propiedades Val Di Sole S.A. against the Judicial Branch and the Attorney General's Office, alleging that despite a prior ruling ordering action on the Moín aquifer contamination, the situation persists or has worsened. Complaints include failure to process a criminal complaint, denial of precautionary…
Res. 29477-2023 Sala Constitucional2023 · Sala Constitucional
Improcedencia de amparo por incumplimiento de sentencia previa
The Constitutional Chamber dismisses an amparo filed against AyA, the Ministry of Health, and the Municipality of Curridabat for alleged non-compliance with a prior ruling (No. 2021015951) that ordered the resolution of water shortages in Miravalles I and sewage problems in La Ponderosa. The petitioner claimed that the authorities acknowledged they had not…
Res. 29689-2023 Sala Constitucional2023 · Sala Constitucional
Inadmisión de acción de inconstitucionalidad contra Ley de Planificación Urbana por defectos de autenticación digital
The Constitutional Chamber summarily dismissed an unconstitutionality action filed by an agronomist engineer against Articles 9, 17, and Transitory II of the Urban Planning Law (Law 4220). The plaintiff argued that these norms allow INVU's Urban Planning Directorate to draft, review, and approve regulatory plans, concentrating judge-and-party roles in…
Res. 29835-2023 Sala Constitucional2023 · Sala Constitucional
Omisión del Ministerio de Salud en atender problemas de salud pública y ambientales en Home Creek
Residents of the Home Creek community in Talamanca filed an amparo against the Costa Rican Institute of Aqueducts and Sewers (ICAA) and the Ministry of Health, alleging that ICAA denied them potable water service and that they were forced to drink water from contaminated artisanal wells, leading to vomiting and diarrhea, especially among children and the…
Res. 29768-2023 Sala Constitucional2023 · Sala Constitucional
Omisión del Ministerio de Salud ante contaminación de la Quebrada El Barro
The Constitutional Chamber adjudicates an amparo filed by residents of Montecillos and Villa Bonita in Alajuela against the Ministry of Health, for failing to address a sanitary complaint submitted on April 18, 2023, about contamination of the Quebrada El Barro due to illegal wastewater discharges into the stormwater system. After more than two months…
Res. 29801-2023 Sala Constitucional2023 · Sala Constitucional
Omisión en resolver denuncias sobre criadero de cerdos y bar clandestino afecta a hogar de ancianos
The Constitutional Chamber partially granted an amparo against SENASA and the Ministry of Health for failing to definitively resolve complaints about a pig farm and a clandestine bar affecting a retirement home. Regarding SENASA, although it attended the initial complaint in January 2021 with a sanitary order, it failed to adequately follow up until…
Res. 30203-2023 Sala Constitucional2023 · Sala Constitucional
Amparo contra vertedero de Turrialba — ampliación de plazo denegada
In the context of an amparo ruling that ordered the Municipality of Turrialba and the Ministry of Health to resolve contamination at the municipal landfill, the mayor requested a further twelve-month extension to build the waste transfer station. The Constitutional Chamber denied the request because the current deadline was not until February 24, 2024, and…
Res. 30204-2023 Sala Constitucional2023 · Sala Constitucional
Desestimada gestión de desobediencia por minería ilegal en Crucitas
The Constitutional Chamber reviews a new contempt claim filed by FECON against the Ministries of Environment, Health, and Public Security, alleging that the surveillance post in Crucitas was abandoned, allowing a resurgence of illegal gold mining with severe environmental damage. After examining the reports, especially from the Minister of Public Security,…
Res. 30214-2023 Sala Constitucional2023 · Sala Constitucional
Inejecución parcial de sentencia sobre contaminación en Isla Chira
The Constitutional Chamber reviews a non-compliance claim filed by a resident of Isla Chira against the Municipality of Puntarenas, alleging failure to comply with a ruling that ordered immediate measures to mitigate pollution and provide waste management education. The Municipality justified the delay by citing budget constraints and proposed a plan for…
Res. 30487-2023 Sala Constitucional2023 · Sala Constitucional
Gestión de desobediencia por incumplimiento de intervención vial en Monserrat
The Constitutional Chamber hears a disobedience claim filed by the President of the Monserrat Development Association against the Municipality of Vásquez de Coronado, alleging that it has not fully complied with judgment 2023-007563, which ordered the intervention of a road to ensure adequate traffic conditions. The municipality reports having carried out…
Res. 30496-2023 Sala Constitucional2023 · Sala Constitucional
Plazo para atender denuncia ambiental y acceso a información
The Constitutional Chamber heard an amparo action against SINAC for failing to respond to an environmental complaint regarding channel diversion, tree felling, and road construction in a protected area, and for not providing the requested information. The Chamber found that, although SINAC carried out inspections and coordinated with other entities, the…
Res. 30562-2023 Sala Constitucional2023 · Sala Constitucional
Vecinos de Cristo Rey solicitan limpieza de terreno abandonado ante Sala Constitucional
The Constitutional Chamber denied an amparo filed by a neighbor of Cristo Rey, San José, against the Ministry of Public Education and the Municipality of San José, regarding the alleged abandonment and unsanitary conditions of lot N° 92672, owned by the San José Education Board. The petitioner claimed lack of response to her complaints about the property's…
Res. 30943-2023 Sala Constitucional2023 · Sala Constitucional
Gestión de incumplimiento prematura sobre desabastecimiento de agua en Miravalles I
The Constitutional Chamber dismisses a subsequent noncompliance motion filed by a Curridabat resident against the authorities convicted in judgment No. 2019-012231. The movant alleges that officials have failed to comply with the order to resolve the water shortage problem in the Miravalles I urban project. However, the Chamber verifies that by…
Res. 30986-2023 Sala Constitucional2023 · Sala Constitucional
Rechazo de amparo por incumplimiento de prevención en caso de aguas negras y calles deterioradas
The Constitutional Court dismissed an amparo action filed by a resident of Alajuelita on behalf of the community against the Costa Rican Institute of Aqueducts and Sewers (AyA). The plaintiff alleged that after opening streets to repair a water leak, AyA left the roads unpaved, leading to deterioration and sewage overflows affecting health, property, and…
Res. 26372-2023 Sala Constitucional2023 · Sala Constitucional
Cumplimiento Parcial de Orden Sanitaria y Acceso a Información Ambiental
The Constitutional Chamber resolves a non-compliance motion regarding the enforcement of judgment N° 2023-018937, which had ordered the Municipality of San Ramón to comply with a health order from the Ministry of Health related to the technical closure of a landfill and the operation of a solid waste transfer station, and ordered the Ministry of Health to…
Res. 31185-2023 Sala Constitucional2023 · Sala Constitucional
Rechazo de gestión de desobediencia prematura
The Constitutional Chamber hears a second noncompliance motion filed by the petitioner regarding judgment 2023-018937, which partially granted an amparo against the Municipality of San Ramón and the Ministry of Health over the irregular operation of a waste transfer station and a landfill, affecting a water source and causing pollution. In a first…
Res. 31469-2023 Sala Constitucional2023 · Sala Constitucional
Amparo sobre agua potable y residuos en Isla Chira inadmitido
The Constitutional Chamber dismissed an amparo filed by an attorney on behalf of residents of Isla Chira, Puntarenas, against the Municipality of Puntarenas, the Costa Rican Institute of Aqueducts and Sewers (AyA), the Ministry of Health, and the Ministry of the Presidency. The claimants alleged violations of their fundamental rights due to poor drinking…
Res. 31670-2023 Sala Constitucional2023 · Sala Constitucional
Amparo sobre denuncia ambiental ante Área Rectora de Salud declarado prematuro
The petitioner, a resident of Grecia, filed an amparo action against the Health Authority of Grecia of the Ministry of Health, alleging that her neighbor operates a furniture workshop without permits, generating excessive noise, dust, and waste that harm her health and peace. She filed a complaint on October 19, 2023, and had not received a response by the…
Res. 31791-2023 Sala Constitucional2023 · Sala Constitucional
Deber de coordinación interinstitucional ante contaminación en quebrada Barreal
The Constitutional Chamber reviews an amparo filed by residents of Moravia alleging sonic and sanitary pollution of the Barreal stream—boundary between Moravia and Goicoechea—from untreated wastewater, construction in protected zones, and noise, together with official inaction. The Chamber partially grants the remedy against the Ministry of Health and the…
Res. 31860-2023 Sala Constitucional2023 · Sala Constitucional
Solicitud de información sobre pasos de fauna en ampliación de ruta
The Constitutional Chamber reviewed a writ of amparo filed against the National Environmental Technical Secretariat (SETENA) for an alleged failure to respond to a request for information on wildlife crossings in a highway widening project. The petitioner had asked whether the works included approved wildlife crossings in the environmental feasibility…
Res. 32511-2023 Sala Constitucional2023 · Sala Constitucional
Amparo por falta de respuesta a solicitud de información sobre proyecto de acueducto en Pavones
The Constitutional Chamber reviewed an amparo filed by a congresswoman against the Costa Rican Institute of Aqueducts and Sewers (AyA). The petitioner claimed she had received no response to an information request submitted on April 26, 2023, concerning the Integrated Aqueduct Construction Project for the Coastal Sector of Bahía Pavones, intended to serve…
Res. 32596-2023 Sala Constitucional2023 · Sala Constitucional
Inadmisibilidad de amparo ambiental por incumplimiento de prevención
The Constitutional Chamber summarily dismisses an amparo filed by a resident of Puerto Viejo, Talamanca, against the Municipality, the Costa Rican Institute of Aqueducts and Sewers (ICAA), and the Ministry of Health, regarding the abandonment of a water treatment plant that caused contamination and health hazards. The petitioner alleged that sewage…
Res. 32788-2023 Sala Constitucional2023 · Sala Constitucional
Gestión de desobediencia por aguas pluviales en Alajuela
The Constitutional Chamber dismisses a non-compliance claim filed against the Municipality of Alajuela regarding enforcement of a prior amparo ruling (2018-013742) that ordered resolution of a stormwater environmental problem. The Municipality demonstrated progressive actions to acquire a strip of land where the water flows, including steps toward…
Res. 31509-2023 Sala Constitucional2023 · Sala Constitucional
Rechazo de amparo sobre demolición de construcciones ilegales en zona de protección forestal especial
The Constitutional Chamber rejects on the merits an amparo filed by residents of Patarrá, Desamparados, seeking to suspend a demolition order issued in a prior judgment. The petitioners claimed they were victims of fraud by the seller of the lots, who did not inform them that the property was located in a special forest protection zone (Loma Salitral)…
Res. 31573-2023 Sala Constitucional2023 · Sala Constitucional
Rechazo de amparo por incumplimiento de prevención en asentamiento La Flor
The Constitutional Chamber summarily dismissed an amparo petition filed by residents of the La Flor settlement, administered by INDER, against INDER, MINAE, the Ministry of Health, the Municipality of Pococí, and SETENA. The petitioners alleged lack of potable water, contamination of hand-dug wells with fecal matter, foul odors from the Los Laureles…
Res. 33089-2023 Sala Constitucional2023 · Sala Constitucional
Desobediencia por estancamiento de aguas pluviales sin solución municipal
The Constitutional Chamber grants a non-compliance motion filed by the protected party against the Lepanto District Council. The petitioner alleged that, despite the order in judgment No. 2020-001353 of 2020 —which upheld the amparo and ordered the local government to monitor and resolve the stormwater stagnation on her property— the Municipality has not…
Res. 32806-2023 Sala Constitucional2023 · Sala Constitucional
Ampliación de límites del Humedal Laguna Pochotal mediante inspección técnica avalada por la Sala Constitucional
The Constitutional Chamber rejects on the merits an amparo action filed by a company's legal representative against MINAE, SINAC, and SETENA. The claimant argued that the authorities illegally expanded the boundaries of the Laguna Pochotal Wetland by entering a new geographic information layer in the National Territorial Information System (SNIT),…
Res. 33109-2023 Sala Constitucional2023 · Sala Constitucional
Falta de respuesta a solicitud de información sobre Parque Corcovado y Reserva Forestal Golfo Dulce
The Constitutional Chamber granted an amparo petition against the National System of Conservation Areas (SINAC) for failing to timely respond to an environmental complaint and information request filed in January 2023 concerning socio-environmental and institutional problems in Corcovado National Park and the Golfo Dulce Forest Reserve. The petitioners…
Res. 33149-2023 Sala Constitucional2023 · Sala Constitucional
Municipalidad debe responder sobre cumplimiento de viabilidad ambiental en plan regulador
The Constitutional Chamber hears an amparo against the President of the Municipal Council of Alajuela for failing to respond to a request for information related to the approval of the cantonal land-use plan (Plan Regulador). The petitioner asked whether the municipality had complied with the environmental viability conditions imposed by SETENA (Resolution…
Res. 33222-2023 Sala Constitucional2023 · Sala Constitucional
Omisión municipal en resolver denuncia sobre alcantarillado pluvial
The Constitutional Chamber hears an amparo against the Municipality of Alajuela for failing to resolve an environmental complaint filed in September 2022 regarding the poor state of storm drains in the Santa Fe development, causing contamination, bad odors, and unsanitary conditions. Despite municipal responses and site visits, after over a year no…
Res. 33313-2023 Sala Constitucional2023 · Sala Constitucional
Desfogue de aguas negras en alcantarillado pluvial genera amparo
A resident of Heredia filed an amparo action against the Ministry of Health, the Municipality of Heredia, and CONAVI due to an ongoing discharge of untreated wastewater affecting her community. After ten months of complaints without resolution, the Constitutional Court granted the appeal. The court found that, although inspections ruled out a sanitary…
Res. 25111-2023 Sala Constitucional2023 · Sala Constitucional
Gestión posterior en recurso de amparo sobre demolición en zona de protección especial
The Constitutional Chamber resolved a post-judgment motion filed by residents of Patarrá, Desamparados, affected by ruling no. PHO6389 of 2023, which ordered the Municipality to demolish illegal constructions in a Special Forest Protection Zone. The petitioners, who identify themselves as victims of fraud by the seller of the lots, requested a pause in the…
Res. 25806-2023 Sala Constitucional2023 · Sala Constitucional
Denegatoria de ampliación de plazo para acueducto en Unión Campesina
The Constitutional Chamber reviews the request of the Costa Rican Institute of Aqueducts and Sewers to extend once again the deadline to solve the drinking water shortage in the community of Unión Campesina, Siquirres. The original 2017 ruling ordered a solution within eighteen months, a period already extended several times, accumulating over six years of…
Res. 27121-2023 Sala Constitucional2023 · Sala Constitucional
Amparo sobre consultas al presidente acerca del Parque de Tecnología Ambiental Galagarza
The Constitutional Chamber summarily dismissed an amparo action filed against the Ministry of Health, the Presidency of the Republic, and the Ministry of Environment and Energy. The petitioner claimed no response had been given to an email sent to the president posing several questions about the "Galagarza Environmental Technology Park" project. The…
Res. 27566-2023 Sala Constitucional2023 · Sala Constitucional
Solicitud de información ambiental sobre Plan Regulador Costero de Talamanca
The Constitutional Chamber reviews an amparo filed by the president of the Association for Ecological Development against the National Institute of Housing and Urban Development (INVU). The petitioner requested environmental information regarding the Talamanca Coastal Regulatory Plan via a letter dated August 2, 2023, including technical studies on water…
Res. 28220-2023 Sala Constitucional2023 · Sala Constitucional
Incumplimiento reiterado de abastecimiento de agua potable en Andrómeda III
The Constitutional Chamber reviews a contempt action filed by the claimant, alleging that the authorities have failed to comply with the order in Judgment No. 2019-4056, which instructed a definitive solution to the discontinuous drinking water supply in Andrómeda III, Balsa de Atenas, within 18 months. Over 4 years and 7 months have passed since the…
Res. 28337-2023 Sala Constitucional2023 · Sala Constitucional
Derecho a justicia pronta y cumplida ante denuncia ambiental
The Constitutional Court reviews an amparo action for the alleged failure to respond to a confidential complaint about wastewater discharge onto a public road. The health authority conducted inspections and a dye test, concluding that no discharge existed and closed the case. However, the Court finds that the authority notified the complainant of the…
Res. 28966-2023 Sala Constitucional2023 · Sala Constitucional
Ampliación de plazo para cumplir sentencia que ordenó implementar informes de la CNE en Aserrí
The Constitutional Chamber rules on a subsequent request filed by the Municipality of Aserrí in amparo case 23-000316-0007-CO. In the original judgment (No. 2023-006268 of March 17, 2023), the Chamber ordered the mayor and Director of Road Management of the municipality to coordinate and fully implement, within six months, the actions recommended by the…
Res. 29087-2023 Sala Constitucional2023 · Sala Constitucional
Omisión municipal por inacción ante denuncia de aguas pluviales
The Constitutional Chamber hears an amparo action against the Municipality of San Pablo de Heredia for alleged inaction on a complaint filed on September 27, 2021, regarding stormwater problems in Residencial La Estrella. The claimants argue that the existing gutter is deteriorated and poorly built, causing flooding on their property. Although the…
Res. 29523-2023 Sala Constitucional2023 · Sala Constitucional
Humo de cocina de leña no es competencia de amparo constitucional
The Constitutional Chamber hears an amparo filed against the Ministry of Health for allegedly failing to adequately address a complaint of environmental pollution caused by smoke from a neighbor's wood-burning stove. The petitioner claims the authority archived the case despite ongoing harm. The Chamber finds that the issue is not a failure to respond, but…
Res. 29938-2023 Sala Constitucional2023 · Sala Constitucional
Falta de respuesta del Ministerio de Salud a denuncias ambientales
The Constitutional Chamber hears an amparo filed by residents of Guácimo against the Ministry of Health, alleging harm from noise pollution and stagnant water caused by neighbors. They complained to the local Health Office, but accuse inaction, as no sanitary orders were issued nor their complaints resolved. The respondent authority reported conducting…
Res. 31214-2023 Sala Constitucional2023 · Sala Constitucional
Acceso de la defensa al expediente paralelo de la Fiscalía
The Constitutional Chamber hears an amparo filed by a defendant in a criminal case for invasion of a conservation area, alleging that the Environmental Prosecutor's Office maintained a hidden parallel file while the main case file was at the criminal court, denying him access. The Chamber finds that the Prosecutor's Office did grant access to the folder…
Res. 29457-2023 Sala Constitucional2023 · Sala Constitucional
Amparo ambiental por extracción de materiales del río Seco se declara sin lugar
The Constitutional Chamber dismisses an amparo action against the Municipal Council of Cóbano and MINAE regarding the extraction of materials from the Seco River for road repairs following Hurricane Eta. The majority holds that the claimant failed to file a prior complaint with the administrative authorities, a requirement established in case law for the…
Res. 32101-2023 Sala Constitucional2023 · Sala Constitucional
Rechazo de amparo sobre extracción de datos de celular sin juez de garantías
The Constitutional Chamber dismisses as inadmissible an amparo action filed by a person under criminal investigation in an environmental proceeding. The plaintiff claimed that the Agrarian Environmental Prosecutor's Office seized her cell phones and extracted data from one of them without a judge of guarantees, despite a prior criminal court having flatly…
Res. 32290-2023 Sala Constitucional2023 · Sala Constitucional
Desfogue de aguas pluviales en urbanización sin permisos
The Constitutional Chamber hears an amparo filed by a parcel holder of the La Negrita settlement, claiming that the Municipality of Alvarado and the District Council of Cervantes allowed the development of a subdivision without proper municipal permits, environmental viability from SETENA, or approval from other agencies, causing stormwater drainage…
Res. 32297-2023 Sala Constitucional2023 · Sala Constitucional
Corta de árboles para paso elevado en Hatillo 4 no vulnera derecho ambiental
The Constitutional Chamber reviews an amparo action against the Ministry of Public Works and Transport (MOPT) for felling 156 trees to build an overpass in Hatillo 4, Circunvalación route. The complainant alleges violation of the right to a healthy and ecologically balanced environment, claiming the trees form part of a biological corridor and provide…
Res. 32429-2023 Sala Constitucional2023 · Sala Constitucional
Omisión de respuesta municipal a consultas sobre cumplimiento de sentencia
The Constitutional Chamber examined an amparo action against the Municipality of Mora for failing to provide a complete response to two requests filed by the petitioner on October 27 and November 6, 2023, regarding compliance with a prior court order to pave a road. The petitioner asked specific questions about the manner, timeline, budget, technical…
Res. 32629-2023 Sala Constitucional2023 · Sala Constitucional
Inadmisibilidad del amparo por uso de bombetas de doble trueno en celebraciones cantonales
The Constitutional Chamber declares inadmissible an amparo petition filed by residents of Santo Domingo de Heredia against the Municipality of that canton, regarding the use of so-called "double thunder" firecrackers in popular celebrations. The petitioners alleged that the detonations caused noise pollution, adverse health effects, disturbance of the…
Res. 32992-2023 Sala Constitucional2023 · Sala Constitucional
Desobediencia del TAA a sentencia sobre denuncia ambiental
The Constitutional Chamber addresses a claim of disobedience filed by an environmental complainant against the Environmental Administrative Tribunal (TAA). In a prior 2022 ruling, the Chamber had ordered the TAA to definitively resolve an environmental complaint, which had been pending for years, within one month. The complainant argues that, despite this…
Res. 33116-2023 Sala Constitucional2023 · Sala Constitucional
Amparo sobre acceso a información del Plan Regulador Costero de Cahuita
The Constitutional Chamber reviewed an amparo filed by residents of Cahuita against the Municipality of Talamanca. The petitioners claimed that the Coastal Regulatory Plan was not properly notified, that they were denied access to the complete administrative file despite a formal request, and that ancestral inhabitants' rights were ignored. The Chamber…
Res. 33263-2023 Sala Constitucional2023 · Sala Constitucional
Derecho a obtener copia de informe técnico interno elaborado por el MINAE tras visita a propiedad privada
The Constitutional Chamber reviewed an amparo petition filed by the legal representative of a company that owns a property where a tourism project with valid environmental viability is being developed. The petitioner argued that, after allowing MINAE and SINAC officials access to the property to conduct a technical field study at the request of the…
Res. 33176-2023 Sala Constitucional2023 · Sala Constitucional
Recurso de amparo contra Plan Regulador Costero de Cahuita rechazado de plano por conflicto de mera legalidad
The Constitutional Chamber reviewed an amparo petition filed by a resident of Cahuita against the Municipality of Talamanca, alleging that the approval of the Coastal Regulatory Plan violated the property rights of residents due to high fees imposed without adequate prior consultation. The petitioner claimed that the plan was not communicated to…
Res. 33118-2023 Sala Constitucional2023 · Sala Constitucional
Falta de solución a inundaciones en residencial La Turrialbeña ya fue conocida por la Sala
The Constitutional Chamber rules on an amparo filed by residents of La Turrialbeña in Garabito, claiming the Municipality has failed to address severe flooding caused by a river running through the community. Petitioners allege violation of the right to a healthy environment and to swift justice. However, the Chamber finds the same claim was already heard…
Res. 33205-2023 Sala Constitucional2023 · Sala Constitucional
Denuncia por aguas fecales sin resolver oportunamente
The Constitutional Chamber hears an amparo filed by a property owner in San Carlos who filed a complaint with the Ministry of Health in Florencia regarding a neighbor's discharge of soapy water and sewage in front of his property. The complaint was filed on May 12, 2023, but over seven months later it remained unresolved, despite the Ministry's response…
Res. 33104-2023 Sala Constitucional2023 · Sala Constitucional
Aclaración sobre nulidad de audiencia pública y consulta indígena en Cahuita
The Constitutional Chamber resolves two requests for addition and clarification against its previous judgment that annulled the public hearing of the Coastal Regulatory Plan for the Cahuita District due to lack of consultation with the Keköldi Indigenous Development Association (ADI). The president of ADI Keköldi asks whether the new hearing must include…
Res. 31487-2023 Sala Constitucional2023 · Sala Constitucional
Acceso a expediente del relleno sanitario El Huazo
The Constitutional Chamber grants an amparo against the Ministry of Health for denying a citizen access to the administrative file of the El Huazo landfill (Aczarrí Environmental Technology Park), operated by EBI Berthier. The petitioner requested a digital copy of the record, but the health authority conditioned delivery on proving legal standing (parte…
Res. 00364-2022 Sala Constitucional2022 · Sala Constitucional
Inadmisibilidad de amparo contra Decreto de pólvora sin acto de aplicación
The Constitutional Chamber declares inadmissible the amparo filed by Rafael Ángel Paniagua Sáenz against the Executive Branch, the Ministry of Health, and the Ministry of Public Security. The petitioner challenged the constitutionality of Executive Decree No. 27502-S (Regulation on the Use and Manufacture of Pyrotechnic Materials), arguing that…
Res. 00001-2022 Sala Constitucional2022 · Sala Constitucional
Ampliación de plazo para cierre de vertedero en Turrialba
The Constitutional Chamber addresses the request filed by the mayor of Turrialba for an additional twelve-month extension to comply with the action plan ordered in previous rulings, aimed at resolving the environmental problems caused by the municipal landfill. The Court acknowledges the complexity of handling new public projects, especially those…
Res. 00005-2022 Sala Constitucional2022 · Sala Constitucional
Desobediencia en amparo por manejo de residuos sólidos en Paquera
The Constitutional Chamber dismisses a contempt motion filed in an amparo concerning solid waste management in the Paquera district. The original judgment ordered the municipal authorities and the Ministry of Health to immediately restore waste collection services and provide a definitive solution within ten months. A previous contempt motion was denied,…
Res. 00059-2022 Sala Constitucional2022 · Sala Constitucional
Contaminación sónica de local comercial no es competencia de amparo
The Constitutional Chamber summarily dismissed an amparo filed by a resident of Tilarán against the commercial establishment Playa Tila for alleged noise and light pollution. The petitioner argued that the business was operating under irregularly obtained municipal licenses and that the Ministry of Health had not properly addressed neighbors' complaints,…
Res. 00180-2022 Sala Constitucional2022 · Sala Constitucional
Participación pesquera en ampliación Isla del Coco
The Constitutional Chamber dismisses an amparo action brought by artisanal fishers against the Ministry of Environment and Energy (MINAE), claiming the absence of a mandatory prior consultation with coastal communities regarding the expansion of Isla del Coco National Park and the Montes Submarinos Marine Management Area. The majority holds that the…
Res. 00157-2022 Sala Constitucional2022 · Sala Constitucional
Rechazo de amparo sobre cancelación de servicentro
The Constitutional Chamber summarily dismisses an amparo action filed by an ecological development association against the General Directorate of Transportation and Fuel Marketing. The petitioner had requested the definitive cancellation of the public service concession for a gas station, alleging violations. The authority responded that its inaction was…
Res. 00439-2022 Sala Constitucional2022 · Sala Constitucional
Desbordamiento de quebrada y omisión municipal en Paraíso de Cartago
The Constitutional Chamber hears an amparo action filed by residents of Barrio La Soledad, in Paraíso de Cartago, who for over twelve years have suffered recurrent flooding due to the overflow of the Pollo River stream, caused by inadequate underground piping that leads to blockages. The petitioners argue that the floods endanger their lives, the integrity…
Res. 00415-2022 Sala Constitucional2022 · Sala Constitucional
Moscas y malos olores por granja avícola: falta de diligencia de autoridades
The Constitutional Chamber hears an amparo action filed by a neighbor against the Ministry of Health and the National Animal Health Service (SENASA) due to persistent flies and foul odors from the PECASA poultry farm, affecting his home and his family's health. The plaintiff had filed complaints since January 2021, but after multiple inspections and…
Res. 00567-2022 Sala Constitucional2022 · Sala Constitucional
Derecho de acceso a información sobre denuncia ambiental por herbicidas
The petitioner, a forestry engineer and president of the Biodiversity Coordination Network, filed an environmental complaint with the Ministry of Health against the Municipality of Santa Bárbara for using prohibited herbicides in public spaces. After a sanitary order was issued, she requested the technical inspection report and the sanitary order from the…
Res. 00577-2022 Sala Constitucional2022 · Sala Constitucional
Amparo por falta de respuesta a denuncia sobre herbicidas
The Biodiversity Coordination Network Association filed an amparo action against the Ministry of Health, alleging lack of response to a complaint filed on August 24, 2021, against the Municipality of San Rafael de Heredia for violation of a health alert on herbicide use in human coexistence spaces, specifically the use of Bastar 14SL herbicide. The…
Res. 00580-2022 Sala Constitucional2022 · Sala Constitucional
Amparo por falta de respuesta a solicitud de información ambiental sobre herbicidas en Puriscal
The Constitutional Chamber reviews an amparo filed by the president of the Biodiversity Coordination Network against the Ministry of Health for failing to respond to an information request submitted on October 18, 2021, concerning a complaint about the use of herbicides by the Municipality of Puriscal. The evidence shows that the request was sent to…
Res. 00584-2022 Sala Constitucional2022 · Sala Constitucional
Omisión de notificar resultado de inspección tras denuncia ambiental municipal
The Constitutional Chamber heard an amparo action filed by a Grecia resident against the Municipality of Grecia. The plaintiff alleged that since April 2021 she had filed a complaint about dirty, contaminated water being channeled from a cantonal road into her property, causing health and property damage. Although the municipality carried out an on-site…
Res. 00613-2022 Sala Constitucional2022 · Sala Constitucional
Amparo contra ARESEP por omisión de respuesta y denuncia ambiental
The Constitutional Chamber ruled on an amparo appeal filed against ARESEP for failure to respond to a request for information about a gas station's records. The petitioner also reported alleged fuel dispenser tampering and environmental damage, invoking the in dubio pro natura principle. The Chamber distinguished between the administrative complaint and…
Res. 00792-2022 Sala Constitucional2022 · Sala Constitucional
Plazos de respuesta administrativa en permisos de zoológico
The Association La Galería del Arte Increíble Niños Salvando el Bosque filed, in August 2019, before the Quepos Subregional Office of the Central Pacific Conservation Area (ACOPAC-SINAC), the management plan and other documentation to obtain the operating permit for the Kids Saving the Rainforest zoo. After more than two years of processing without a final…
Res. 01173-2022 Sala Constitucional2022 · Sala Constitucional
Derecho de petición y pronta respuesta sobre implementación de red 5G
The Constitutional Chamber reviewed an amparo filed by a citizen against the Ministry of Science, Technology and Telecommunications (MICITT) for failing to respond to an information request about the 5G network project submitted on November 24, 2021. The authority claimed the delay was due to the complexity of the queries and year-end institutional…
Res. 00421-2022 Sala Constitucional2022 · Sala Constitucional
Inhabitabilidad de vivienda en reserva nacional y deberes municipales de alcantarillado pluvial
The Constitutional Chamber hears an amparo action filed by two residents of Barrio Los Ángeles, Tejar de El Guarco, against the Municipality of El Guarco and the local Health Area Directorate. The petitioners allege that the ditch adjoining their home collapsed due to rains and lack of maintenance, causing foul odors, mosquito breeding, and structural…
Res. 00562-2022 Sala Constitucional2022 · Sala Constitucional
Amparo por falta de respuesta del AyA sobre capacidad hídrica
The Desamparados Ecologist Group filed an amparo action against the Costa Rican Institute of Aqueducts and Sewers (ICAA) for failing to respond to their challenge of the water availability certificate granted to the La Arboleda housing project. The applicants noted that AyA's communication PRE-2021-2021 stated there was no water or sewage availability, yet…
Res. 01139-2022 Sala Constitucional2022 · Sala Constitucional
Contaminación sónica por local comercial sin medidas sanitarias adecuadas
The petitioner alleged that the Mercado Gastronómico Skala generated noise pollution, crowds, and other nuisances that the Ministry of Health and the Municipality of San José had failed to address. The Chamber examined the reports and found that the authorities had responded to all complaints, conducting inspections, noise measurements, and notifying the…
Res. 01266-2022 Sala Constitucional2022 · Sala Constitucional
Rechazo de amparo por falta de denuncia previa ante autoridades administrativas
The Constitutional Chamber summarily dismisses the amparo petition filed by a resident of San Francisco de Dos Ríos against several public entities. The petitioner alleged sonic and environmental contamination, drug sales, and public safety issues at Okayama Park, claiming violation of his fundamental rights. The Chamber reiterates that it is not a…
Res. 01410-2022 Sala Constitucional2022 · Sala Constitucional
Improcedencia de gestión posterior sobre solución de aguas servidas
The Constitutional Chamber dismisses a post-judgment motion filed after an amparo ruling that ordered authorities to provide a comprehensive solution to sewage contamination in the Residencial Estancia Antigua. The petitioners challenged measures such as disconnecting the sewer pipe and building septic tanks, arguing they were inadequate. The Chamber…
Res. 01714-2022 Sala Constitucional2022 · Sala Constitucional
Respuesta tardía a solicitud ambiental por correo electrónico
The Constitutional Chamber reviewed an amparo action filed by the president of the Biodiversity Coordination Network Association against the Ministry of Health. The petitioner had requested, via email to the environmental officer assigned to her complaint, information about the destruction process of a herbicide by a company. Although the Ministry provided…
Res. 01668-2022 Sala Constitucional2022 · Sala Constitucional
Competencia para atender denuncias de ruido por ladridos de perros de establecimiento comercial
The Constitutional Chamber hears an amparo action filed against the Ministry of Health, SENASA, and the Municipality of San José, brought by the representative of a residential condominium alleging noise pollution from dog barking originating from an adjacent commercial establishment. The petitioner claimed that none of the entities adequately addressed…
Res. 02222-2022 Sala Constitucional2022 · Sala Constitucional
Amparo prematuro contra SETENA por denuncia ambiental sobre Mina Bella Vista
The Constitutional Court dismisses an amparo appeal as premature. The petitioner, representing the Preserve Planet Association, claimed that the National Environmental Technical Secretariat (SETENA) failed to respond to a complaint filed on December 20, 2021, regarding alleged irregular mining at Mina Bella Vista, Miramar de Puntarenas. The Court finds…
Res. 02420-2022 Sala Constitucional2022 · Sala Constitucional
Deber de atender denuncias ambientales no implica resultado favorable inmediato
The Constitutional Chamber reviews an amparo filed by a resident of San José de la Montaña against the Ministry of Health, claiming that his complaint about environmental and noise pollution, filed in September 2021, had not been addressed. The complainant alleged noise, dust, vibrations, and foul odors from heavy machinery stored on a neighboring…
Res. 02292-2022 Sala Constitucional2022 · Sala Constitucional
Cumplimiento de orden para resolver contaminación por aguas residuales no constituye desobediencia
The Constitutional Chamber reviews a claim of disobedience filed by the petitioner, who alleged that the condemned authorities had failed to establish the ordered timeline of activities and communicate the definitive solution to the sewage contamination problem on their property, as ordered in judgment No. 2021-21905. The Chamber notes that, after the…
Res. 02410-2022 Sala Constitucional2022 · Sala Constitucional
Omisión ministerial y del CTAC ante denuncia ambiental por fumigación aérea
The Constitutional Chamber granted amparo to the petitioner, who complained that the Talamanca Health Directorate and the Technical Council of Civil Aviation (CTAC) failed to resolve or properly inform about environmental complaints filed since November 2019. The complaints concerned aerial fumigation with agrochemicals near homes in Talamanca, affecting…
Res. 02472-2022 Sala Constitucional2022 · Sala Constitucional
Violación del derecho a respuesta formal en denuncia por herbicidas
The petitioner, president of the Biodiversity Coordination Network, filed an amparo against the Ministry of Health for failing to formally respond to her request to reopen an administrative complaint. The original complaint, filed on September 15, 2021, alleged that the Municipality of Nicoya was using herbicides in human coexistence spaces in violation of…
Res. 02340-2022 Sala Constitucional2022 · Sala Constitucional
SETENA debe resolver recurso de revocatoria en incidente de nulidad ambiental sin dilaciones indebidas
The Constitutional Chamber hears an amparo action against the National Environmental Technical Secretariat (SETENA) for the alleged failure to definitively resolve an absolute nullity incident filed against the environmental viability of a project. The Chamber verifies that, although the incident was initially rejected, the interested party filed a motion…
Res. 02357-2022 Sala Constitucional2022 · Sala Constitucional
Omisión de respuesta de ASADA a solicitudes sobre disponibilidad de agua
The Constitutional Chamber hears an amparo action against the ASADA of Pablo Presbere for failing to respond to two requests filed by the petitioner on October 17 and 21, 2021, in which she sought information on how to obtain potable water service for a lot in Horquetas de Sarapiquí, after the ASADA issued a non-availability certificate. The petitioner…
Res. 02370-2022 Sala Constitucional2022 · Sala Constitucional
Derecho de petición y acceso a información sobre Compañías de Activos Naturales
The Constitutional Chamber reviewed an amparo action against the Ministry of Environment and Energy (MINAE) for failing to respond to an information request sent by email. The petitioner sought explanations on Natural Asset Companies (NACs), agreements with the Rockefeller Foundation and IEG within the COP26 framework, and their impact on private property…
Res. 02496-2022 Sala Constitucional2022 · Sala Constitucional
Dilación en medida cautelar por amenaza a naciente
The Constitutional Chamber reviews an amparo action against the Administrative Environmental Tribunal (TAA) for failing to resolve a request for a precautionary measure in an administrative proceeding regarding the invasion of the protection area of a permanent spring on Finca 3 of the University of Costa Rica (UCR). The petitioners filed a complaint in…
Res. 01676-2022 Sala Constitucional2022 · Sala Constitucional
Orden de demolición en Loma Salitral por incumplimientos urbanos
The Constitutional Chamber denies an amparo action filed by an informal settlement dweller in Desamparados who sought to halt the demolition of her home. The Chamber verifies that the property lies within the Loma Salitral Special Forest Protection Zone, where the local land-use plan allows only one dwelling per estate. The Municipality of Desamparados had…
Res. 01625-2022 Sala Constitucional2022 · Sala Constitucional
Desobediencia de amparo sobre derechos de pozo y tanque de acueducto
The Constitutional Chamber examines a noncompliance claim filed by the petitioners in amparo case 18-005217-0007-CO, wherein AyA and the ASADA of Coyolito had been ordered to take measures to regularize the rights over a well and tank used for community water supply, or transfer the aqueduct administration to AyA. The court had granted several extensions…
Res. 01695-2022 Sala Constitucional2022 · Sala Constitucional
Acceso al expediente y respuesta a denuncia ambiental calificada
The Constitutional Chamber hears an amparo filed by a citizen who reported to the Municipality of Curridabat the construction of a private bridge over the Pruses River, apparently without the required environmental and municipal permits, potentially causing environmental harm. The complaint was filed on September 1, 2021, and the Municipal Council referred…
Res. 01784-2022 Sala Constitucional2022 · Sala Constitucional
Omisión de SINAC en atender denuncia de ocupación ilegal en manglar
The Constitutional Chamber hears an amparo filed by an individual against SINAC's Tempisque Conservation Area for failing to respond to an information request and complaint about illegal constructions in the Lagarto River estuary mangrove, Playa Sámara, on State Natural Heritage and Public Zone lands. The complaint was filed on October 8, 2021, with no…
Res. 01802-2022 Sala Constitucional2022 · Sala Constitucional
Municipalidad debe coordinar con Salud para resolver contaminación de Río Frío
The Constitutional Chamber grants an amparo against the Municipality of Los Chiles for failing to resolve an environmental complaint regarding pollution of the Río Frío and a private property. The petitioning company denounced in January 2020 and March 2021 that stormwater and untreated wastewater were draining onto its land and into the river, causing…
Res. 03168-2022 Sala Constitucional2022 · Sala Constitucional
Cumplimiento del TAA al dictar acto final tras orden de amparo
The Constitutional Chamber resolves a second contempt proceeding brought by the petitioner against the Environmental Administrative Tribunal (TAA) for failing to issue the final act in the case concerning the reconstruction of Route 606 Guácima–Santa Elena, as ordered in judgment 2020-009220. Although in a previous proceeding (2021) the Chamber found gross…
Res. 03324-2022 Sala Constitucional2022 · Sala Constitucional
Omisión municipal de resolver denuncia sobre canasta de residuos comunales
The Constitutional Chamber heard an amparo action against the Municipality of Goicoechea and the Ministry of Health regarding the installation of a communal waste basket on Alameda No. 9, Kurú Urbanization, one meter from the plaintiff's house. The plaintiff alleged adverse health effects from odors, gases, insects, and rodents, as well as obstruction of…
Res. 03172-2022 Sala Constitucional2022 · Sala Constitucional
Denegatoria de prórroga de concesión minera en zona protectora no exige expropiación inmediata
The Constitutional Chamber reviews an amparo filed by two corporations owning land within the Cerros de La Carpintera Protective Zone, which had held a 1994 mining concession for 25 years. When renewal was sought, SINAC denied it because mining was incompatible with the Management Plan. The petitioners argued this restriction emptied their property right,…
Res. 03192-2022 Sala Constitucional2022 · Sala Constitucional
Omisión Municipal en Fiscalización de Construcciones y Actividades Ilegales en Zona de Protección Hídrica
The Constitutional Chamber granted an amparo filed by a resident of La Giralda residential area, Alajuela, against the Municipality of Alajuela. The petitioner alleged that since 2009, unpermitted constructions and commercial activities have been taking place on the properties —specifically, a lot designated for building but used as a public road, and an…
Res. 03196-2022 Sala Constitucional2022 · Sala Constitucional
Amparo contra omisión de seguimiento a denuncia ambiental por carboneras clandestinas
The Constitutional Chamber dismissed the amparo filed by a resident of Patarrá de Desamparados against the Ministry of Health, alleging lack of response to a follow-up request on an environmental complaint and the ongoing pollution from clandestine charcoal furnaces and an illegal dump in the Cerros La Carpintera Protective Zone. The claimant asserted that…
Res. 03226-2022 Sala Constitucional2022 · Sala Constitucional
Inadmisibilidad de amparo por no agotar vía administrativa en denuncia forestal
The Constitutional Chamber analyzed an amparo action filed against the Environmental Administrative Tribunal for an alleged failure to process a complaint regarding a violation of the Forestry Law. The plaintiff argued that the TAA had not resolved his complaint nor conducted necessary inspections within a reasonable time, violating his fundamental rights.…
Res. 03259-2022 Sala Constitucional2022 · Sala Constitucional
Parámetros de ruido en salones comunales
The Constitutional Chamber hears an amparo appeal filed by a resident of Montes de Oca who, in August 2016, submitted a note to the Municipality and the Health Area requesting a limit on noise from community halls and dwellings in the canton after 9 p.m., alleging noise pollution and its health effects. The complainant claims he never received a response.…
Res. 03266-2022 Sala Constitucional2022 · Sala Constitucional
Omisión municipal en atender denuncias ambientales y respuesta tras amparo
The Constitutional Chamber heard an amparo action filed by a resident of Moravia against the Mayor, alleging failure to address complaints about overgrown vacant lots, trash, and obstructed sidewalks affecting health and free transit. The claimant argued that despite filing complaints in August and September 2021, she had received no written response or…
Res. 03746-2022 Sala Constitucional2022 · Sala Constitucional
Inejecución rechazada por cumplimiento tardío del TAA
The Constitutional Chamber reviews a non-compliance motion filed by Mauricio Arias Ruiz regarding judgment No. 2020-008926 of May 15, 2020, which had granted an amparo action and ordered the Environmental Administrative Tribunal (TAA) to resolve an environmental complaint filed in October 2018 within two months. The petitioner alleges failure to comply.…
Res. 03850-2022 Sala Constitucional2022 · Sala Constitucional
Excitativa al Presidente sobre fumigación aérea no genera obligación de respuesta
The Constitutional Chamber summarily dismisses an amparo filed by Marco Levy Virgo, president of the Ecology Development Association, against the President of the Republic. The claimant alleged no response to his November 11, 2021, request asking the President, as head of the National Environmental Council, to order the Minister of Agriculture to seek…
Res. 03905-2022 Sala Constitucional2022 · Sala Constitucional
Instalación de torre de telecomunicaciones en barrio residencial es asunto de legalidad ordinaria
The Constitutional Court rejects on the merits an amparo appeal filed by a neighbor in Alajuela against the installation of a 5G telecommunications tower in front of his home. The appellant claimed harm to his family's health, landscape, and right to information due to lack of prior consultation. The Court reiterates its settled case law: there is no…
Res. 03378-2022 Sala Constitucional2022 · Sala Constitucional
Inactividad municipal frente a deslizamientos y aguas pluviales en Quitirrisí
The Constitutional Chamber heard an amparo filed by a property owner in the indigenous territory of Quitirrisí de Mora, whose home was affected by stormwater from neighboring properties and a nearby landslide. The claimant alleged that despite inspections by the Municipality of Mora and the Ministry of Health since 2018, the problem remained unsolved. The…
Res. 03409-2022 Sala Constitucional2022 · Sala Constitucional
Derecho de respuesta en denuncia ambiental y aguas pluviales municipales
The Constitutional Chamber rules on an amparo filed by a resident of Grecia who reported to the Ministry of Health the invasion of stormwater runoff from the municipal road that affected her home and her elderly mother's health. The petitioner alleged lack of a timely response. The Chamber considers environmental complaints an exception to the general rule…
Res. 03940-2022 Sala Constitucional2022 · Sala Constitucional
Rechazo de aclaración sobre órdenes de amparo ambiental
The Municipality of Alajuela sought clarification and amplification of Judgment No. 2021-024616, which granted an amparo action against SETENA, SENARA, and the municipality itself over alleged irregularities in the development of the Lankaster condominium project. The municipality argued it had complied with the recommendations of internal audit report…
Res. 03965-2022 Sala Constitucional2022 · Sala Constitucional
Omisión del TAA en resolver denuncia ambiental
The Constitutional Chamber hears an amparo action against the Environmental Administrative Tribunal (TAA) for failing to resolve an environmental complaint filed by owners of a farm in Naranjo. The complainants alleged that municipal road-widening works caused erosion, landslides, and damage to their property. The TAA opened an investigation, requested…
Res. 03983-2022 Sala Constitucional2022 · Sala Constitucional
Desobediencia de orden de resolver medida cautelar ambiental
The Constitutional Chamber hears a non-compliance motion against the president of the Environmental Administrative Tribunal regarding the failure to obey Judgment No. 2022002496. In that prior judgment, the Chamber ordered an on-site inspection and, within three days after its completion, resolution of the precautionary measure requested by the plaintiffs…
Res. 04265-2022 Sala Constitucional2022 · Sala Constitucional
Incumplimiento de orden de suministro de agua potable a comunidad Alto de la Perica
The Constitutional Chamber resolves a contempt proceeding filed by residents of the Alto de la Perica community against the Costa Rican Institute of Aqueducts and Sewers (AyA) and the Institute of Rural Development (INDER). In the original ruling (2020-020336), the Chamber had ordered: 1) to prepare within three months a schedule for the execution of an…
Res. 04204-2022 Sala Constitucional2022 · Sala Constitucional
Instalación de postes de telecomunicaciones y derechos fundamentales
The Constitutional Chamber rejects on the merits an amparo action filed by residents of Turrialba against the Municipality for authorizing Golden Comunicaciones to install telecommunications poles on public roads. The plaintiffs alleged harm to health, privacy, and a healthy environment due to noise, obstruction, and proximity to homes. The Chamber…
Res. 04269-2022 Sala Constitucional2022 · Sala Constitucional
Amparo contra construcción de planta recicladora de baterías en Pococí
The Constitutional Chamber dismissed the amparo filed by residents of Jiménez de Pococí against the Municipality of Pococí, the Ministry of Health, and MINAE regarding the construction of a battery recycling plant. The claimants argued that lead handling threatened the environment and health due to proximity to the Jiménez River and drinking water wells.…
Res. 04512-2022 Sala Constitucional2022 · Sala Constitucional
Amparo por omisión de viabilidad ambiental en permiso sanitario
The Constitutional Chamber hears an amparo action against the Ministry of Health and SETENA regarding the granting of a sanitary operating permit to Transportes Flores 053 S.A. for the treatment of hazardous hospital waste, allegedly without an environmental viability license. The petitioner claims violation of the precautionary and preventive principles,…
Res. 04571-2022 Sala Constitucional2022 · Sala Constitucional
Respuesta tardía de municipalidad a denuncia sobre erosión por servidumbre pluvial
The Constitutional Chamber heard an amparo filed by condominium owners in Escazú who claimed that a municipal stormwater easement directed water to the La Cruz River, causing erosion that undermined their homes and endangered their lives and property. They alleged the municipality failed to definitively solve the problem and build protective works. The…
Res. 04631-2022 Sala Constitucional2022 · Sala Constitucional
Omisión de notificar respuesta municipal sobre torre de telecomunicaciones lesiona debido proceso
The Constitutional Chamber reviewed an amparo filed by a resident against the Cóbano District Council for failing to respond to a request to demolish a telecommunications structure built without permits near Hotel Selina Sur. The petitioner argued that the lack of response violated his right to a healthy and ecologically balanced environment. During the…
Res. 04640-2022 Sala Constitucional2022 · Sala Constitucional
El deber de resolver denuncias por aguas residuales en un plazo razonable
The Constitutional Chamber examines an amparo appeal filed by a resident of Goicoechea who alleges that the local Health Area has failed to adequately address a wastewater seepage problem from a neighboring property, affecting his family's health. The appellant recounts that since 2017 he has complained about the issue, obtaining at that time health orders…
Res. 05085-2022 Sala Constitucional2022 · Sala Constitucional
Amparo por falta de resolución del TAA en denuncia de entubamiento de quebrada
The Constitutional Chamber reviewed an amparo action against the Environmental Administrative Tribunal (TAA) for delay in resolving an environmental complaint regarding the piping of 70 meters of the Caída stream in Cartago, filed in 2010. After over eleven years of proceedings, including an oral hearing in October 2019, the TAA had not issued a final…
Res. 05094-2022 Sala Constitucional2022 · Sala Constitucional
Denuncia ambiental no resuelta por municipalidad
The Constitutional Chamber rules on an amparo action filed by a resident of Esparza against the Municipality for failing to resolve an environmental and noise pollution complaint lodged on August 31, 2021. The complaint targeted a company operating a workshop and factory in a residential area, causing noise and traffic. The Chamber confirms that although…
Res. 05112-2022 Sala Constitucional2022 · Sala Constitucional
Amparo por respuesta incompleta sobre Plan Regulador de Escazú
The Constitutional Chamber hears an amparo filed by the president of the Trejos Montealegre Neighborhood Civic Association (ACUTREM) against the Municipality of Escazú. The petitioner claims that after submitting a note on December 22, 2021, to the Department of Urban Planning and Control, pointing out alleged nullities in the modification process of the…
Res. 05119-2022 Sala Constitucional2022 · Sala Constitucional
Mora municipal en denuncia por lote abandonado insalubre
The Constitutional Court granted an amparo against the Municipality of Desamparados for failing to definitively resolve an environmental complaint about an abandoned, unsanitary lot, filed in July 2021. The complainant argued that the abandonment facilitated fires, drug use, trash accumulation, and threatened her health and life. The Court held that…
Res. 05122-2022 Sala Constitucional2022 · Sala Constitucional
Respuesta tardía a solicitud de información ambiental y costas
The Constitutional Chamber hears an amparo action filed by Marco Levy Virgo against the Área de Conservación Amistad Caribe (ACLAC) for failing to respond to an environmental information request made on December 15, 2021. The petitioner sought certified coordinates and names of beneficiaries of use and construction permits issued by the Municipal Council…
Res. 05192-2022 Sala Constitucional2022 · Sala Constitucional
Improcedencia de amparo por falta de respuesta a denuncia administrativa ambiental
The Constitutional Chamber dismissed an amparo filed by a citizen who had reported alleged environmental and urban planning violations to the Municipality of Garabito, including earthworks without environmental viability. The plaintiff claimed a violation of the right to petition and to prompt justice. The Chamber found that the request was not a simple…
Res. 05253-2022 Sala Constitucional2022 · Sala Constitucional
Recurso de amparo inadmisible por falta de gestión previa ante la Municipalidad de La Unión por proyecto habitacional
The Constitutional Chamber declares inadmissible an amparo petition filed by neighbors against the Municipality of La Unión for authorizing a housing project by Urbanizadora La Laguna. The petitioners alleged that construction was affecting the aquifer of the 'Chiguite' spring and the 'El Violín' stream, causing water contamination. However, the Court…
Res. 05037-2022 Sala Constitucional2022 · Sala Constitucional
Gestión de desobediencia sobre medida cautelar en expediente ambiental
The Constitutional Chamber hears a subsequent motion filed by petitioners Mechthild Bors de Barquero and Paulina Mata Monge, concerning judgment No. 2022002496 of January 28, 2022, which ordered the Environmental Administrative Tribunal (TAA) to conduct an on-site inspection and to rule within three days on a request for a precautionary measure to halt…
Res. 25601-2022 Sala Constitucional2022 · Sala Constitucional
Atención de denuncia por sobreexplotación de peces de arrecife en Golfo de Santa Elena
The Constitutional Chamber hears an amparo filed by Walter Brenes Soto against INCOPESCA and SINAC for failing to respond to a complaint filed on July 19, 2022, regarding alleged overexploitation of reef fish in the Gulf of Santa Elena. The petitioner claims a violation of the right to a healthy environment (Article 50 of the Constitution) and to prompt…
Res. 25374-2022 Sala Constitucional2022 · Sala Constitucional
Amparo sobre modificación del Plan Regulador Costero de Playa Sámara y participación ciudadana
The Constitutional Chamber dismissed an amparo action against the Municipality of Nicoya regarding amendments to the 1981 Sámara Coastal Zoning Plan. The petitioner argued that the public hearing on May 28, 2022 did not allow oral participation or provide materials, and that the municipality failed to obtain SETENA's environmental viability. The Chamber…
Res. 25499-2022 Sala Constitucional2022 · Sala Constitucional
Amparo ambiental por omisión de resolver denuncias sobre aguas pluviales y servidas
The Constitutional Chamber resolves an amparo filed by a property owner in Montes de Oca who filed complaints with the Municipality and the Health Area about flooding of his home due to stormwater and sewage from neighboring properties, without receiving a definitive response. The Chamber finds that the environmental complaints were not resolved within a…
Res. 25593-2022 Sala Constitucional2022 · Sala Constitucional
Acceso a expediente del Hotel Yare
The Constitutional Chamber granted an amparo filed by a citizen against the Ministry of Health, underscoring the fundamental right of access to administrative information under Article 30 of the Constitution. The petitioner had repeatedly requested a complete copy of the administrative file for the Hotel Yare, citing concerns about potential violations of…
Res. 25344-2022 Sala Constitucional2022 · Sala Constitucional
Incumplimiento de orden sobre limpieza y mitigación del río María Aguilar
The Constitutional Chamber reviews an enforcement‑compliance proceeding filed by a private individual against the Municipality of San José, alleging disobedience of the order issued in ruling 2020‑010630. That earlier judgment had partially granted an amparo and directed the municipality to engage in interinstitutional coordination and provide a definitive…
Res. 26246-2022 Sala Constitucional2022 · Sala Constitucional
Amparo por inundaciones tras trabajos de CONAVI en alcantarillado pluvial
The Constitutional Chamber hears an amparo filed by a landowner in La Palma de Parrita, who claims that CONAVI's works in December 2021 to clear a storm drain obstruction left an open excavation that now directs water toward his home, causing flooding, ponding, mosquitoes and bad odors, which he considers a violation of his rights to health and a healthy…
Res. 25846-2022 Sala Constitucional2022 · Sala Constitucional
Gestión posterior desestimada sobre lista de espera de agua potable
The Constitutional Chamber resolves a subsequent motion by the petitioner, who had previously filed an amparo action against the Cervantes District Municipal Council for failing to provide potable water availability. The petitioner alleges discrimination and lack of transparency in the variation of his position on the waiting list, which went from 84th to…
Res. 26103-2022 Sala Constitucional2022 · Sala Constitucional
Acceso a información ambiental de proyecto de electrificación en Manzanillo
The Constitutional Chamber hears an amparo action against the Costa Rican Electricity Institute (ICE) for denying access to documents of an electrification project in the maritime-terrestrial zone of Manzanillo, Talamanca. The petitioner requested digital copies of the administrative file and permits from the municipality and the water utility, citing…
Res. 27086-2022 Sala Constitucional2022 · Sala Constitucional
Ejecución de sentencia sobre contaminación por clorotalonil en Cipreses
The Constitutional Chamber resolves a post-judgment enforcement motion filed by the petitioner regarding ruling No. 2022-026065, which had ordered comprehensive remediation of chlorothalonil metabolite contamination in the Plantón and Carlos Calvo springs of the Cipreses de Oreamuno ASADA. The petitioner alleges new facts: the contamination has spread to…
Res. 26678-2022 Sala Constitucional2022 · Sala Constitucional
Plan regulador de Paraíso y belleza escénica del valle de Orosi
The Constitutional Chamber hears an amparo filed by residents against the Municipality of Paraíso, the ICT, and SETENA, alleging non-compliance with judgment No. 2003-006324, which ordered the issuance of a regulatory plan guaranteeing respect for the scenic beauty of the Orosi Valley. The petitioners argue that although a regulatory plan was approved in…
Res. 26697-2022 Sala Constitucional2022 · Sala Constitucional
Rechazo de gestión de inconformidad en amparo sobre parque municipal
The Constitutional Chamber rules on a subsequent filing by the petitioner in docket 22-021235-0007-CO, who expressed disagreement with the prior judgment that partially granted her amparo. The Chamber had already ordered the Municipality of Cartago to make improvements to a park to safeguard residents' safety, but rejected the claim that the court should…
Res. 27076-2022 Sala Constitucional2022 · Sala Constitucional
Incumplimiento por erosión fluvial en La Luisiana de Ujarrás
The Constitutional Chamber hears a non‑compliance claim brought by residents of La Luisiana de Ujarrás, Paraíso, against the Municipality, alleging it failed to comply with judgment 2012‑010718, which ordered the adoption of measures to solve or mitigate the effects of erosion on their lands. The Municipality submitted a 2016 technical study (Historical…
Res. 25244-2022 Sala Constitucional2022 · Sala Constitucional
Anulación de viabilidad ambiental por vía administrativa y plazo para persona jurídica
The Constitutional Chamber declares inadmissible —and one magistrate would reject outright— the amparo filed by a corporation’s representative against MINAE and SETENA. The petitioner argued that the 2013 administrative annulment of the 2008 environmental viability for the Isla Moín and Resort project violated the one-year limit under Article 173 LGAP and…
Res. 27035-2022 Sala Constitucional2022 · Sala Constitucional
Inadmisión de amparo por rechazo de Registro Ambiental D2 de SETENA
The Constitutional Chamber summarily dismisses an amparo appeal filed against the National Environmental Technical Secretariat (SETENA) for rejecting a D2 Environmental Registration. The complainant alleged violations of due process, property rights, and legal certainty because he was not allowed to correct deficiencies in his application and was required…
Res. 26717-2022 Sala Constitucional2022 · Sala Constitucional
Respuesta municipal a denuncia ambiental elimina amparo
The Constitutional Chamber dismissed an amparo action against the Municipality of Talamanca alleging a failure to respond to an environmental investigation request. The petitioner had asked the municipality to verify that a construction permit did not encroach on a wetland and to investigate municipal employee conduct. The Chamber found that before the…
Res. 27353-2022 Sala Constitucional2022 · Sala Constitucional
Acceso a la información denuncia ambiental SITADA
The Constitutional Chamber reviewed an amparo action against SINAC for an alleged failure to respond to an environmental complaint and an information request regarding constructions in spring protection zones in Grecia. The claimant argued he had not received a copy of the investigation report nor a reply to his September 5, 2022 request. The record showed…
Res. 27077-2022 Sala Constitucional2022 · Sala Constitucional
Ampliación de plazo para cumplir condena de contaminación de aguas residuales
The Constitutional Chamber addressed a post-judgment motion filed by the Mayor of the Municipality of Escazú, requesting a further extension of the deadline set in the original ruling (Res. No. 2021-013167) to definitively resolve wastewater contamination on a property in the canton. The original ruling had ordered the Municipality, the Health Area, and…
Res. 27348-2022 Sala Constitucional2022 · Sala Constitucional
Derecho de petición en denuncia ambiental contra la Municipalidad de Talamanca por omisión de respuesta
The Constitutional Chamber ruled on an amparo filed by a citizen who requested environmental information from the mayor of Talamanca via an official email. The request included an updated list of buildings in the public and maritime-terrestrial zone and the grounds for construction within the new boundaries of the Keköldi Indigenous Reserve. The…
Res. 27339-2022 Sala Constitucional2022 · Sala Constitucional
Incumplimiento desestimado por plazo no vencido en amparo de seguridad en parque
The Constitutional Chamber dismisses a non-compliance claim filed by the petitioner against the Municipality of Cartago. The petitioner alleged that the works carried out by the municipality in the Valle del Prado urbanization park did not provide the required safety, thus breaching the previous court order. The Chamber determines that judgment No.…
Res. 27389-2022 Sala Constitucional2022 · Sala Constitucional
Acceso a expediente SETENA no se vulnera al requerir solicitud por correo electrónico oficial
The Constitutional Chamber dismissed an amparo filed by a party interested in a SETENA administrative file. The petitioner claimed a violation of his right of defense because when he appeared on a Wednesday to request copies of volumes 31 and 32 of file FEAP-0037-SETENA, the Archive was closed and the official told him to use the official email to request…
Res. 27958-2022 Sala Constitucional2022 · Sala Constitucional
Desobediencia a orden de Sala Constitucional sobre manejo de aguas e inundaciones en Calle Barrantes
The Constitutional Chamber reviewed a claim of disobedience filed by a resident of Calle Barrantes in Atenas against the mayor and the president of the Municipal Council for failing to comply with ruling No. 2022-001661. That ruling had ordered the municipal authorities to resolve a stormwater management problem causing flooding in the area, which…
Res. 28021-2022 Sala Constitucional2022 · Sala Constitucional
MIVAH responde solicitud de información sobre proyecto 'La Esperanza'
The Constitutional Chamber hears an amparo filed by Edvin Gerardo Rojas Rodríguez against the Ministry of Housing and Human Settlements (MIVAH). The petitioner requested detailed information about the 'La Esperanza' housing project, including environmental feasibility and design parameters. MIVAH responded after being notified of the amparo, stating that…
Res. 28038-2022 Sala Constitucional2022 · Sala Constitucional
Sala Constitucional ordena limpieza de terrenos del MOPT usados como botaderos
The Constitutional Chamber grants an amparo filed by the Río Segundo Development Association against the Ministry of Public Works and Transport (MOPT) and the Ministry of Health. It finds that since 2018, state-owned land intended for road projects in Río Segundo has become an illegal dump and site for clandestine parties with excessive noise, harming…
Res. 28578-2022 Sala Constitucional2022 · Sala Constitucional
Inadmisibilidad de amparo contra órdenes sanitarias por aguas servidas
The petitioner, a resident of Barva, filed an amparo action against the San Rafael-Barva Health Area over sanitary orders requiring him to build a wastewater treatment system. He claimed the measure is retroactive, impossible to implement due to lack of space and funds, and that the municipality should have required it when approving construction. The…
Res. 27972-2022 Sala Constitucional2022 · Sala Constitucional
Orden sanitaria del Ministerio de Salud no vulnera derechos fundamentales en conflicto vecinal por humos y olores
The Constitutional Chamber analyzed an amparo appeal filed by a resident of Mercedes Norte de Heredia against the Municipality of Heredia and the Heredia Health Governing Area. The appellant claimed that the commercial establishment "[Name 002] Production Center," a meat processing facility, generated toxic smoke, foul odors, and constant noise, affecting…
Res. 27982-2022 Sala Constitucional2022 · Sala Constitucional
Denegatoria de disponibilidad de agua potable por protección de naciente no vulnera derechos
The Constitutional Chamber dismisses the amparo filed by a property owner against the Vuelta de Jorco de Aserrí Water Association, which denied his request for potable water availability for a property located within the protection area of the Carlos Fallas spring. The petitioner argued that the spring was outside the legally mandated protection buffer…
Res. 28062-2022 Sala Constitucional2022 · Sala Constitucional
Municipalidad debe construir alcantarillado pluvial solo si hay riesgo a la salud o vida
The Constitutional Chamber denied an amparo action that sought to compel the District Municipal Council of Cóbano to build storm drainage infrastructure to prevent flooding in Santa Teresa. The Chamber found that the petition did not identify specific affected individuals in a state of vulnerability nor demonstrate imminent risk to the life, health, or…
Res. 28682-2022 Sala Constitucional2022 · Sala Constitucional
Deber del Área Rectora de Salud de dictar órdenes sanitarias ante contaminación por aguas residuales
The Constitutional Chamber reviewed an amparo action against the Municipality of Pococí and the Ministry of Health for failure to respond to complaints about wastewater contamination in La Colonia de Guápiles. The petitioner alleged that due to the lack of a stormwater drainage system, rainwater was diverted onto her property along with wastewater from…
Res. 28753-2022 Sala Constitucional2022 · Sala Constitucional
Falta de competencia municipal para demoler muro en zona de protección del río Cañas
The Constitutional Chamber denied an amparo against the Municipality of Desamparados concerning a clandestine retaining wall built in the protection zone of the Cañas River. The petitioner claimed the wall diverted the river and damaged his property. The Chamber found the municipality acted diligently: it inspected the site, ordered the closure of works…
Res. 29013-2022 Sala Constitucional2022 · Sala Constitucional
Inadmisibilidad del amparo ambiental por planteamiento abstracto
The Constitutional Chamber rejects an amparo action filed against several authorities for alleged omissions in protecting Manuel Antonio National Park. The claimant argued lack of response to his complaints about situations affecting park visitors. The majority held the amparo inadmissible because it was raised in the abstract, without showing specific…
Res. 92243-2022 Sala Constitucional2022 · Sala Constitucional
Reducción de la Zona Protectora de Tivives
The Attorney General's Office filed a constitutional challenge against Executive Decree No. 42404-MINAE, which reduced the Tivives Protective Zone by approximately 81.9 hectares. The Constitutional Chamber admitted the action for processing, finding it meets legal requirements and that the plaintiff has standing under Article 75 of the Constitutional…
Res. 28700-2022 Sala Constitucional2022 · Sala Constitucional
Omisión del Ministerio de Salud de realizar medición sónica ante denuncia por ruido de construcción
The Constitutional Chamber heard an amparo action against the Ministry of Health for inadequately addressing a noise pollution complaint. The petitioner alleged that the construction of condominiums in front of her home generated excessive noise and that the Ministry, after an inspection, incorrectly applied the exception in Article 15 of Executive Decree…
Res. 28748-2022 Sala Constitucional2022 · Sala Constitucional
Amparo por falta de respuesta municipal sobre parqueo feria del agricultor
The Constitutional Chamber reviewed an amparo appeal filed by a citizen against the Municipality of Heredia. The appellant requested certified administrative information concerning actions and works carried out in a parking lot used by the Farmer's Market, alleging poor conditions, lack of lighting and signage, potholes, and water ponds favoring dengue…
Res. 29206-2022 Sala Constitucional2022 · Sala Constitucional
Retardo en resolver recurso de revocatoria y ejecución de orden ambiental
The Constitutional Chamber partially grants an amparo petition against the Environmental Administrative Tribunal (TAA) and the Municipality of Garabito for delay in deciding a revocation appeal and failure to enforce an environmental remediation order. The petitioner reported that the Municipality carried out works without environmental viability,…
Res. 29658-2022 Sala Constitucional2022 · Sala Constitucional
Inadmisibilidad de acción de inconstitucionalidad contra artículo 61 de Ley 8839
The Constitutional Chamber flatly rejects an unconstitutionality action against Article 61 of the Integrated Waste Management Law (Law 8839), which criminalizes the illegal disposal of waste. The petitioner argued that the provision amounts to an open criminal offense, violating the principles of legality and specificity in criminal law by allowing generic…
Res. 29620-2022 Sala Constitucional2022 · Sala Constitucional
Inadmisibilidad del amparo contra sujetos de derecho privado
The Constitutional Chamber flatly rejects an amparo action filed against two corporations for alleged harassment, vandalism, contamination, and interference with free enterprise and the right to work, arising from a dispute between tourism operators at the Nauyaca waterfalls. The Chamber reiterates that amparo is not the proper avenue for complaints…
Res. 29926-2022 Sala Constitucional2022 · Sala Constitucional
Improcedencia del amparo como vía para denuncias ambientales sin gestión formal previa
The Constitutional Chamber declares inadmissible the amparo action filed by residents of Paquera against the Municipal Council, CONAVI, and MOPT for alleged flooding in their homes. The petitioners claim a violation of Article 50 of the Constitution but admit they only raised their complaints by telephone or orally, without formally submitting written…
Res. 30122-2022 Sala Constitucional2022 · Sala Constitucional
Rechazo de amparo por denuncia ambiental sin plazo vencido
The Constitutional Chamber hears an amparo petition filed by the president of an ecological development association, who filed a complaint with the Municipality of Talamanca regarding allegedly irregular construction within the maritime terrestrial zone, possibly violating the Maritime Terrestrial Zone Law (Law No. 6043) and the Forestry Law. The…
Res. 30523-2022 Sala Constitucional2022 · Sala Constitucional
Contaminación sónica por salón de baile — deber de notificación del Ministerio de Salud
The complainant reported noise pollution from dances at a bar-restaurant to the Municipality of Santa Cruz and the Ministry of Health. Despite multiple complaints, the noise persisted, affecting his health as a senior citizen. The Constitutional Chamber found that the Municipality had duly responded to the complaints, so no violation was established. As…
Res. 30427-2022 Sala Constitucional2022 · Sala Constitucional
Desobediencia por contaminación de aguas negras en Las Tirulas de Escazú
The Constitutional Chamber hears a disobedience motion from a resident of the Las Tirulas neighborhood in Escazú, who claims that pollution from black and gray water persists on her property despite the Chamber's ruling in case 2021-013167 ordering the Municipality of Escazú, the Ministry of Health, and SINAC to resolve the issue within six months. The…
Res. 30431-2022 Sala Constitucional2022 · Sala Constitucional
Desglose de gestión posterior por hechos no considerados en sentencia de amparo
The Constitutional Chamber reviewed a post-judgment filing by an amparo claimant against the Municipality of Mora and the Ministry of Health, concerning alleged hazardous housing conditions and stormwater drainage issues. The claimant argued that after the prior favorable ruling (Decision No. 2022-003378), the authorities failed to resolve her situation…
Res. 30440-2022 Sala Constitucional2022 · Sala Constitucional
Derecho a procedimiento pronto y cumplido en denuncias sanitarias ambientales
The Constitutional Chamber rules on an amparo against the Ministry of Health for failing to timely address three environmental health complaints filed by a citizen regarding noise pollution, wastewater, and a landfill. The Chamber finds that authorities only acted after being notified of the amparo, violating the right to a prompt and complete procedure.…
Res. 30479-2022 Sala Constitucional2022 · Sala Constitucional
Solicitud de información sobre plaguicidas en parques municipales no satisfecha no configura violación de derecho de petición
The Constitutional Court reviews an amparo appeal filed by the president of the Montes de Oca Accessible Association against the Municipality of Montes de Oca. The appellant claimed that on September 22, 2022, he requested detailed information on pesticide use, particularly glyphosate, and on compliance with municipal agreements related to the canton's…
Res. 30478-2022 Sala Constitucional2022 · Sala Constitucional
Acceso a información del Plan Regulador Costero de Talamanca en Refugio Gandoca Manzanillo
The Constitutional Chamber heard an amparo action filed by the president of the Association for Ecology Development against the National Institute of Housing and Urbanism (INVU). The petitioner requested digital copies of the background documents and progress reports of the Talamanca Coastal Regulatory Plan, within the boundaries of the Gandoca Manzanillo…
Res. 30172-2022 Sala Constitucional2022 · Sala Constitucional
Acceso de terceros a expediente de desfogue pluvial con interés académico
The Constitutional Chamber reviewed an amparo filed by a law student against the Municipality of San Ramón for denying him a copy of an administrative file regarding a stormwater drainage project for a potential individual farm development. The petitioner requested the file to complete his graduation thesis, with the endorsement of his thesis advisor, a…
Res. 00005-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Desobediencia al amparo sobre restaurante Koki Beach
The petitioner filed a noncompliance motion against the Mayor of Talamanca for failing to comply with ruling 2020-013414, which ordered the notification of a March 12, 2020 official letter within three days. The original ruling had protected his right to petition regarding a complaint about illegal constructions in the Restricted Zone of Puerto Viejo,…
Res. 00007-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
SETENA notificada por correo institucional y no por portal oficial
The Constitutional Court reviews a clarification motion filed by SETENA’s Secretary General in amparo case 20-016039-0007-CO. The respondent argues that the order granting the amparo was served to the wrong address (email
[email protected]) instead of the official portal https://portal.setena.go.cr, communicated to the Court on December 10,…
Res. 00013-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Notificación a SETENA en recurso de amparo ambiental
The Constitutional Chamber rejects a clarifying motion filed by the National Environmental Technical Secretariat (SETENA) within an environmental amparo proceeding. SETENA argued that the resolution admitting the amparo was notified to an incorrect email address instead of its designated portal. However, the Chamber verified that notification was sent to…
Res. 00014-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Gestión de adición y aclaración en amparo sobre inundaciones en Desamparados
The Constitutional Chamber dismisses a subsequent motion filed by the petitioner in an environmental amparo that had already been granted. The original judgment ordered the Municipality of Desamparados to fully resolve, within twelve months, the flooding affecting the Gravilias community. The petitioner challenged the timeframe and the effectiveness of the…
Res. 00213-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Amparo por humo y olores de horno crematorio de animales
The Constitutional Chamber denies an amparo petition filed on behalf of a 97-year-old elderly man, whose son claimed that the Ministry of Health had not responded to a complaint filed on August 6, 2020, regarding smoke, ash, and foul odors from the crematory furnace of Memorial Pets, affecting their home in Barrio Don Bosco, San José. The Chamber verifies…
Res. 00176-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Apertura de calle en parque infantil de Montezuma sin viabilidad ambiental
The Constitutional Chamber reviews an amparo action against the Cóbano District Municipal Council for the opening of a road that would cross the Montezuma children’s park, involving tree cutting and reduction of recreational space. The claimant alleges violation of the right to a healthy environment and lack of citizen participation. The Chamber denies the…
Res. 00187-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Amparo por interrupción del servicio de recolección de basura por bloqueos
The Constitutional Chamber reviewed an amparo filed by a resident of Pérez Zeledón against the Municipality of Pérez Zeledón, claiming that trash collection was suspended from September 30 to October 14, 2020 due to blockades on national routes. The petitioner argued that waste accumulation affected health and the environment. During the proceedings, the…
Res. 00262-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Respuesta de SETENA a solicitud de información sobre regencia ambiental
The Constitutional Chamber reviewed an amparo filed against SETENA for alleged failure to respond to an information request regarding environmental oversight at the Río Azul landfill. The petitioner asked four specific questions on November 10, 2020: whether another company could appoint a different environmental regent, the procedures for the current…
Res. 00998-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Desestimatoria de gestión de desobediencia por alcantarillado pluvial en Puerto Viejo
The Constitutional Chamber dismisses the second claim of disobedience filed by the appellant against the Mayor of Talamanca, alleging noncompliance with Judgment 2020-006699, which ordered the municipality to solve the stormwater drainage problem in Puerto Viejo, Limón. The Mayor argues that he cannot intervene in the stormwater system until the sanitary…
Res. 00647-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Derecho al agua potable: omisión de respuesta a solicitud de vecinos
The Constitutional Chamber reviews an amparo action filed by residents of a community in Desamparados who lack drinking water service. They claim this violates their rights to health, life, and non-discrimination, and that despite multiple efforts, including a written request to the Costa Rican Institute of Aqueducts and Sewers (ICAA) on September 2, 2019,…
Res. 00657-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Inundaciones en Barrio 20 de Noviembre — Omisión municipal y de salud viola justicia pronta
The Constitutional Chamber reviewed an amparo filed by a resident of Barrio 20 de Noviembre in Chacarita, Puntarenas, who reported that the Municipality of Puntarenas and the Ministry of Health had failed to address his complaints about severe flooding caused by heavy rains, affecting his home and community health. The petitioner filed complaints in June…
Res. 00665-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Falta de respuesta municipal a queja por inundaciones en Villa Bonita
The Constitutional Chamber hears an amparo filed by a resident of Villa Bonita, Alajuela, against the Municipality of Alajuela. The petitioner claims that her property suffers from flooding, foul odors, and pests because the municipality never built a stormwater drainage system, causing rainwater to flow through a channel crossing her land. She also argues…
Res. 00679-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Amparo sobre protección de la naciente Plantón y deber de resolver denuncias ambientales
Neighbors of Cipreses de Cartago filed an amparo action against SINAC and the Ministry of Health, claiming that the Plantón spring—which supplies water to 2,500 families—was surrounded by crops using agrochemicals without respecting the protection zone. Complaints filed in July 2020 had not been resolved on the merits. The Constitutional Chamber found that…
Res. 00995-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Incumplimiento de amparo sobre agua contaminada en Jicaral y Lepanto
The Constitutional Chamber dismisses a non-compliance motion against the ruling that ordered the Ministry of Health to ensure that water from artisanal wells and springs in El Pital de Jicaral and Las Tranqueras de Lepanto was not dangerously contaminated. The complainant argued the water remained contaminated and that a connection to the main pipe of the…
Res. 01062-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Amparo sobre anulación de certificado de uso de suelo por protección de ríos y quebradas
The Constitutional Chamber flatly rejects an amparo appeal filed by the representative of a corporation against the Urban Planning Office of the Municipality of Paraíso. The appellant argued that the municipality annulled a land-use certificate granted in 2017 for agro-tourism development, by denying a change-of-use application for alcohol bottling,…
Res. 01163-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Desobediencia a orden de clausura de fábrica contaminante
The Constitutional Chamber hears a disobedience motion filed by Sandra Mayela Castro Castro against the Municipality of Poás and the Ministry of Health (Poás Health Area), alleging failure to comply with prior ruling No. 2020-014678. In that ruling, the Chamber had ordered both institutions to coordinate and take all necessary actions to end the pollution…
Res. 01521-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Amparo ambiental contra Municipalidad de Desamparados por inundaciones en Gravilias
The Constitutional Chamber heard an amparo action brought by Justina Mora Suárez against the Municipality of Desamparados for recurring flooding in the Gravilias community. The original judgment (No. 2020-022801) granted the amparo and ordered municipal authorities to fully resolve the environmental harm within twelve months. Subsequently, the claimant…
Res. 01734-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Sala Constitucional rechaza hábeas corpus por expulsión de visitantes que incumplieron reglas en Parque Nacional Isla San Lucas
The Constitutional Chamber dismissed a habeas corpus claim filed by visitors to Isla San Lucas National Park who alleged they were threatened by a park ranger with a firearm. The petitioners claimed the SINAC ranger ordered them to leave the protected area while they were eating, causing a minor's nervous breakdown. However, the court found that the…
Res. 02571-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Planta de concreto sin viabilidad ambiental en proyecto Taras-La Lima
The Constitutional Chamber declared inadmissible an amparo action filed by a company manager against the Ministry of Public Works and Transport (MOPT), the Ministry of Environment and Energy (MINAE), the Ministry of Health, and the National Environmental Technical Secretariat (SETENA), regarding the installation of a concrete plant for the Taras-La Lima…
Res. 02307-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Falta de respuesta del Concejo Municipal sobre denuncia ambiental no lesiona derechos si no consta gestión del recurrente
The Constitutional Chamber hears an amparo action filed by a citizen against the Municipality of Abangares, alleging that he filed complaints before the Municipal Council on October 13 and December 1, 2020 regarding the construction of a gold processing plant near the Boston River, in the Abangares Protective Zone, without receiving a response. The…
Res. 03099-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Gestión de inejecución por incumplimiento de informe cronológico rechazada
The Constitutional Chamber dismissed an inexecution petition filed by an environmentalist who alleged disobedience of Judgment 2020-023866. That judgment had upheld the right to petition and ordered the Mayor of Talamanca to provide a chronological report on the factual and legal conditions surrounding construction within the Gandoca-Manzanillo National…
Res. 02740-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Notificación de actuaciones en denuncia por malos olores de camposanto
The Constitutional Chamber hears an amparo filed by residents of Nuestra Señora del Carmen against the Ministry of Health and the Municipality of La Unión for delay in resolving a complaint about strong odors and smoke from a cemetery, which affected the health of people with asthma and respiratory problems. After receiving the complaint through the…
Res. 02838-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Denuncia ambiental municipal sin respuesta vulnera derecho de petición
The Constitutional Chamber hears an amparo filed by the Costa Rican Federation for Environmental Conservation against the Municipality of Santa Cruz. The petitioner reported the construction of a bridge (or culvert) at Playa El Coco de Marbella, within the maritime-terrestrial zone, without environmental impact assessment permits from SETENA. Although the…
Res. 03091-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Desobediencia en amparo por filtración de agua: gestión rechazada
The Constitutional Chamber resolved a claim of disobedience within an amparo proceeding that had ordered the Municipality of Turrialba and INCOFER to solve a water seepage problem at the petitioners' home. The respondent authorities conducted inspections and technical studies, concluding that the seepage did not come from a public-domain water body as…
Res. 03104-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Desobediencia denegada a respuesta de Salud sobre Relleno Río Azul
The petitioner filed an amparo against the Ministry of Health seeking responses regarding the Río Azul Landfill. The Constitutional Chamber partially granted the amparo in prior ruling No. 2021001295, ordering health authorities to forward his requests to the appropriate offices for a complete answer. The petitioner later alleged disobedience of that…
Res. 03246-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Desobediencia en desalojo de construcciones ilegales en Zona Protectora Cerros de la Carpintera
The Constitutional Chamber resolves a second non-compliance proceeding filed by residents against the mayor of La Unión for failing to execute Judgment 2019-021889, which ordered the municipality to address complaints, verify illegal constructions, initiate proceedings, and complete technical studies in the Cerros de la Carpintera Protected Zone. The…
Res. 03296-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Desistimiento de amparo por satisfacción extraprocesal en denuncia ambiental
The Constitutional Chamber hears an amparo appeal filed by a resident of La Guácima de Alajuela against the Ministry of Health and the Municipality of Alajuela for the alleged failure to address complaints about noise and environmental pollution from informal mechanical workshops. The appellant claimed that the authorities did not adequately follow up on…
Res. 03418-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Amparo por falta de respuesta a denuncia sobre fertilizantes posiblemente contaminantes
The Constitutional Court heard an amparo filed by Alfredo Villalobos Salazar against the Ministry of Agriculture (MAG). The petitioner reported two fertilizers (TOP CROP N and Multi Compost) whose active ingredients allegedly did not match their registrations, possibly containing ammoniacal sources generating chlorides that could contaminate aquifers. He…
Res. 03655-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Reiteración de cumplimiento en amparo por descargas de aguas residuales
The Constitutional Chamber reviews a non-compliance action filed by the petitioner, who claims that the Municipality of Cañas and the Ministry of Health have not complied with ruling 2019-11274. That ruling ordered the correction of wastewater channeling from settlements east of and within Urbanización Carolina, which discharge into the storm sewer, and…
Res. 03661-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Incumplimiento de amparo por inundaciones en Los Chiles
The Constitutional Chamber reviewed a subsequent filing for non-compliance with an amparo ruling (2020-011748) that ordered the Municipality of Los Chiles to prevent flood risk on the petitioner's property within six months. The Municipality attributed delays to budgetary constraints and adverse weather conditions during the 2020 rainy season, which…
Res. 03662-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Improcedencia de revaluación de sentencia de amparo ambiental
The Constitutional Chamber addressed a subsequent motion filed by Belinda Jones Serrano against the National Environmental Technical Secretariat (SETENA) and the Environmental Administrative Tribunal (TAA), regarding the environmental feasibility approved for the Chirripó Quarry. The petitioner requested a reevaluation of Judgment No. 2020-011772, which…
Res. 01124-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Ampliación de plazo por complejidad y COVID-19
The Constitutional Chamber resolves an enforcement motion filed by residents of Santa Bárbara de Heredia against the Municipality and the Ministry of Health, alleging failure to comply with a prior ruling that ordered them to resolve an environmental problem of flooding and wastewater contamination in the San Bosco de Purabá sector. Both authorities…
Res. 01183-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Desglose de planteamiento: hechos nuevos sobre cementerio municipal y SETENA
The Constitutional Chamber addresses a post-judgment motion filed after ruling no. 2020-022485, in which petitioner Gilberto De La Trinidad Monge Ortiz introduces facts and claims not originally discussed. In his initial amparo, he complained of the SINAC’s failure to respond to requests regarding a municipal cemetery in a conservation area. The Chamber…
Res. 01212-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Exceso de ruido no resuelto por el Ministerio de Salud
The Constitutional Chamber reviewed an amparo filed by neighbors against the Ministry of Health for failing to definitively resolve a noise pollution complaint lodged in October 2018 against Frumar company. The petitioner argued that despite measurements and sanitary orders, nocturnal noise persisted, harming their health and that of their family. She also…
Res. 01238-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Omisión de notificación de resolución de denuncia ambiental municipal
Two elderly adults filed a complaint with the Municipality of Naranjo regarding rainwater and wastewater runoff from adjacent municipal properties onto their home, allegedly causing environmental pollution and foul odors. Although municipal officials inspected the site and dismissed the issues, they failed to formally notify the complainants of their…
Res. 01285-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Improcedencia de amparo por derribo de cercas para construcción de aceras
The petitioners, owners of properties in Cartago, filed an amparo action against the Municipality of Cartago, alleging violation of their fundamental rights because municipal workers removed fences on their properties without prior notice in order to build public sidewalks. The Constitutional Chamber found that the Municipality had properly notified the…
Res. 01650-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Incumplimiento del TAA en investigar denuncia ambiental sobre Aeródromo La Managua
The Constitutional Chamber reviews a habeas corpus-like petition for non-compliance with a prior ruling that ordered the Administrative Environmental Tribunal (TAA) to resolve an environmental complaint about construction works at the La Managua Airfield in Quepos, filed since October 2018. Although in May 2020 a two-month deadline was given for the TAA to…
Res. 01655-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Dilación municipal en resolver denuncia por filtración de agua en vivienda
The Constitutional Chamber partially grants amparo to a resident of Tibás who reported water seepage in her home, attributed to a faulty municipal repair and the poor condition of sidewalks and gutters. She filed the complaint on July 29, 2020, and although the municipality’s Technical Road Unit conducted inspections and communications, no definitive…
Res. 01672-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Denuncia por malos olores de crematorio y deber municipal de traslado
The Constitutional Chamber hears an amparo filed by a resident of Nuestra Señora del Carmen urbanization in La Unión against the Municipality of La Unión, alleging failure to respond to a complaint filed on September 23, 2020, regarding strong odors and smoke from the Valle de Paz cemetery, which affected residents' health, especially those with asthma and…
Res. 01703-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Plazo irrazonable para resolver expediente ambiental
The Constitutional Chamber reviewed an amparo petition filed by a neighbor against the Municipality of Barva, the Ministry of Health, and the Environmental Administrative Tribunal (TAA) regarding the failure to effectively resolve pollution caused by a body shop (scrapyard) in San José de la Montaña. The petitioner claimed that, despite multiple complaints…
Res. 01334-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Acceso a la información y condenatoria en costas en amparo
The Constitutional Chamber hears an amparo against the Municipality of Escazú for failing to respond to an information request regarding an easement, a subdivision, and a water spring. The petitioners sought data on the declaration of a public road, preliminary project files, resolutions concerning the spring, and municipal permits. After being notified of…
Res. 03955-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Rechazo de amparo sobre permiso de zoológico y amenazas del SINAC
The Constitutional Chamber flatly rejects the amparo appeal filed by the representative of Zoocriadero Finca Lodge against SINAC. The appellant claimed that after Decree 40548-MINAE took effect, he adapted his wildlife breeding center into a zoo and applied for a permit in June 2020, but SINAC made its decision conditional on the conclusion of pending…
Res. 04223-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Amparo prematuro contra taller de enderezado y pintura en Limón
The Constitutional Chamber reviews an amparo action against the Ministry of Health and the Municipality of Limón concerning air pollution from a body shop. The petitioner claims that chemical emissions harm neighbors' health, including minors, and that there has been no response to complaints filed in November 2020 and February 2021. The Chamber finds that…
Res. 04396-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Amparo contra el TAA por declaratoria de demanialidad
The petitioner, a possessor of land within the Los Santos Forest Reserve, filed an amparo action challenging the TAA Ruling 882-18-TAA, which acquitted her son of an environmental infraction but, on the grounds that the property was unregistered and had forest cover, declared it vacant land with forest characteristics and ordered its incorporation into the…
Res. 04475-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Incumplimiento de sentencia de amparo sobre problemas ambientales y constructivos en Lomas del Río
The Constitutional Chamber addresses a non-compliance claim filed by the plaintiff against the Municipality of Turrialba and the Ministry of Health regarding ruling 2020-015125, which ordered verification and legal correction of environmental and construction problems in the Lomas del Río informal settlement, as well as coordination of a possible eviction…
Res. 04519-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Dilación del Ministerio de Salud en atender denuncia por ruido de sirena escolar
The Constitutional Chamber reviewed an amparo petition against the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Public Education for failing to address a noise complaint regarding the siren of San Felipe School in Alajuelita. The petitioner, a neighbor, claimed the alarm sounded multiple times daily since March 2020, harming her husband with chronic kidney…
Res. 04823-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Desobediencia incumplimiento de orden de limpiar cuenca del Tárcoles
The Constitutional Chamber hears a non-compliance motion filed by Walter Brenes Soto on behalf of Federico Arias Chacón against various authorities, alleging non-compliance with ruling 2007-005894. In that ruling, the Chamber ordered the respondents to take comprehensive actions to eliminate pollution sources in the Tárcoles River basin and to initiate a…
Res. 05040-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Denuncia ambiental ante la CGR sobre permisos municipales en Gandoca-Manzanillo
The Constitutional Chamber hears an amparo filed by the Ecology Development Association against the Comptroller General of the Republic (CGR). The petitioner claims he filed an environmental complaint on September 10, 2020, requesting that the CGR order the Municipality of Talamanca to relinquish its jurisdiction over lands belonging to the State's Natural…
Res. 92110-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Admisión de acción de inconstitucionalidad contra Decreto Ejecutivo 40075 y acuerdo SETENA sobre postes de telecomunicaciones
The Constitutional Chamber admits for processing an unconstitutionality action filed by an attorney against Executive Decree No. 40075-MICITT-S-MEIC-MINAE-MOPT and the agreement of the SETENA Plenary Commission No. ACP 20-2017, which, according to the plaintiff, eliminated the environmental impact assessment for the installation of telecommunications poles…
Res. 03815-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Improcedencia de nulidad contra sentencia de amparo sobre agroquímicos y agua potable
The Constitutional Chamber dismisses a post-judgment petition seeking to annul Ruling 2019-695, which had granted an amparo concerning drinking water quality and agrochemical use in pineapple plantations. The petitioners, agro-industrial associations, argued they were not joined as interested parties despite deriving subjective rights from the challenged…
Res. 03858-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Desobediencia a clausura de concretera contaminante
The Constitutional Chamber dismisses the second enforcement action filed by Sandra Mayela Castro Castro against the Ministry of Health and the Municipality of Poás for alleged non-compliance with a previous ruling that ordered the cessation of pollution from the company Concretos Modernos Prefablock. The petitioner claimed that despite the closure of the…
Res. 03888-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Amparo contra Ministerio de Salud por contaminación de quebrada
The Constitutional Chamber reviewed an amparo action filed by the representatives of Romero Pio S.A., owner of a property in Esquipulas de Palmares, Alajuela. They alleged that the Municipality of Palmares channeled rainwater, sewage, and wastewater onto their property, causing environmental pollution and vector proliferation. They also complained that the…
Res. 04981-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Desobediencia por explotación de tajos en Santa Ana
The Constitutional Chamber dismisses a non-compliance claim filed by a resident of Santa Ana against the municipality, alleging failure to comply with a previous amparo ruling (2020004605). That ruling had ordered the municipality to provide a definitive solution to the quarrying problem and to respond to a citizen petition. The petitioner argues…
Res. 05058-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Derecho de petición y principio precautorio en proyecto de carretera a San Carlos
The Constitutional Chamber hears an amparo filed by Oscar Jara e Hijos Ltda. against the Ministry of Public Works and Transport (MOPT) regarding the new San Carlos highway project (National Route 35). The plaintiff claims the road would cross its property, which contains springs and a fluvial wetland, and that no response has been given to an information…
Res. 05068-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Acceso a información municipal sobre desarrollos urbanísticos y estudios geológicos en Mata de Plátano
The Constitutional Chamber heard an amparo appeal filed by a resident of Mata de Plátano, Goicoechea, who requested detailed information from the municipality on urban developments (subdivisions, residential complexes, condominiums) processed in the last ten years, both through ordinary proceedings and by complex municipal endorsements, as well as a…
Res. 05114-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Amparo por falta de respuesta a denuncia por fuga de agua
The Constitutional Chamber hears an amparo filed by Denia María Cordero Jiménez against the Costa Rican Institute of Aqueducts and Sewers (AyA). The plaintiff alleges that on January 24, 2021, she filed a complaint regarding a water leak on her property, caused by hoses supplying a neighbor, and an administrative claim for their removal. She claims her…
Res. 05128-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Falta de respuesta a gestiones en evaluación de IFA para plan regulador de Barva
The Constitutional Chamber hears an amparo action filed by Tony Vega Murillo against the National Environmental Technical Secretariat (SETENA) for failing to respond to several filings he submitted regarding the review of environmental fragility index (IFA) studies presented by the Municipality of Barva de Heredia in the context of a proposed regulatory…
Res. 05142-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Derecho de petición y acceso a la información prevalece sobre disputa ambiental municipal
The Constitutional Chamber reviews an amparo filed by a representative of the Costa Rican Federation for Environmental Conservation against the Municipality of Santa Cruz. The petitioner alleges that commercial structures were built within the public zone of the maritime-terrestrial zone (ZMT) at Playa el Coco de Marbella without proper permits. Despite…
Res. 05232-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Omisión de respuesta a denuncia sobre inundaciones por construcción vecinal
The Constitutional Chamber reviews an amparo filed by a resident of Desamparados who reported constant flooding in her home, allegedly caused by an illegal neighboring construction, to the Ministry of Health. The complainant claimed that despite receiving acknowledgment of her complaint in October 2020, she had no response by February 2021 when the amparo…
Res. 05240-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Aclaración sobre naturaleza administrativa del Tribunal Ambiental no varía el fondo
The Constitutional Chamber rejects the request for addition and clarification of ruling 2021-004396, which had dismissed an amparo appeal against the Environmental Administrative Tribunal (TAA). The appellant argued that the TAA is an administrative body, not a judicial one, and sought to correct the reasoning that equated its actions to those of a court.…
Res. 05328-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Improcedencia del amparo en desalojo y morosidad administrativa
The Constitutional Chamber flatly rejects an amparo action filed by the owner of land used as a spoil dump for Route 32 expansion works. The petitioner sought eviction of individuals blocking machinery access and alleged administrative delay by the Siquirres Police Delegation. The Chamber held that determining whether the eviction should proceed is a…
Res. 05730-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Omisión de respuesta municipal a solicitud de información sobre proyecto en zona inundable
The Constitutional Chamber hears an amparo action against the Municipality of Talamanca for failing to respond to information requests concerning a construction project by Bungalows de Punta Uva Inn, located in a flood zone adjacent to a registered wetland. The petitioner had twice requested a detailed report with photographs of the works, stressing the…
Res. 05766-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Sala Constitucional sobre falta de respuesta a solicitud de información en denuncia ambiental SITADA
The Constitutional Chamber hears an amparo filed by a citizen who, after submitting an environmental complaint about tree felling on the Florencio del Castillo road through the SITADA system, requested information about its status from the Environmental Comptroller's Office of MINAE and did not receive a timely response. The Chamber verifies that the…
Res. 05719-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Omisión en atender denuncia por contaminación sónica de gimnasio
The Constitutional Chamber addresses an amparo filed by a neighbor against the Atenas Health Area for insufficient handling of an environmental complaint concerning noise and operational conditions of the Power House Hybryd Gym. The petitioner claimed that, despite multiple requests, the authority had failed to carry out the required noise measurement and…
Res. 06193-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Amparo prematuro contra MOPT por contaminación sónica y paso de vagonetas
The Constitutional Chamber summarily dismisses an amparo action filed by an elderly person alleging environmental and noise pollution, as well as road damage, caused by heavy trucks driving along 3rd Avenue near their home. The Chamber finds the complaint premature because the grievance filed with COSEVI on January 27, 2021, has not exceeded the two-month…
Res. 92114-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Admisión de acción de inconstitucionalidad contra Ley 9892 Parque Nacional Isla San Lucas
The Constitutional Chamber admits for review a constitutional challenge against the entirety of Law 9892, which created the Isla San Lucas National Park, and specifically several of its articles. The plaintiffs argue that the law reduces the protected marine area from 6 to 3 meters depth without technical justification, changes the management category from…
Res. 05640-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Improcedencia de acción de inconstitucionalidad contra oficios del ICT, contrato de concesión y decreto ejecutivo sobre terminal de contenedores
The Constitutional Chamber summarily dismissed the unconstitutionality action against the Costa Rican Tourism Institute (ICT) opinions and the concession contract for the Moín Container Terminal, as they did not meet the admissibility requirements under Article 73 of the Constitutional Jurisdiction Law. The ICT documents lack normative character, and…
Res. 05720-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Amparo contra el MINAE por falta de respuesta a denuncia ambiental sobre gasolinera en Coronado
The Constitutional Chamber reviewed an amparo action filed by a Coronado resident against the Ministry of Environment and Energy (MINAE), the Municipality of Vásquez de Coronado, and INVU. The petitioner reported alleged irregularities in the construction of a Delta gas station, claiming non-compliance with INVU's Construction Regulations (article 383) and…
Res. 05858-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Rechazo de amparo por incumplimiento de prevención en denuncia ambiental municipal
The Constitutional Chamber summarily dismisses an amparo action filed by Ahmed Rodolfo Hasbun Montero on behalf of Empresa Limón Lumber Company Limitada against the Municipality of Pococí and the Ministry of Health. The petitioner claimed that since 2020, his company had filed a complaint regarding sewage and wastewater flowing through its property,…
Res. 05912-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Inadmisibilidad del amparo por no agotar denuncia escrita ante la Administración
The Constitutional Chamber flatly rejects an amparo petition filed against the Ministry of Health alleging noise pollution and parties that could spread COVID-19 at two houses in INVU Las Cañas, Alajuela. The petitioner claimed disturbance of neighbors' peace and tranquility, seeking direct intervention of the Chamber. However, he admitted not having filed…
Res. 05913-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Rechazo de amparo por polvo de construcción sin denuncia previa
The Constitutional Chamber summarily dismissed an amparo action filed by residents of La Itaba Residential against the construction company, the Ministry of Environment and Energy, and the Municipality of La Unión concerning dust pollution from the construction of the Hacienda La Itaba project. The petitioners alleged a violation of their right to a…
Res. 06019-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Inadmisibilidad del amparo sobre avalúo de terrenos en zona protectora
The Constitutional Chamber flatly rejects an amparo appeal filed by the trust La Familia del Pizote S.A. against MINAE and SINAC. The appellant sought to compel SINAC to conduct appraisals and pay for six properties located within the Tiribí River Protective Zone, arguing that the construction restrictions imposed made any building unfeasible and violated…
Res. 06101-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Ejecución de sentencia sobre precario en Fraijanes
The Constitutional Chamber reviews an amparo filed by Álvaro Alonso Paniagua Murillo on behalf of El Retiro de los Legítimos S.R.L. against the Municipality of Alajuela. The petitioner claims that the company's property in Fraijanes is affected by the squatter settlement 'Esperanza Dos', located on a municipal road, which contaminates aquifers due to lack…
Res. 06136-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Rechazo de amparo por quemas agrícolas en cañales del Ingenio El Palmar
The Constitutional Chamber summarily dismissed an amparo action filed by a resident of Miramar de Puntarenas against the Municipality of Montes de Oro, the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock, the Ministry of Health, and Ingenio El Palmar. The plaintiff claimed that nighttime burning in the sugar cane fields of the mill generated smoke that entered…
Res. 06303-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Derecho de petición y pronta respuesta ante solicitud municipal ambiental
The Constitutional Chamber reviewed an amparo action filed by a citizen against the Mayor of Grecia for failing to respond to an information request submitted on December 7, 2020. The petitioner inquired about the results of a topographic survey to delineate the spring of the Los Chorros Recreational Park and whether environmental instructions had been…
Res. 06244-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Replanteamiento de la competencia de la Sala Constitucional en tutela del artículo 50
The resolution adds a note by Justice Hernández López to a previous judgment that denied an amparo against the Ministry of Health and the Municipality of Grecia regarding sewage discharge. The note argues that the Chamber's historically broad intervention in environmental matters must be reconsidered, given the development of dense environmental regulation…
Res. 06756-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Inadmisibilidad del amparo de persona jurídica contra clausura sanitaria
The Constitutional Chamber flatly rejects an amparo action filed by an individual on behalf of a corporation against the Ministry of Health, which had closed its administrative offices for alleged non-compliance with a health order regarding wastewater and car washing. The Chamber finds the action inadmissible because, despite citing violations of…
Res. 06869-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Rechazo de adición y aclaración de sentencia sobre facilidades comunales en Tibás
The Constitutional Chamber denies a request to amplify and clarify its prior ruling that partially granted an amparo concerning the use of communal facilities in Urbanización Los Cipreses, Tibás. The original ruling ordered the Municipality of Tibás to maintain existing green areas, but upheld the creation of a 'Casa de la Cultura' (community cultural…
Res. 07067-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Derecho a respuesta de denuncia por aguas negras
The Constitutional Chamber reviews an amparo filed by a resident of Escazú against the Municipality of Escazú and the Ministry of Health, alleging failure to address a complaint regarding public sewage causing odors and health risks. The complaint was filed with the Escazú Health Area Office on December 1, 2020, without response. During the amparo…
Res. 07232-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Amparo sobre implementación de recomendaciones del TAA en humedal Laguna Pochotal
The Constitutional Chamber summarily dismissed an amparo appeal filed by Walter Brenes Coto against MINAE, SINAC, and the Municipality of Garabito for allegedly failing to implement urgent recommendations issued in a report by the Technical Department of the Environmental Administrative Tribunal (TAA-DT-002-2021) regarding the protection of the Pochotal…
Res. 06925-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Suspensión de amparo por minería en Zona Protectora Cerros de la Carpintera
The Constitutional Court suspends its ruling on an amparo petition filed by Compañía Arpaza S.A. and Corporación Guapa Nova S.A., owners of property within the Cerros de la Carpintera Protected Zone. The companies argued that the denial of a mining concession extension for silica sand extraction—originally granted in 1994 for a 25-year term and expired in…
Res. 00509-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Cobro indebido de alcantarillado y omisión de respuesta sobre aguas negras en Urbanización Itaipú
The Constitutional Chamber reviewed an amparo action filed by a resident of Itaipú Urbanization in Desamparados against the Costa Rican Institute of Aqueducts and Sewers (AyA). The petitioner complained of excessive water charges not reflecting actual consumption and the lack of response to a request filed on August 5, 2019, seeking works for wastewater…
Res. 02185-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Exhibición de fauna silvestre en zoológicos y zoocriaderos
The Constitutional Chamber reviews a constitutional challenge filed by several plaintiffs against articles 50, 51, and 52 of the Wildlife Conservation Law Regulations (Executive Decree 40548-MINAE), which govern wildlife exhibitions. The plaintiffs argue that these norms unduly restrict exhibition modalities, limiting environmental education and harming ex…
Res. 07472-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Amparo sobre planta procesadora de asfalto en zona especial de protección
The Constitutional Chamber reviewed an amparo filed by residents of San Miguel, Santo Domingo de Heredia, against the Ministry of Health and the Municipality of Santo Domingo, concerning the installation and operation of an asphalt processing plant in a special protection zone. The petitioners alleged violations of their rights to a healthy environment and…
Res. 07533-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Atención parcial de solicitudes de información y certificaciones ante SETENA sobre Plan Regulador de Barva
The Constitutional Chamber hears an amparo action filed by a citizen against the National Environmental Technical Secretariat (SETENA) for failure to respond to a request submitted on March 1, 2021. The request contained multiple items related to the evaluation process of the Environmental Variable of the Regulatory Plan of the canton of Barva, including…
Res. 07534-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Amparo contra SETENA por omisión en certificar información sobre Plan Regulador de Barva
The Constitutional Chamber partially granted an amparo against SETENA. The petitioner requested certified information on non-conformities and officials involved in the environmental review of the Barva Regulatory Plan, as well as a complaint of alleged irregularities. SETENA responded with memo SETENA-DT-EAE-0046-2021, indicating numbers of…
Res. 07541-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
SETENA responde tardíamente solicitud de información sobre lotificación
The Constitutional Chamber reviewed an amparo action filed by Jonathan Carlos Espinoza Alfaro against the National Environmental Technical Secretariat (SETENA) for failing to respond to an information request submitted on February 11, 2021, concerning certifications about a subdivision. The petitioner claimed a violation of his fundamental rights, as he…
Res. 07558-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Amparo por pasos de fauna en ampliación vial San José-San Ramón
The Constitutional Chamber dismissed the amparo action filed by Walter Brenes Soto against the National Highway Council (CONAVI) and the National Environmental Technical Secretariat (SETENA). The claimant argued that the expansion of national route 1 Alajuela-San Ramón crossed three biological corridors (Garcimuñoz, El Achiote, and Montes de Aguacate), and…
Res. 07576-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Amparo sobre concesión minera en Río Peje Viejo
The Constitutional Chamber reviewed an amparo filed by Luis Miguel Sánchez Solís against the Ministry of Environment and Energy and others, alleging fundamental rights violations from a mining concession in the Peje Viejo River in San Carlos. The plaintiff claimed serious environmental harm, breaches of concession conditions —including failure to respect…
Res. 08625-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Municipalidad de San José debe notificar resultado de denuncia ambiental sobre contaminación del río María Aguilar
The Constitutional Chamber reviewed an amparo claim filed by a resident of Sabana Sur against the Municipality of San José, alleging inaction regarding pollution and flooding of the María Aguilar River despite a complaint filed in 2017. The Chamber verified that the Municipality had in fact acted: it built a retaining wall in 2019, carried out clean-up…
Res. 07879-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Desobediencia de sentencia que ordenó resolver expediente del TAA
The Constitutional Chamber addressed a non-execution claim in a prior amparo proceeding where the Environmental Administrative Tribunal (TAA) was ordered to resolve case file 410-09-02-TAA and notify the decision within two months. Given the judge’s inaction and failure to submit the required report, the Chamber applied Article 45 of the Constitutional…
Res. 08052-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Desobediencia a desalojo ordenado por precario contaminante en Alajuela
The Constitutional Chamber hears a new non-compliance motion filed by petitioner Mauricio Hernández Porras against the Municipality of Alajuela for failing to carry out the eviction of an informal settlement on a public road bordering Condominio El Retiro, as ordered in ruling No. 2019022533 of 2019. The Municipality attributes the delay to difficulties in…
Res. 08285-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Improcedencia del amparo por gestiones verbales
The Constitutional Chamber summarily dismisses an amparo filed by a resident of Turrialba who alleged environmental contamination from a sewage overflow. The petitioner acknowledged having made only verbal complaints to the Municipality of Turrialba and the Ministry of Health, without filing a written petition. The Chamber reiterates that the protection of…
Res. 08520-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Creación del Parque Nacional Isla San Lucas — Rechazo parcial de acción de inconstitucionalidad
The Constitutional Chamber analyzed an unconstitutionality action brought by Gustavo Flores Yzaguirre against Law No. 9892, which transformed the Isla San Lucas National Wildlife Refuge into a National Park. The plaintiff alleged violation of the principle of non-regression, Articles 32-37 of the Environmental Law, Article 59 of the Biodiversity Law,…
Res. 08540-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Incumplimiento de orden de amparo sobre infraestructura escolar y condiciones sanitarias
The Constitutional Chamber addresses a non-compliance petition in a previously granted amparo action ordering the Ministry of Public Education to submit a remedial plan, guarantee educational continuity under adequate conditions, and begin construction works at the Clemente Marín Rodríguez School. The Ministry reports having design and approved blueprints…
Res. 09133-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Orden para resolver denuncia de aguas residuales en Urbanización Las Rosas de Moravia
The Constitutional Chamber partially granted a constitutional appeal filed by a resident of Las Rosas neighborhood in Moravia, who claimed that the Costa Rican Institute of Aqueducts and Sewers (ICAA) and the Ministry of Health had failed to resolve a sewage overflow problem caused by illicit connections to a foreseen (not in use) sanitary sewer system.…
Res. 09218-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Derecho a justicia pronta en denuncias ambientales ante el TAA
The Constitutional Chamber grants an amparo for violation of the right to swift justice, finding that the Administrative Environmental Tribunal (TAA) had not resolved a pollution complaint filed in June 2018, despite knowing the facts since 2012. Following an oral hearing in December 2020, the TAA had still not issued a final act. The Chamber deems the…
Res. 09304-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Inadmisibilidad de reclamos sanitarios y mora administrativa en amparo
The Constitutional Chamber summarily dismisses an amparo filed by an evicted woman who alleged poor sanitary conditions at the provisional shelter provided by INDER and the lack of a definitive response regarding her relocation. The Chamber determines that complaints about foul odors and deficient sanitary infrastructure (piping, septic tank) are…
Res. 09672-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Contaminación sónica por motores de Pizza Hut y deber de fiscalización del Ministerio de Salud
The Constitutional Chamber hears an amparo filed by a resident of Los Ángeles de Cartago against the Ministry of Health, alleging failure to address complaints about excessive noise from two motors at a Pizza Hut restaurant. The 67-year-old petitioner claimed that the noise harmed his health and quality of life, and that despite multiple complaints, the…
Res. 09176-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Municipalidad debe resolver peligro de árboles de ciprés
The Constitutional Chamber reviews an amparo action filed by a resident of the El Monte neighborhood against the Municipality of San Rafael de Heredia. The petitioner alleges that since 2018, he has repeatedly requested—without success—authorization to prune or remove cypress trees located on public property adjacent to his home. These trees, according to…
Res. 09611-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Improcedencia de gestión por plazo no vencido en sentencia de amparo ambiental
This resolution addresses a request filed by Mario Guardia Esquivel on behalf of TAJO COMAG DE PAVAS S.A. within an amparo proceeding (case file 20-015603-0007-CO) concerning illegal dumping of garbage on their property using railway tracks. The petitioner informed the Constitutional Chamber that the situation had not only remained unresolved but had…
Res. 09620-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Denegado amparo por seguimiento ambiental de estación de servicio Upala
The Constitutional Chamber reviews an amparo against SETENA, the Municipality of Upala, and SENARA regarding the JSM Upala service station. The plaintiff argues that the environmental license was granted despite a hydrogeological opinion advising against the project, and that the environmental monitor was appointed belatedly (work was 90% complete),…
Res. 09655-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Construcción de edificio municipal en plaza deportiva es anulada por veto sin intervención constitucional
The Constitutional Chamber reviews two consolidated amparo petitions against the Municipality of Pococí. The petitioners challenge Municipal Agreement No. 570, adopted on April 8, 2021, which authorized using Plaza El Salvador —a registered soccer field and park— to build the new municipal building. They allege due process violations, lack of reasoning,…
Res. 09747-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Falta de respuesta municipal a denuncia por invasión de zona de protección
The claimant filed a complaint with the Municipality of San José on January 20, 2020, requesting an inspection to verify the alleged invasion of protection zones in several locations in San Francisco de Dos Ríos and Zapote, bordering the Tiribí River. After more than a year without receiving a definitive response, he filed an amparo action alleging a…
Res. 09663-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Suspensión de demolición de albergue por violación al debido proceso
The Constitutional Chamber reviews an amparo action filed by the legal representative of Fundación Ofir de Costa Rica against the Municipality of Puriscal. The foundation sought to suspend a demolition order for a shelter it owned, alleging due process violations, particularly lack of personal notification of the closure order. It also argued that the…
Res. 11838-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Rechazo de plano por incumplimiento de prevención en amparo sobre parqueo subterráneo La Merced
The Constitutional Chamber addressed an amparo action filed by a citizen against the Municipality of San José and the National Environmental Technical Secretariat (SETENA) regarding the announced construction of a two-level underground parking lot beneath La Merced Park, adjacent to the San Juan de Dios Hospital. The petitioner argued that the project…
Res. 11890-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Amparo prematuro contra contaminación de fábrica
The Constitutional Chamber declared the amparo petition against the Municipality of La Unión inadmissible due to prematurity. The petitioner sought the definitive closure of a factory allegedly emitting toxic odors and chemicals, affecting his health and the environment. However, the complaint to the municipality had been filed only thirteen days before…
Res. 12089-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Terminal de Contenedores de Moín: cuestionamiento de actividades sin demostrar daño ambiental grave
The petitioner filed an amparo action against JAPDEVA, the National Concessions Council, and the Ministry of Environment and Energy regarding the use of the Moin Container Terminal inspection platform for container consolidation, deconsolidation, and repair services. She claimed these activities cause environmental harm by discharging chemicals and foam…
Res. 12133-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Riesgo por erosión de quebrada y falta de respuesta municipal
The Constitutional Chamber hears an amparo filed by residents of Lomas de Cabeara, Moravia, whose properties border the San Francisco stream. The petitioners claim that erosion of the streambank and culvert overflows pose a risk to their homes and physical integrity, and that the Municipality of Moravia has failed to take effective measures, in addition to…
Res. 12261-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Inacción del Ministerio de Salud ante acumulación de residuos
The Constitutional Chamber reviews an amparo filed by a daughter on behalf of her father, who reported waste accumulation at a neighbor's house since November 2019. The Zarcero Health Authority issued sanitary orders and conducted inspections, but the situation persisted and worsened, affecting the petitioner's health and access to his property. The…
Res. 12267-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Obligación del SINAC de habilitar canales electrónicos para el derecho de petición
The Constitutional Chamber granted an amparo action filed against the National System of Conservation Areas (SINAC) for failing to respond to a request sent via email regarding the status of a topographic survey ordered by SETENA for the "La Arboleda" housing project, allegedly located within the Buffer Zone of the Loma Salitral Special Protection Zone.…
Res. 12291-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Denuncia ambiental ante Área Rectora de Salud sin resolución dentro de plazo razonable
The petitioner and neighbors filed a complaint on February 17, 2021, with the Health Area of Pérez Zeledón regarding smoke, gases, bad odors, noise, and vibrations from a nearby house. Despite being assigned a file number, after more than three months no resolution had been issued and no effective inspection had taken place. The inspection scheduled for…
Res. 12388-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Improcedencia de amparo por solicitud de criterio sobre plantación en vía pública
The Constitutional Chamber flatly dismisses an amparo appeal filed against the Municipality of Heredia. The appellant asked whether he could place a planter on his sidewalk and which species he could plant, citing a municipal regulation and a planting protocol. The Chamber finds that the request does not constitute a simple request for information…
Res. 12519-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Incumplimiento reiterado de orden de resolver problema ambiental de carbonera
The Constitutional Chamber hears a non-compliance action filed by residents of Aserrí against the Health Area Office, following a judgment that ordered notification of a sanitary order and resolution of the environmental problem caused by an illegal charcoal kiln. Although the authority managed to notify the order after multiple attempts, the polluting…
Res. 12726-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Amparo contra inacción administrativa en daño ambiental y salud pública
The Constitutional Chamber hears an amparo filed by a resident of Playa Hermosa de Jacó, who alleged that the Municipality of Garabito, SINAC, the MINAE Water Directorate, and the Ministry of Health failed to timely address his complaints. These sought to stop irregular constructions, tree felling, illegal exploitation of a well, and a house lacking…
Res. 12734-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Improcedencia de amparo por uso de canal no oficial para solicitud de información
The Constitutional Chamber dismisses an amparo appeal filed against the National System of Conservation Areas (SINAC). The appellant claimed a violation of his right to petition and timely resolution, having not received a response to an information request sent on February 16, 2021, to a public official's personal email address. The Chamber finds that…
Res. 12745-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Reubicación de alcantarilla y demora municipal en resolver denuncia ambiental
The Constitutional Chamber reviews an amparo action against the Municipality of Turrialba for its failure to timely respond to an environmental complaint filed in 2011 regarding the relocation of a culvert that causes flooding in the petitioner's home. The Chamber examines whether the amparo is appropriate when the alleged violation concerns the right to a…
Res. 12798-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Derecho de petición y acceso a información ambiental municipal
The Constitutional Chamber dismisses an amparo action filed by a citizen against the Municipality of Goicoechea. The plaintiff claimed a violation of his right to petition due to lack of response to a request made on April 8, 2021, seeking a certified copy of the SETENA permit authorizing earthworks on a property affected by Forestry Law No. 7575. The…
Res. 12809-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Amparo contra SETENA por demora en acceso a información sobre evaluación ambiental del Plan Regulador de Barva
The Constitutional Chamber reviewed an amparo filed by a citizen who requested information from the National Environmental Technical Secretariat (SETENA) regarding the environmental assessment process of the Barva Regulatory Plan. She requested data such as the names of officials involved, dates when the file was returned to the municipality, and copies of…
Res. 12991-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Ampliación de plazo para cumplir amparo ambiental
The Constitutional Chamber hears a subsequent motion filed by the Mayor of the Municipality of San Rafael de Heredia, requesting additional time to comply with a prior ruling that ordered the definitive resolution of an environmental problem affecting a resident on his property. The municipality argued that it lacked the necessary funds and the Municipal…
Res. 08563-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Amparo por dilación en verificar barreras vegetales en fumigaciones aéreas
The Constitutional Chamber reviews an amparo filed by Marco Levy Virgo against the Ministry of Health and the Advisory Commission for Control and Regulation of Agricultural Aviation Activities. The petitioner requested verification of compliance with Article 70 of Executive Decree No. 31520, which mandates vegetative barriers or no-spray zones for aerial…
Res. 13167-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Amparo por contaminación de aguas fecales y jabonosas en Escazú
The Constitutional Chamber reviewed an amparo action filed by a property owner in Escazú against the Municipality of Escazú, the Ministry of Health, and SINAC, due to contamination of her property by fecal and soapy water discharging from sewers originating from neighboring residential lots. The petitioner claimed delay in addressing environmental…
Res. 13168-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Instalación de postes de telecomunicaciones del ICE y falta de respuesta a gestiones vecinales
The Constitutional Chamber hears an amparo filed by neighbors of Dulce Nombre de Cartago against ICE, the Municipality of Cartago, MINAE, the Ministry of Health, INS, and JASEC, regarding the installation of two telecommunications poles without the required permits, alleged invasion of public sidewalks, collapse risks, and health and privacy impacts. The…
Res. 13438-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Inadmisibilidad de amparo sobre control cruzado de desechos sólidos
The Constitutional Chamber summarily dismisses an amparo action filed against the Ministry of Health, in which the petitioner sought the implementation of a cross-reference control system among databases of waste generators, transporters, and final disposal operators, as part of commitments undertaken before the OECD. The court holds that the claim exceeds…
Res. 13513-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Incumplimiento de orden de amparo por desfogue de aguas
The petitioner files for the sixth time a non-compliance claim against the Municipality of Pérez Zeledón, alleging it has not carried out works to correct water runoff damage to his property, as ordered in judgment No. 2019-011753. The Constitutional Chamber verifies that in previous resolutions, municipal compliance was already accredited: the initial…
Res. 08568-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Amparo por denuncia ambiental sin respuesta municipal
The Constitutional Chamber hears an amparo filed by a resident of San Ramón who complains about the Municipality's failure to respond to his petitions regarding an industrial workshop, 'Remolques Jungle,' allegedly operating in an agricultural zone and causing environmental nuisances (odors, smoke, noise). The petitioner had submitted notes on June 2 and…
Res. 08605-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Amparo por retraso de SETENA en entregar información sobre plan regulador
The Constitutional Chamber reviews an amparo filed against the National Environmental Technical Secretariat (SETENA) for failing to timely respond to a request for information regarding the Regulatory Plan of the Municipality of Barva. The petitioner sought certified copies of communications and results of SETENA's actions. The Chamber finds that SETENA's…
Res. 08606-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Acceso a información sobre plan regulador ante SETENA — respuesta tardía
The Constitutional Chamber examines an amparo action against SETENA for failing to respond, within the ten-day statutory period, to a request for information filed on March 1, 2021, concerning the environmental assessment of the regulatory plan for the canton of Barva. The Chamber finds that SETENA only replied on April 9, 2021 — after being notified of…
Res. 08609-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Amparo que cuestiona permiso forestal en territorio indígena de Rey Curré es rechazado por falta de gestión formal previa
The Constitutional Chamber unanimously dismisses an amparo action filed by an individual against MINAE and SINAC. The petitioner claimed that SINAC granted a forest harvesting permit to the Indigenous Development Association of Rey Curré despite existing civil court injunctions which, in her view, prohibited any work on the property, and that logging was…
Res. 08616-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Descarga de aguas negras en quebrada y omisión administrativa
The Constitutional Chamber hears an amparo filed by the owner of a property in Cóbano, Puntarenas, through which a stream runs. The petitioner claims that nearby homes discharge untreated sewage, which due to the slope of the land flows onto his property and into the stream, causing pollution and health risks. He accuses the Ministry of Health and the…
Res. 08640-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Falta de respuesta del SINAC a petición de inventario forestal en humedal
The Constitutional Chamber hears an amparo action filed by the president of an ecological association against the Director of the Amistad Caribe Conservation Area (ACLAC). The petitioner requested, in November 2020 and reiterated in February 2021, public environmental information consisting of an inventory of forest and plant species on land adjacent to a…
Res. 08821-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
AyA no satisface obligación de entregar video de inspección sanitaria
The Constitutional Chamber resolves an amparo action filed by a resident of the Amanecer neighborhood in Hatillo against the Costa Rican Institute of Aqueducts and Sewers (AyA). The petitioner alleges that since 2015 he has endured foul odors from collapsed sanitary pipes, affecting health and quality of life, and that AyA has been negligent in replacing…
Res. 08892-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Inadmisión de amparo sobre expropiación de pozo en condominio Lomas del Sol
The Constitutional Chamber flatly rejects an amparo action filed by Winston Ramón Alarxon Athens against the Costa Rican Institute of Aqueducts and Sewers (AyA). The complainant argued that AyA's determination not to expropriate a well located in the Lomas del Sol Condominium—treated as property subject to the condominium regime—violated his fundamental…
Res. 14246-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Inejecución relativa a malos olores en granja porcina
The Constitutional Chamber hears a non-execution claim filed by the petitioner against the Ministry of Health, alleging failure to comply with Judgment 2020-020356, which ordered the resolution of the environmental and public health problem caused by odors from a pig farm. The authorities report measures taken: coordination with SENASA, improvements to the…
Res. 14074-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Corrección de error material en amparo por respuesta municipal sobre movimientos de tierra y Ley Forestal
This resolution by the Constitutional Chamber addresses a post-judgment motion concerning ruling No. 2021-012798, which dismissed an amparo against the Municipality of Goicoechea. The petitioner had requested a certified copy of the SETENA environmental permit for large earthworks on a lot affected by the Forestry Law within an urban caution subzone. The…
Res. 13735-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Rechazo de amparo por ruido sin denuncia formal previa
The Constitutional Chamber reviews an amparo filed by a neighbor of Residencial La Herediana against the Ministry of Health, alleging failure to address a noise pollution complaint stemming from frequent loud parties in an adjacent house. The petitioner claimed that the noise disrupted residents’ rest and quality of life. However, the Chamber finds no…
Res. 13750-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Acceso a expediente de viabilidad ambiental de planta gasificadora
The Constitutional Chamber reviewed a habeas corpus (amparo) filed by an attorney who requested certified copies of the environmental viability administrative file for an Ordinary Waste Gasification Plant (D1-12116-2014) from SETENA, the Carrillo Health Governing Area, and Coopeguanacaste R.L. Regarding SETENA, the Court granted the appeal because it was…
Res. 13756-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Amparo por falta de respuesta de ASADA y AyA sobre permisos de concesión minera
The Constitutional Chamber heard an amparo petition filed by David Alberto Zamora Aymerich against the ASADA of San Bernardino and the Costa Rican Institute of Aqueducts and Sewers (AyA). The petitioner claimed that on March 3 and 8, 2021, he requested from both entities certified copies of all permits and records related to a mining concession, crusher…
Res. 13763-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Derecho de ASADA a pronta resolución sobre certificaciones de inmuebles para protección hídrica
The Constitutional Chamber grants an amparo filed by the ASADA of Dulce Nombre de Naranjo against SINAC. The ASADA requested certifications for several properties used to protect watersheds and for reforestation, to obtain property tax exemptions. SINAC initially rejected the request, arguing the properties were neither within Protected Wild Areas nor…
Res. 13772-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Inacción administrativa por orden sanitaria en plantel municipal
The Constitutional Chamber hears an amparo filed by a resident of Curridabat against the Ministry of Health and the Municipality of Curridabat for inadequate solid waste management at the municipal depot. The complainant alleged that garbage trucks improperly stored waste, causing pollution, foul odors, and a public health risk. The Curridabat Health Area…
Res. 13781-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Omisiones municipales en limpieza de terreno colindante y acceso a vía pública
The Constitutional Chamber dismissed the amparo action filed by a neighbor against the Municipality of San Joaquín de Flores, who claimed breach of a 1993 judicial settlement and environmental pollution due to the municipality's failure to clean the adjacent lot. The petitioner alleged violation of his right to a healthy environment because of garbage,…
Res. 14307-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Permiso de construcción en valle de inundación del Río Burío
The Constitutional Chamber heard an amparo filed by residents of Belén de Heredia against the Municipality of Belén for granting a construction permit for the “Veredas de Belén” housing project, allegedly located in the floodplain of the Burío River (Quebrada Seca) and lacking technical studies to ensure the safety of future residents. Petitioners…
Res. 14342-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Captación ilegal de agua y proyecto geotérmico sin permisos
The Constitutional Chamber hears an amparo filed by Inmobiliaria Chamay Limitada against ICE and the Water Directorate of MINAE. The petitioner alleges that ICE has illegally exploited for over ten years a water intake from a stream on its property, used for the Borinquen II Geothermal Project. It claims the intake lacks a concession or permit, violating…
Res. 14358-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Ruido de fiestas clandestinas y derecho al ambiente sano
The Constitutional Chamber heard an amparo action filed by a neighbor who reported noise pollution from clandestine parties on an adjacent property, as well as threats and the consumption of alcohol and other substances. The petitioner claimed that the Ministry of Health had not resolved his complaint. The Chamber found that the Health Area had indeed…
Res. 14359-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Amparo por contaminación sónica y malos olores de quebrador y planta de tratamiento
The Constitutional Chamber reviewed an amparo filed by a resident of El Coyol residential complex in Turrialba against the Turrialba Health Area and the SINAC Subregional Office, for failing to address an environmental complaint filed on March 19, 2021. The complaint alleged pollution from excessive dust and noise generated by a stone crusher, as well as…
Res. 14435-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Denegatoria de amparo por incumplimiento de formalidades de petición electrónica
The Constitutional Chamber dismissed an amparo petition against the Municipality of Curridabat alleging violation of the right to petition and access to information. The petitioner had submitted complaints and inspection requests via email, claiming encroachment on the protection zones of the María Aguilar River. The Chamber found that several of the email…
Res. 14459-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Denuncia ambiental por invasión de zona de protección y acceso a información
The Constitutional Chamber hears an amparo action against the Municipality of Santa Ana for alleged unjustified delay in processing an environmental complaint regarding the invasion of water body protection zones and for refusing to provide public interest information. The complainant requested inspections, identification of property owners, coordination…
Res. 14485-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Amparo sobre limpieza de predios es inadmisible por ser materia de legalidad ordinaria
The Constitutional Chamber hears an amparo filed by the legal representative of Inversiones V.V. Niissi de Heredia against the Municipality of Sarapiquí. The petitioner claims that adjacent lots in El Palmar, Horquetas, are abandoned, causing water pooling, insect infestations, rats, and snakes, contrary to environmental sanitation policies. After a 2014…
Res. 14713-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Desacato en amparo por nacientes Las Camotas
The Constitutional Chamber dismisses a third contempt motion filed by the Palmira Rural Aqueduct Administration Association. The original judgment (2017-011803) ordered various institutions to coordinate a definitive solution to the sanitary and environmental problem affecting the springs near the Camotas Settlement in Zarcero. In this resolution, the…
Res. 14714-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Tome nota del AyA no constituye orden ejecutable en amparo ambiental sobre protección de nacientes
The Constitutional Chamber resolves a subsequent motion filed by the protected party, seeking clarification on the scope of the 'take note' directive issued to AyA in recital VI of judgment 2020008752, concerning the delimitation and eventual acquisition of protection zones for the Murillo 1, Murillo 2, and Oropéndolas springs. The Chamber states that a…
Res. 14715-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Ampliación de plazo por complejidad ambiental en cauce público
The Constitutional Chamber resolved a contempt proceeding filed by a petitioner against the Municipality of Garabito for failing to comply with a deadline set in a prior judgment that ordered a comprehensive solution to water problems in Quebrada Ganado. The municipality argued that, after investigation, it was determined the watercourse is public domain,…
Res. 15249-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Expulsión de miembros del Comité Local del Corredor Biológico Interurbano del Río Torres
The Constitutional Chamber hears an amparo appeal against the Local Committee of the Interurban Biological Corridor of the Río Torres for the expulsion of several members and their organizations, agreed upon in a session on November 19, 2020. The appellants allege a violation of due process, the principle of non-retroactivity, and discriminatory treatment,…
Res. 03851-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Falta de legitimación en acción de inconstitucionalidad contra prohibiciones a reproducción de fauna en zoológicos
The Constitutional Chamber dismissed a consolidated constitutional challenge brought by zoo owners and representatives, including Jardines de la Catarata S.A., against several articles of Executive Decree No. 40548-MINAE, the Regulation to the Wildlife Conservation Law. The petitioners challenged provisions prohibiting zoos from engaging in reproduction,…
Res. 14950-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Incumplimiento de audiencia pública para algodón transgénico
The Constitutional Chamber addressed a non-compliance claim filed by petitioner Mariana Lucía Porras Rozas, who alleged that the Minister of Agriculture and the Executive Director of the State Phytosanitary Service failed to comply with ruling No. 2018-004117. That ruling ordered the publication of the transgenic cotton project in compliance with all…
Res. 14974-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Derecho fundamental a un ambiente sano, pretensiones de legalidad ordinaria y recurso de amparo
In this judgment, the Constitutional Chamber hears an amparo appeal filed by a resident of Cóbano against the Costa Rican Institute of Aqueducts and Sewers (AyA). The appellant claimed that the respondent authorities had failed to address a complaint regarding contamination and encroachment on the protection zone of a well, caused by a neighbor’s…
Res. 15318-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Archivo de amparo por duplicidad de expediente en caso Relleno Sanitario Los Pinos
The Constitutional Chamber orders the dismissal of the amparo filed by Carlos Espinoza Salas against the Ministry of Health and SETENA, concerning oversight of the Los Pinos Landfill operated by WPP Continental Costa Rica S.A. The petitioner alleged the Ministry's failure to conduct topographic verification of slopes and setbacks, and requested…
Res. 15786-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Acceso a información pública dentro de un procedimiento administrativo en curso
The Constitutional Chamber reviews a writ of amparo filed by a citizen against the Municipal Council of Vázquez de Coronado. The petitioner twice requested a certified copy of a topographic survey report prepared by the Cadaster Department at the Municipal Park B, following detection of a possible encroachment on municipal land. The Municipality denied…
Res. 15964-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Municipalidad de Coto Brus debe solucionar drenaje pluvial que causa deslizamientos
The Constitutional Chamber partially granted an amparo appeal against the Municipality of Coto Brus for failing to address an environmental complaint about landslides caused by stormwater. A resident of Santa Rita de Limoncito reported that the flow in a culvert on National Route 237 increased due to construction in a housing development authorized by the…
Res. 16032-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Improcedencia de amparo sobre conflicto de legalidad en proyecto constructivo
The Constitutional Chamber declares inadmissible the amparo action filed by the representative of Shimanu S.A. against the Municipality of Quepos and SETENA, regarding alleged irregularities in a neighboring construction project. The claimant alleged invasion of a public road, building on 25% of the land reserved for green areas, lack of construction…
Res. 16038-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Derecho a la salud y ambiente sano frente a contaminación sónica por taller mecánico informal
The Constitutional Chamber granted the amparo filed by an elderly woman who complained about the ongoing operation of an unlicensed auto repair shop next to her home in Desamparados, causing noise, odors, and vermin that harmed her health and peace. Despite complaints since 2017 and repeated requests to the Municipality and the Ministry of Health, the…
Res. 16085-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Omisión municipal de resolver denuncia sobre amenaza por ramas, inundaciones y deslaves
The Constitutional Chamber heard an amparo action filed by a resident of San Mateo canton against the Municipality of San Mateo for failing to resolve a complaint filed on April 22, 2021. The petitioner alleged that her home and her family’s safety, including two minors, were threatened by branches from a tree on an adjacent property, as well as by…
Res. 14045-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Improcedencia del amparo contra veda de pesca en Golfo de Nicoya
The Constitutional Chamber flatly rejects an amparo action filed by an artisanal fisherman against the Costa Rican Institute of Fisheries and Aquaculture (INCOPESCA) for issuing a fishing ban decree (AJDID/090-2021). The petitioner argued that the ban from June 1 to August 31, 2021, in the Gulf of Nicoya discriminated against artisanal fishermen compared…
Res. 16551-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Participación ciudadana en audiencia pública de modificación del plan regulador de Escazú
The Constitutional Chamber hears an amparo filed by Escazú residents against the Municipality for conducting a virtual public hearing to modify the regulatory plan. The petitioners argue that the Regulatory Plan Commission was not formed as required, that an office without citizen representation was created instead, that the notice was only published in…
Res. 16553-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Amparo por omisión en trámite de denuncia sobre puente en manglar
The Constitutional Chamber hears an amparo action filed by a representative of an environmental federation against the Ministry of Environment and Energy (MINAE) due to the lack of response and follow-up to a complaint filed on February 19, 2021, regarding the construction of a bridge and destruction of a mangrove in the public area of the…
Res. 16522-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Rechazo de gestión de incumplimiento por falta de legitimación
The Constitutional Chamber dismisses a noncompliance claim filed by María Isabel del Carmen Agüero Agüero regarding judgment No. 2020012400, which had ordered the Municipality of Escazú and the Ministry of Health to resolve the sewage and wastewater problem in Cuesta Grande. The Chamber finds that the claimant is not a party to the original amparo…
Res. 16537-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Desobediencia en tala de árboles ordenada por amparo ambiental
The Constitutional Chamber addressed a noncompliance motion filed by the petitioner regarding judgment 2021009176, which had ordered the Mayor of San Rafael de Heredia to resolve, within fifteen days, the problem of trees affecting the petitioner's property. The Municipality reported on the actions taken: site visits with private companies to determine…
Res. 16538-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Desobediencia por notificación tardía del TAA declarada sin lugar
The petitioner filed a non-compliance claim against the Administrative Environmental Tribunal (TAA), alleging that the final ruling in case 191-12-02TAA had not been notified to him, breaching Constitutional Chamber ruling No. 2021-009218. The Chamber verified that the TAA issued the final act on July 20, 2021, and notified the petitioner that same day by…
Res. 16543-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Amparo por acceso a información de plan regulador en trámite
The Constitutional Chamber hears an amparo filed by an elderly citizen against the Municipality of Alajuela and SETENA. On 27 January 2021, the petitioner requested digital files in shapefile format of the new Cantonal Regulatory Plan, including zoning maps, wells and springs, arguing that PDF versions were insufficient for effective public participation.…
Res. 16583-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Amparo por mora en atención de denuncia ambiental y acceso a información
The Constitutional Chamber reviewed an amparo petition against the Municipality of San José filed by a citizen who reported a possible encroachment on a river protection zone by the Morano Condominium in San Francisco de Dos Ríos. The petitioner claimed the municipality had not responded to his complaint nor provided requested information, including…
Res. 16584-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Derecho de petición vulnerado por MINAE y Municipalidad de Garabito
The Constitutional Chamber hears an amparo filed by Edwin Mora Montero against MINAE, the Ministry of Health, and the Municipality of Garabito. The petitioner requested information about the permits of the 'Donde Vin' establishment in Tárcoles, Garabito, and claimed a lack of response. The Chamber determined that, although the petitioner sent his requests…
Res. 16590-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Rechazo de amparo sobre Plan Regulador y residencia geriátrica en Curridabat
The Constitutional Chamber dismisses outright an amparo brought by neighbors of Pinares residential area in Sánchez de Curridabat against the Municipality of Curridabat and the Administrative Litigation Tribunal. Petitioners claimed the Municipality had violated its own Regulatory Plan by granting a land-use permit and business license to the geriatric…
Res. 16605-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Acceso a la información sobre uso de herbicidas en Naranjo
The Constitutional Chamber heard an amparo filed by the Biodiversity Coordination Network against the Municipality of Naranjo. The petitioner requested information about herbicides used by the municipality along roads and gutters for weed control, but received no timely response. The Chamber verified that the request was sent to the mayor's official email…
Res. 16619-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Amparo por falta de respuesta a denuncia sanitaria a favor de adultos mayores
The Constitutional Chamber hears an amparo action against the Ministry of Health filed by a woman on behalf of her elderly parents, whose home suffered sewage infiltration from a neighboring commercial property. Although the Health Authority of Cartago conducted inspections, issued reports, and imposed a sanitary order on the responsible party, it never…
Res. 16687-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
SINAC cumple con deber de denuncia y seguimiento de causa penal ambiental
The Constitutional Chamber reviews an amparo action filed by Walter Brenes Soto against the National System of Conservation Areas (SINAC). The plaintiff claims that SINAC filed a criminal complaint in April 2019 for illegal logging and tree girdling in Playa Grande de Cocles, Talamanca, but failed to monitor it for over two years. The Chamber verifies that…
Res. 16789-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Amparo por omisión de respuesta sobre herbicidas municipales
The Constitutional Chamber hears an amparo filed by Mariana Porras Rozas against the Municipality of Barva. The petitioner requested information about herbicides applied by the municipality on streets and sidewalks but received no response within the legal deadline. The Chamber finds that the request was sent to an official email and that the ten-day…
Res. 17075-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Inadmisibilidad de amparo ambiental por plazo prematuro
The Constitutional Chamber flatly rejected an amparo action filed by a resident of San Nicolás de Cartago against the Cartago Health Area for failing to respond to a noise complaint lodged on July 20, 2021. The petitioner alleged that the company Maderas Cultivadas de Costa Rica was generating excessive noise with its machinery, harming the health and…
Res. 16591-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Omisión del Ministerio de Salud en responder solicitud de información sobre denuncia ambiental
The Constitutional Chamber reviewed an amparo filed by an elderly woman who claimed that her property was affected by stormwater and wastewater. While the Municipality of Atenas had already responded to her petitions by ordering works, the Ministry of Health failed to answer a request for information regarding directives given to the municipality. The…
Res. 17259-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Amparo contra Municipalidad de Moravia por inacción ante denuncia de construcción ilegal
The Constitutional Chamber granted an amparo action against the Municipality of Moravia for failing to definitively resolve a complaint filed in July 2020. The plaintiffs alleged that a neighbor's construction was encroaching on the sidewalk and causing rainwater to fall on their property, violating their fundamental rights. Despite inspections, work…
Res. 17339-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Acceso a expediente TAA sin número de expediente claro
The Constitutional Chamber hears an amparo filed by Edwin Mora Montero against the Environmental Administrative Tribunal (TAA). The complainant claimed he requested information on pending complaints before the TAA concerning encroachments on protection zones in the municipalities of Curridabat and Santa Ana, and that at the scheduled meeting, officials…
Res. 17354-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Municipalidad debe responder solicitud de información sobre zona de protección
The Constitutional Chamber grants the amparo action filed against the Municipality of Alajuelita for failing to respond to an information request submitted on September 24, 2019. The petitioner, under investigation for an alleged forest crime, requested cadastral maps and data on properties bordering the El Común stream, including whether they encroach…
Res. 17568-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Improcedencia de revisar orden sanitaria en amparo ejecutado
The Constitutional Chamber rejects a petition filed by the Costa Rican Railway Institute (INCOFER) against a sanitary order issued by the Pavas Health Area, within the framework of a previously resolved amparo action (ruling No. 2020018319). The petitioner argued that the sanitary order was improper because the amparo ruling did not declare INCOFER liable…
Res. 17252-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Ejecución de amparo: orden de atender filtración de aguas residuales
The Constitutional Chamber granted an enforcement motion filed by a petitioner who had obtained a favorable ruling in a prior amparo (decision No. 2021-009168). That ruling ordered the Alajuelita Health Area Directorate to determine the cause and solution of a problem involving infiltration of black, residual, and serviced water reported since 2015. The…
Res. 02680-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Inadmisibilidad de amparo sobre denegatoria de construcción en humedal
The Constitutional Chamber flatly dismisses an amparo filed by a corporation against SINAC and SETENA, which had denied permits to build apartments on two properties in Playa Hermosa de Jacó. The petitioner argued that the properties had a current environmental feasibility permit and that the authorities considered them part of the Pochotal Lagoon Wetland…
Res. 17792-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Cierre del Parque Ambiental de Desechos de Garabito y acumulación de basura en vía pública
The Constitutional Chamber heard an amparo action filed by the Garabito Chamber of Sustainable Commerce and Tourism against the Ministry of Health, the Municipality of Garabito, and the Environmental Administrative Tribunal, due to the accumulation of trash on streets, sidewalks, and public spaces after the closure of the Garabito Environmental Waste Park.…
Res. 17794-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Omisiones de autoridades de salud y municipales ante cierre de relleno sanitario en Garabito
The Constitutional Chamber granted an amparo filed by an elderly resident of the Garabito canton against the Garabito Health Governing Area, the Municipality of Garabito, and the Environmental Administrative Tribunal, for violation of the right to a healthy and ecologically balanced environment. It found that the Ministry of Health ordered the closure of…
Res. 17810-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Omisión de salud municipal en notificar denuncia por ruido
The Constitutional Chamber reviewed an amparo action filed by neighbors in Lomas del Río de Pavas alleging that the Ministry of Health and the Municipality of San José failed to address complaints about noise, scandals, and parties from a neighboring property. The court found that the Pavas Health Area did conduct an inspection and recommended closing the…
Res. 17816-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Amparo por carboneras y botadero clandestinos en Patarrá
The Constitutional Chamber denies an amparo filed by a resident of Patarrá, Desamparados, against various public authorities for their alleged inaction regarding the operation of clandestine charcoal kilns and an illegal dump within the Cerros de la Carpintera Protected Zone and the buffer zones of a spring and a creek. The Chamber finds that the…
Res. 17827-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Omisión en atender denuncia por segregación en Refugio Gandoca Manzanillo
The Constitutional Chamber reviews an amparo filed against the Minister of Environment and Energy for failing to respond to an environmental complaint submitted on April 8, 2021. The complaint reported the alleged segregation and subdivision of forested land in Zone 01 of the Gandoca Manzanillo National Wildlife Refuge, in Manzanillo, Limón. After over…
Res. 17930-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Inadmisibilidad de amparo sobre ruido y olores industriales por existencia de vía administrativa
The Constitutional Chamber deems inadmissible an amparo brought by a Curridabat resident against the Ministry of Health and the company Yeril S.A. for alleged environmental nuisances stemming from an industrial metal-structure manufacturing operation. The complainant cited excessive noise, chemical odors, and particulate emissions, acknowledging that the…
Res. 18176-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Sala Constitucional declara improcedente gestión de desobediencia contra Municipalidad y Ministerio de Salud por problema de aguas residuales
The Constitutional Chamber reviewed a non‑compliance claim filed by a group of residents against the Municipality of Santa Bárbara de Heredia and the Ministry of Health, alleging failure to obey a prior ruling (Res. 2020‑010461) that ordered the authorities to address wastewater and stormwater pollution in the San Bosco community. After hearing the…
Res. 18471-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Desalojo administrativo por orden judicial en Parque Nacional Tortuguero
The Constitutional Chamber dismissed an amparo action filed by a woman against the Ministry of Environment and Energy (MINAE) for the demolition of her house located inside Tortuguero National Park. The plaintiff claimed her home and belongings were destroyed without prior notice and that her stepson was forced to watch the demolition. However, the Chamber…
Res. 18439-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Desobediencia por incumplimiento de plan remedial en orden sanitaria a Municipalidad de Curridabat
The Constitutional Chamber hears a non-compliance petition filed by David Alberto Zamora Aymerich against the Ministry of Health and the Municipality of Curridabat, alleging failure to comply with Judgment 2021-013772. That judgment had ordered the municipal mayor to take all necessary actions to comply with the remedial plan required by Health Order…
Res. 18490-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Amparo sobre aguas jabonosas en Barrio San Carlos
The Constitutional Chamber heard an amparo action filed by a resident against the Municipality of Buenos Aires regarding inadequate drainage of soapy and stormwater on a public street in Barrio San Carlos. The petitioner claimed violation of the rights to health and a healthy environment. The municipality had previously responded that soapy water treatment…
Res. 18721-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Municipalidad de San José sí atendió denuncia ambiental
The Constitutional Chamber reviewed an amparo action filed by a citizen against the Municipality of San José, alleging lack of response to a complaint regarding encroachment on a protection zone and a mechanical workshop in San Francisco de Dos Ríos. The complainant claimed that after more than 90 days, he had not received a formal response, nor had…
Res. 18827-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Incumplimiento de amparo ambiental por aguas negras en Escazú
The Constitutional Chamber reviewed a noncompliance action filed by the same petitioners of a prior amparo, who claimed that municipal and health authorities of Escazú had failed to comply with the orders issued in judgment 2020012400 regarding the sewage and residual water problem in the Cuesta Grande area. The original ruling had ordered solving the lack…
Res. 18828-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Ampliación de plazo para corregir afectación ambiental por inundaciones en Gravilias
The Constitutional Chamber reviews a subsequent motion filed by the Municipality of Desamparados requesting an extension of the compliance deadline set in Judgment No. 2020-022801, which had ordered the necessary actions to fully remedy the environmental damage caused by flooding in the Gravilias community. The Municipality argues that despite progress,…
Res. 19097-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Denuncia municipal por invasión a zona de protección — plazo razonable para resolver
The petitioner filed an amparo action against the Municipality of San José, alleging that he had submitted complaints regarding invasions of waterway protection zones under the Forestry Law, and that the municipality had not resolved his requests nor conducted the requested inspections. The Constitutional Chamber determined that, at the time the amparo was…
Res. 19131-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Falta de respuesta municipal a denuncia sobre arbustos que obstruyen acera
The Constitutional Chamber hears an amparo action filed by a daughter on behalf of her mother, claiming that the Municipality of Belén has not provided an official response to the complaint filed on January 13, 2021 (file No. 915-2021) regarding vegetation obstructing pedestrian traffic on the sidewalk in front of the Casa de la Cultura. The amparado, an…
Res. 19140-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Acceso a información sobre desechos y ambiente sano en mercado municipal
The Constitutional Chamber reviews an amparo filed by a citizen who requested information from the Municipality of San José on waste disposal programs for maintaining a healthy environment in the wholesale market. Although the municipality responded to other parts of the request, it failed to address this specific matter. The Chamber finds that more than…
Res. 19191-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Inconclusa respuesta del Ministerio de Salud sobre arsénico en Bagaces viola derecho de petición
The Constitutional Chamber heard an amparo action filed by the Asociación Confraternidad Guanacasteca against the Ministry of Health. The association requested information on the health impact of arsenic-contaminated water on Bagaces residents, including copies of studies, actions taken, and data on disease cases. The Ministry partially responded,…
Res. 19527-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Abuso del derecho de petición frente a denuncias ambientales sobre zonas de protección
The Constitutional Chamber dismisses Edwin Mora Montero's amparo claim against the Municipality of San José, ruling that the petitioner abused his right to petition. He filed over 25 amparo claims against municipalities, 15 against San José, all related to alleged invasions of watercourse protection zones. The Chamber reiterates its case law that the right…
Res. 19544-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Sala Constitucional declara inadmisible recurso de amparo por contaminación en Zona Protectora Tivives al no haberse presentado denuncia previa
The Constitutional Chamber flatly rejects an amparo action filed by a landowner in the Tivives Services Cooperative, located in the Tivives Protected Zone, Esparza canton. The petitioner alleged environmental contamination from a proliferation of constructions, many for commercial use prohibited by the regulatory plan, indiscriminate logging of native…
Res. 19670-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Amparo por falta de respuesta a solicitud de reglamento sobre colillas de cigarro
The Constitutional Chamber reviewed an amparo action filed by Walter Brenes Soto against the Ministry of Health. The petitioner had requested the Ministry to draft and issue a regulation for the special management of waste from cigarette butts, given the urgent need to reduce environmental harm. After two months without a response, he claimed a violation…
Res. 19695-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Improcedencia del amparo para ejecutar dictamen de Procuraduría sobre zona marítimo terrestre en Manuel Antonio
The Constitutional Chamber summarily dismissed an amparo filed by two citizens against the Municipality of Quepos, its mayor, and municipal council. The petitioners sought to enforce a PGR opinion declaring land titles in the maritime zone adjacent to Manuel Antonio National Park illegal, cancel concessions, issue a regulatory plan based on an…
Res. 19668-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Inadmisibilidad del amparo por mora en procedimiento ambiental
The Constitutional Chamber flatly rejects the amparo filed by a landowner against the Administrative Environmental Tribunal (TAA) of MINAE. The claimant alleged that the TAA had not resolved an environmental complaint against her property, despite submitting exculpatory evidence in June 2021. The Chamber holds that the alleged lack of response would…
Res. 19746-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Segunda gestión de desobediencia por mora en resolver expediente ambiental
The Constitutional Chamber reviews a second contempt motion filed by Edgardo Araya Sibaja, who alleges that the Environmental Administrative Tribunal (TAA) has still not complied with the order issued in ruling No. 2020-017177 of 2020—to resolve administrative case 410-09-02-TAA within two months and notify the decision. Almost a year later, the TAA had…
Res. 19810-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Colapso de alcantarillado en Residencial Camino Luna y responsabilidad del desarrollador
The Constitutional Chamber hears an amparo action filed by a homeowner in Residencial Camino Luna, Liberia, Guanacaste, against the Costa Rican Institute of Aqueducts and Sewers (AyA). The plaintiff claims the sewer system regularly collapses, discharging raw sewage into the Liberia River, and that AyA fails to maintain it despite charging for the service.…
Res. 20058-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Incumplimiento de orden sanitaria por Municipalidad de Curridabat
This ruling addresses a new amparo claim for disobedience of judgment 2018001540, which ordered the Municipality of Curridabat to immediately comply with sanitary order no. 042-10 of 2010. Despite reiterations in 2019 and 2021, the municipality only reported administrative steps (SETENA viability, water permit, initiation of public procurement) without…
Res. 19253-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Acceso a la información sobre herbicidas usados por la municipalidad
The Constitutional Chamber reviews an amparo action against the Municipality of San Rafael de Heredia for failing to respond to a request for information about herbicides used for weed control in public spaces. The petitioner sent the inquiry by email on July 20, 2021, and had received no reply when filing the amparo. The municipality answered on August…
Res. 19958-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Inadmisibilidad de amparo sobre medidas cautelares de SETENA contra hotel Bungalows Punta Uva Inn
The Constitutional Chamber summarily dismissed an amparo action filed on behalf of a hotel corporation against the National Environmental Technical Secretariat (SETENA). The petitioner alleged that SETENA imposed precautionary measures exceeding its authority by ordering the cessation of the hotel's economic activity, not just construction works, and had…
Res. 19771-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Amparo contra Municipalidad de Mora por omisión en resolver denuncia ambiental
The Constitutional Chamber heard an amparo filed by Edwin Mora Montero against the Municipality of Mora for failing to respond to a complaint submitted on October 15, 2019, which reported the invasion of a river's protection zone by buildings near a Banco Popular agency. The petitioner requested information on whether the properties encroached on the…
Res. 20255-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Amparo prematuro contra municipalidad por demora en atender denuncia ambiental
The Constitutional Chamber rejects an amparo petition filed by a citizen against the Municipality of Montes de Oca. The petitioner reported violations of the Forestry Law and encroachment on protection zones in a residential development, complaining that the municipality had failed to respond to his information request and complaint. The Chamber determines…
Res. 20270-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Omisión del Concejo Municipal de resolver recurso de revocatoria en materia de aguas
The Constitutional Chamber reviews an amparo action filed by the owner of a property in Jacó, who claims that the Municipality of Garabito placed cement pipes in a public street, diverting rainwater onto her land and causing damage. After numerous unsuccessful attempts to obtain a response from the Mayor and municipal officials, the petitioner filed an…
Res. 20271-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Certificado de uso de suelo frente a hecho sobreviniente de protección hídrica
The Constitutional Chamber hears an amparo against the Municipality of Esparza and the Central Pacific Conservation Area’s Forest Resources Office. The petitioner, a real estate developer, obtained a land-use certificate in 2017 for a residential project and SETENA’s environmental viability in 2019. When he sought renewal of the certificate in 2020, the…
Res. 20303-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Amparo por daños de obras de mitigación en río Guácimo
The Constitutional Chamber reviewed an amparo filed by a private party against the National Emergency Commission and the Municipality of Guácimo. The plaintiff claimed that a dike built by the Commission on the right bank of the Guácimo River, plus negligence of a municipal mining concession supervisor, damaged his property on the left bank. The Chamber…
Res. 20323-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Derecho de petición ambiental y respuesta tardía municipal
The Biodiversity Coordination Network requested from the Municipality of San Carlos information about herbicides used in public spaces. The municipality did not reply until served with the amparo proceeding, violating the right of petition. The Constitutional Chamber granted the amparo, based on Article 27 of the Constitution. The majority did not award…
Res. 20341-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Acceso a información sobre herbicidas municipales
The Constitutional Chamber reviewed an amparo action filed by the Biodiversity Coordination Network Association against the Municipality of Grecia, for failing to respond to a request for information on herbicides applied in public spaces. The petitioner requested on July 22, 2021, the names of products used for weed control on streets, squares, parks,…
Res. 20342-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Medios electrónicos no oficiales para ejercer derecho de petición
The Constitutional Chamber reviews an amparo filed by the president of the Biodiversity Coordination Network against the Municipality of Garabito. The petitioner claims the municipality failed to respond to a request for information about herbicides used in public spaces, sent to
[email protected]. The municipality asserts that the…
Res. 20363-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Rechazo de denuncia ambiental colectiva por MINAE
The Constitutional Chamber heard an amparo appeal filed by Edwin Mora Montero against the Ministry of Environment and Energy (MINAE). The appellant claimed that MINAE rejected an environmental complaint he had filed on the basis that complaints must be submitted individually and not jointly. He argued that this rejection violated his fundamental rights.…
Res. 20365-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Dilación del Ministerio de Salud en atender denuncia por contaminación de cuarterías
The Constitutional Chamber hears an amparo filed by residents of Purral, Goicoechea, against the Ministry of Health and the Municipality of Goicoechea for failing to address repeated complaints since 2011 about pollution from adjacent tenement housing discharging wastewater, black water, and solid waste onto their property and into the Torres River. The…
Res. 20384-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Denuncia ambiental por herbicidas enviada a correo no oficial resulta prematura
The Constitutional Chamber reviews an amparo action against the Ministry of Health for failing to respond to a complaint about herbicide use in non-agricultural areas, filed on August 24, 2020, to the email
[email protected]. The Chamber finds that this email is not an official Ministry channel; the only official correspondence address is…
Res. 20385-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Amparo sobre derecho de petición y pronta respuesta en materia ambiental
The Constitutional Court heard an amparo filed by a member of Costa Rica Libre de Tóxicos against the District Municipal Council of Cóbano for failing to respond to an information request regarding agrochemical use in public areas. The request, sent via email in August 2020, went unanswered until September 2021, after the amparo was filed and admitted. The…
Res. 20388-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Falta de respuesta municipal sobre herbicidas vulnera derecho de petición
The Constitutional Chamber reviewed an amparo filed by Mariana Lucía Porras Rozas, a forestry engineer and president of the Biodiversity Coordination Network, against the Municipality of Santa Cruz. The claimant requested information about herbicides applied by the municipality on streets, parks, and sidewalks but did not receive a timely response. The…
Res. 20406-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Sala Constitucional rechaza amparo por demora en atender denuncia de ruido
The Constitutional Chamber of Costa Rica denied an amparo action filed against the Ministry of Health for an alleged delay in addressing a noise pollution complaint in Playa Hermosa, Garabito. The petitioner claimed that since October 2020 he had reported excessive noise and vibrations without receiving a final resolution. The Chamber found that the…
Res. 20666-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Inejecución de sentencia por drenaje pluvial en Barrio San Cristóbal
The Constitutional Chamber dismisses a non-enforcement petition filed by the petitioner, who claimed that the Municipality of Limón had not fully complied with Judgment 2019011237, which ordered a definitive solution to stormwater drainage problems in Barrio San Cristóbal. The petitioner argued that the works carried out —culvert construction and sewer…
Res. 19935-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Inadmisibilidad de amparo por falta de denuncia previa en caso de contaminación sónica y emplazamiento irregular de delegación policial
The Constitutional Chamber (Sala Constitucional) flatly rejected an amparo appeal filed by a resident of Santo Domingo de Heredia against the Public Force Delegation and the Ministry of Public Security. The appellant claimed the delegation was irregularly set up next to her home, causing noise pollution that affected her right to health and tranquility,…
Res. 20060-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Corrección de error material en prórroga de amparo ambiental por inundaciones en Gravilias
In this ruling, the Constitutional Chamber rejects a request filed by the Mayor of Desamparados, Gilberth Jiménez Siles, who sought to correct an alleged material error in resolution No. 2021-018828. That previous resolution had extended by an additional six months the deadline granted in judgment No. 2020-022801, which had upheld an amparo and ordered the…
Res. 20706-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Desobediencia reiterada del TAA a orden de resolver expediente ambiental
The Constitutional Chamber addresses a third motion filed in an amparo proceeding where the Environmental Administrative Tribunal (TAA) had been ordered to resolve case file No. 410-09-02-TAA within two months. Despite two previous findings of disobedience and more than a year having passed since the original order, the TAA requests an extension of time,…
Res. 21237-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Inejecución por respuesta municipal extemporánea
The Constitutional Chamber reviewed a non-execution complaint filed by a citizen against the Mayor and the head of the Tax Department of the Municipality of Talamanca for alleged non-compliance with Judgment No. 2021-005730. In that judgment, the Chamber had ordered the officials to provide a written response to the claimant’s requests (concerning…
Res. 21325-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Amparo por demora en denuncia ambiental sobre tenencia de guacamayo silvestre
The Constitutional Chamber reviewed an amparo filed against MINAE and SINAC for allegedly failing to process a citizen complaint about a captive blue-and-yellow macaw kept in a warehouse in Granadilla. The petitioner claimed that since June 1, 2021, she had filed the complaint through the SITADA system, and by the time the amparo was filed, it remained…
Res. 21686-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Ampliación de plazo para cumplimiento de orden en camino Punta Burica
The Constitutional Chamber addressed a request by the Mayor of Golfito to extend the three-month deadline set in judgment 2021-012080, which ordered the Municipality to submit to MINAE corrections to the socio-environmental cost-benefit study for the Punta Burica road improvement project. The Mayor cited budget constraints, the need to hire a forestry…
Res. 21231-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Aclaración y adición contra desestimación de desobediencia en amparo por aguas residuales
The Constitutional Chamber addressed a motion for clarification and addition filed by the appellants against interlocutory judgment No. 2021018827, which had dismissed a disobedience incident related to the amparo ordering the Municipality of Escazú to resolve the sewage and wastewater problem in Cuesta Grande. The appellants questioned the credibility…
Res. 21240-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Omisión de SETENA en finalizar procedimiento sancionatorio contra Relleno Sanitario Los Pinos
The Constitutional Chamber reviews an amparo action against the Ministry of Health, SETENA, and the Environmental Administrative Tribunal for alleged omissions in the oversight of the Los Pinos Landfill. The petitioner claims the landfill operates in breach of health and environmental regulations (slope gradients, setbacks, leachate, active geological…
Res. 21246-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Descarga de sedimentos en hidroeléctrica sin incumplimiento ambiental
The Constitutional Chamber dismisses an amparo (constitutional complaint) filed by Asociación Norte por la Vida against CONELECTRICAS R.L., the Municipality of San Ramón, and MINAE, alleging contamination of the San Lorenzo River due to sediment discharge from the San Lorenzo Hydroelectric Plant's reservoir. The petitioner claimed that sediments…
Res. 21342-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Abuso del derecho de petición en denuncias reiteradas sobre zona de protección
The Constitutional Chamber dismisses an amparo filed against the Municipality of San José, finding that the petitioner engaged in an abusive exercise of the right to petition. The petitioner had submitted a complaint regarding an alleged encroachment on a river protection zone in Barrio Las Luisas, Mata Redonda, and claimed a lack of municipal response.…
Res. 21892-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Amparo ambiental inadmisible por prematuro
The petitioner filed an amparo appeal against the Ministry of Health, claiming that her neighbor's cattle and goat farming produces foul odors and pollutes a river, and that the environmental complaint she filed on August 27, 2021 remained unanswered. The Constitutional Chamber determined the issue was not a violation of the right of petition, but a…
Res. 21910-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Omisión municipal de resolver denuncias sobre movimientos de tierra y daño ambiental
The Constitutional Chamber granted the amparo filed by Karla María Dijeres González against the Municipality of Golfito, finding a violation of the fundamental right to prompt and complete justice. Since 2010, the complainant had denounced that earthworks authorized by the municipality damaged her property, caused erosion, and diverted a river course,…
Res. 21912-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Amparo por dilación del TAA en denuncia ambiental de Las Monas
The Constitutional Chamber heard an amparo action against the Administrative Environmental Tribunal (TAA) for failing to resolve environmental complaints filed since 1998 regarding damage in the Las Monas area of Jacó. The reported acts include illegal logging, invasion of protected areas, and illegal construction. The Chamber verified that the TAA carried…
Res. 21932-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Sala rechaza amparo contra municipio y fiscalía por mora procesal
The Constitutional Chamber reviewed the amparo filed by Edwin Mora Montero against the Municipality of San José and the agricultural prosecutor, Luis Diego Hernández Araya. The claimant argued that he reported the encroachment of the 'Pequeño Mundo' business into a protected area, and that since May 2020, the authorities had failed to verify the complaint…
Res. 21934-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Amparo de la Cámara Palangrera contra el MINAE por falta de acceso a información y participación en consulta marina para la ampliación del Parque Nacional Isla del Coco
The Constitutional Chamber heard an amparo action filed by the National Chamber of the Longline Industry (CNIP) against the Ministry of Environment and Energy (MINAE). The CNIP alleged that, during a consultation process for the expansion of the Isla del Coco National Park and the Montes Submarinos Marine Management Area, its effective participation was…
Res. 22303-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Desobediencia a sentencia y tramitación de denuncias por contaminación sónica de concretera
The Constitutional Chamber reviews an amparo action against the Municipality of Poás, the Ministry of Health, and SETENA for alleged disobedience of judgment 2020014678, which ordered the cessation of pollution caused by a concrete factory. The complainant claims the company continues operating under a different name and that her complaints are not being…
Res. 21939-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
El derecho a la participación ciudadana en la ampliación de áreas marinas protegidas
The Constitutional Chamber dismissed an amparo action filed by the National Chamber of the Longline Fishing Industry and the Artisanal Fishermen's Chamber against the Ministry of Environment and Energy (MINAE). The plaintiffs alleged violations of their rights to participation, information, and equality in the consultation process for the expansion of the…
Res. 21940-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Derecho de petición por correo electrónico no oficial
The Constitutional Chamber reviewed an amparo action filed by an environmental association against the Municipality of Poás for failure to respond to a request for information about herbicides. The petitioner claimed a violation of fundamental rights after receiving no answer to an email sent on July 22, 2021. The municipality argued that the email address…
Res. 21973-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Amparo ambiental por inacción del Ministerio de Salud ante denuncia por contaminación sónica e hídrica
The Constitutional Chamber ruled on an amparo filed by a neighbor against the Health Authority of Pérez Zeledón for failing to diligently process an environmental complaint against a car wash. The complaint, filed on August 25, 2020, alleged excessive noise, vibrations, and discharge of wastewater into a spring. The Ministry issued a sanitary order in…
Res. 21995-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Falta de competencia para conocer omisiones en denuncia ambiental
The Constitutional Chamber hears an amparo action against the Ministry of Health and the Municipality of San Carlos for alleged inaction regarding an environmental complaint about an electromechanical workshop. The petitioner claims the workshop, adjacent to his home, generates noise pollution and emissions affecting his family's health, particularly his…
Res. 21996-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Denegatoria de amparo sobre consulta pública en ampliación de áreas marinas protegidas
The Constitutional Chamber dismissed an amparo filed by artisanal fishing associations against MINAE and INCOPESCA regarding the proposal to expand protected wild areas in Isla del Coco National Park, Montes Submarinos Marine Management Area, and Corcovado National Park. The plaintiffs alleged lack of technical studies, negative impact on their activities,…
Res. 21997-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Amparo sobre depósito de vehículos decomisados y riesgos sanitarios en Ciudad Neily
The Constitutional Court denied an amparo filed by a Ciudad Neily resident who claimed that the accumulation of impounded vehicles around the Courthouse was creating breeding grounds for disease-carrying mosquitoes, obstructing sidewalks, causing environmental pollution, and degrading city aesthetics. The petitioner also objected to a plan to move the…
Res. 22228-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Rechazo de amparo por inspección en denuncia ambiental minera aún en plazo
The Constitutional Chamber dismisses an amparo filed by the President of the Ecology Development Association against the Geology and Mines Directorate and the National Mining Registry. The claimant argued that authorities had not addressed his request for a topographic inspection to verify erosive processes in mining concession 30-90 in Matina, which he…
Res. 21980-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Amparo sobre participación de la Municipalidad de Puntarenas en ampliación de áreas marinas protegidas
The Constitutional Chamber rejects an amparo filed by residents of Puntarenas against the Minister of Environment and Energy and the Executive President of INCOPESCA. The appellants claimed that the Municipality of Puntarenas was not invited to the consultation process for the expansion of marine protected areas in Isla del Coco and Montes Submarinos.…
Res. 22324-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Improcedencia de amparo contra medida cautelar penal ambiental
The Constitutional Chamber declares inadmissible an amparo action against proceedings by the Pavas Criminal Court and the Environmental Agrarian Prosecutor's Office concerning a precautionary measure of eviction and demolition in a criminal case for invasion of a protection area. The petitioner alleged violations of due process, right to defense, and right…
Res. 22446-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Invasión de área de protección del río Zaportal no configura inacción de autoridades
The Constitutional Chamber hears an amparo action filed by an individual against the Municipality of Carrillo and the National System of Conservation Areas for alleged inaction regarding the construction of structures within the Zapotal River water protection area. Since 2020, the petitioner reported invasions, tire accumulation, tree felling, and…
Res. 22975-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Gestión de desobediencia por incumplimiento de orden de resolver expediente ambiental
This is a contempt proceeding filed before the Constitutional Chamber for non-compliance with judgment 2020-009220, which had ordered the Environmental Administrative Tribunal (TAA) to issue a final decision on complaints regarding the reconstruction of Route 606 Guácima-Santa Elena within four months. The deadline expired in September 2020, but the TAA…
Res. 22465-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Amparo por contaminación sónica y ambiental de taller contiguo a vivienda
The Constitutional Chamber hears an amparo petition filed by a resident of Pueblo Nuevo, Alajuela, against the Municipality of Alajuela and the Ministry of Health, alleging that the commercial establishment TR Confecciones, located adjacent to his home, generates noise and environmental pollution seriously affecting the health of his family—his wife and…
Res. 22441-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Gestión de inejecución rechazada en amparo sobre información ambiental en Bagaces
The Constitutional Chamber rejects a non-execution petition filed by the Asociación Confraternidad Guanacasteca against the Minister of Health, in relation to amparo ruling 2021-019191 which ordered the authority to notify the petitioner of the parameters and timeframe for delivering environmental information. The Chamber verifies that the Ministry of…
Res. 22475-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Rehabilitación de manglar en terrenos del Estado no viola derechos de poseedor
The Constitutional Chamber reviews an amparo filed by a farmer who claimed that mangrove rehabilitation works in the Estero de Puntarenas Wetland, carried out by SINAC, affected his possession of over 35 years on land where he grew sugarcane, without prior notification and causing economic loss. The Court finds that the ecological restoration works were…
Res. 22502-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Acceso a expedientes municipales sobre permisos de construcción y viabilidad ambiental en área marítima
The Constitutional Court reviewed an amparo action against the Municipality of Puntarenas for failing to respond to a public information request. The petitioner, seeking to conduct environmental oversight of the maritime area, had asked for access to administrative files on construction permits and SETENA environmental viability decisions for specific…
Res. 22944-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Denuncia ambiental sin respuesta dentro del plazo de dos meses no da lugar a amparo
The Constitutional Chamber summarily dismissed an amparo action filed by a citizen who had reported to SINAC-Heredia the construction works of a condominium by Grupo Amoraca S.A., adjacent to Boruca 2 Urbanization. The petitioner claimed that the environmental authority had not responded to his complaint, thus violating his fundamental rights. However, the…
Res. 22945-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Rechazo de amparo por denuncia ambiental aún no resuelta dentro del plazo
The petitioner filed a complaint with the Environmental Unit of the ESPH regarding potential damage to a drinking water well and possible aquifer contamination in Boruca 2, Heredia. He argued that the lack of timely resolution violated his fundamental rights. The Constitutional Chamber noted that the complaint was filed on September 22, 2021, and the…
Res. 22974-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Rechazo de gestión de desobediencia por coordinación interinstitucional en caso de aguas residuales
The Constitutional Chamber denies a third contempt claim filed by the petitioner, who alleges that the respondent authorities —the Municipality of Cartago, the Cartago Health Area, and CONAVI— have failed to comply with the judgment ordering them to coordinate and take action to resolve the wastewater problem affecting her property in Corralillo de…
Res. 23096-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Reiteración de recurso de amparo desalojo precario La Bendición
The Constitutional Chamber rules that the amparo appeal is inadmissible as it repeats a previously decided matter (ruling 2021-020167). In that prior case, the appeal against the Pavas Criminal Court's eviction order of La Bendición 1 y 2 shantytown was rejected because jurisdictional acts are not subject to constitutional review via amparo under Article…
Res. 23265-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Acceso a información ambiental sobre relleno de humedales
The Constitutional Chamber summarily dismisses the amparo action brought by the president of an ecological association against the Municipality of Limón. The petitioner claimed that the municipality, in responding to a request for environmental information about wetland drainage and filling, failed to provide a digital copy of a specific internal…
Res. 23648-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Amparo por omisión del Ministerio de Salud en atender denuncia de aguas negras
The Constitutional Chamber reviews an amparo action filed against the Ministry of Health for delay in resolving a sanitary complaint regarding the discharge of sewage and rainwater onto the plaintiff's property. The plaintiff argued that since filing complaints in 2018 and 2021, he obtained no definitive solution, and that the Ministry failed to comply…
Res. 23672-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Río Balzar socava vivienda en Ciudad Cortés
The Constitutional Chamber partially granted the amparo filed by Carmen Ciria Solís Salazar against the Municipality of Osa, for failing to provide a definitive solution to the erosion caused by the Balzar River, which undermines her property in Barrio La Laguna, Ciudad Cortés, and for not responding to her complaints made in 2018, 2019, and 2020. Although…
Res. 24195-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Municipalidad responsable por omisión ante inundaciones del río Conte en La Amapola
The Constitutional Chamber hears an amparo action filed by a resident of La Amapola, Puerto Jiménez de Golfito, against several authorities due to continuous flooding caused by the overflowing of the Río Conte. The petitioner claims that despite a previous amparo granted in 2017, the problem persists, and that the Municipality has been hindered by the…
Res. 24248-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Amparo por omisión de respuesta a denuncia sobre emergencia ambiental en río Aquiares
The Constitutional Chamber reviews an amparo filed by residents of El Mora, Turrialba, against several public institutions for failing to respond to a complaint and information request submitted on July 27, 2021, regarding floods from the Aquiares River that damaged homes and the local school. After examining the reports, the Chamber finds that the…
Res. 24214-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Omisión de respuesta a gestiones sobre proyecto de ley DUA
The Constitutional Chamber hears an amparo action filed by the Association of Farmers for the Vindication of Land Rights (AGRIDET) against the Territorial Council for Rural Development of the Osa Peninsula (INDER). The petitioner claims it filed two requests —one on July 16, 2021 and another on August 15, 2021— seeking information about bill No. 22391…
Res. 24226-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Acceso al expediente y recurso contra contaminación por fábrica de concretos
The Constitutional Chamber reviews an amparo filed by a resident of San Rafael de Poás who claims violation of her fundamental rights because the Ministry of Health did not promptly provide a copy of the administrative file regarding her complaint against the company Concretos Modernos Prefablock (now Xentury S.A.) for noise and environmental pollution.…
Res. 24230-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Suministro incompleto de información sobre permisos de construcción en humedal
The Constitutional Chamber reviewed an amparo action against the Municipality of Limón for failing to respond to a request for information on the factual and legal grounds authorizing the Estación Terrena project by Claro, allegedly located in a wetland. The authority responded during proceedings, stating that requirements for land use and construction…
Res. 24237-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Desconexión del alcantarillado sanitario y construcción de tanques sépticos en Ciudad Cariari
The Constitutional Chamber reviewed an amparo action filed by a property owner in the Bosques de Doña Rosa residential area, Belén, against the Ministry of Health and the Municipality of Belén. The petitioner claimed that the respondent authorities, under the guise of complying with a previous Chamber ruling (vote 2021-000235) and an atypical precautionary…
Res. 24261-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Sala Constitucional declara sin lugar amparo por respuesta municipal sobre permiso de construcción y lesividad
The Constitutional Chamber reviews an amparo filed by Álvaro José Díaz Fernández against the Municipality of Turrialba. The petitioner claimed that since July 27, 2021, he had requested information about the existence of lesividad proceedings or an interim measure suspending his construction permit, and had received no response. However, the Chamber found…
Res. 24290-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Respuesta municipal a denuncia sobre hueco en calzada
The Constitutional Chamber hears an amparo against AyA, CONAVI, and the Municipality of Montes de Oca regarding a pothole in Sabanilla Centro that accumulates stagnant water, posing a risk of dengue and falls. The petitioner claims repeated complaints without resolution. The Chamber partially grants the amparo. As for AyA, although it improperly archived…
Res. 24365-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Solicitud ambiental no respondida — amparo con lugar sin condena en costas
The petitioner, Walter Brenes Soto, emailed the Ministry of Environment and Energy (MINAE) requesting a review of the classification and delimitation of the ecosystem surrounding Laguna Pochotal, as recommended in a technical report. Having received no response, he filed an amparo action alleging a violation of his fundamental rights. The Constitutional…
Res. 25507-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Falta de respuesta administrativa sobre estudio vial y contaminación ambiental es inadmisible en amparo constitucional
The Constitutional Chamber dismissed the amparo action filed by a Mexican citizen against the Director General of Traffic Engineering of MOPT. The petitioner requested an expanded study of a public road in Heredia, alleging pedestrian danger and environmental pollution, and complained that his request had not been answered. The Chamber found that during…
Res. 25164-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Incumplimiento de sentencia sobre acceso a fundo enclavado tras construcción de carretera San José-Caldera
The Constitutional Chamber addressed a third non-compliance motion filed by the protected party, alleging disobedience to a 2012 ruling that ordered effective access to their property or initiation of expropriation. The respondent authority reported numerous actions taken, including creation of a trust, expropriations, design, and environmental viability,…
Res. 25165-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Gestión de desobediencia en relleno sanitario denegada
The Constitutional Chamber examined a third enforcement petition regarding compliance with ruling No. 2020-002374 on the Los Pinos landfill in Navarro, Cartago. The petitioner claimed that the respondents —Ministry of Health, Municipality of Cartago, and SETENA— had failed to resolve the serious environmental and health violations reported since 2019, and…
Res. 24851-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Amparo por demora del TAA en resolver medidas cautelares
The Constitutional Chamber hears an amparo filed by an individual against the Environmental Administrative Tribunal (TAA). The complainant alleged that after filing an environmental complaint regarding stormwater discharge and unauthorized canal construction near La Managua airport in Quepos, the TAA failed to rule on the requested precautionary measures…
Res. 24872-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Acceso a información sobre fumigación aérea bananera
The Constitutional Chamber hears an amparo filed by Marco Levy Virgo against the Advisory Commission for the Control and Regulation of Agricultural Aviation Activities, for failing to provide information requested on September 18, 2021, regarding the amendment of Article 70 of the Regulation and controls for aerial fumigation in the banana industry. The…
Res. 24882-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Sala Constitucional declara con lugar amparo por retraso en responder solicitud de información al MINAE
The Constitutional Chamber reviewed an amparo filed by an environmental association against the Ministry of Environment and Energy (MINAE) for failing to timely respond to a request for information on the follow-up to Executive Decree 34139-S-MAGTSS-MINAE. The petitioner requested verification reports on several articles of the decree. MINAE acknowledged…
Res. 24883-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Acceso a información sobre fiscalización del Paraquat
The Constitutional Chamber reviewed an amparo action filed by the Biodiversity Coordination Network Association against the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (MAG). The petitioner claimed a violation of the right to petition, arguing that, despite formally requesting information on the oversight of compliance with Executive Decree No.…
Res. 24946-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Inadmisibilidad amparo contra Decreto 43212-MINAE sobre SETENA
The Constitutional Chamber declared inadmissible the amparo filed by the MOPT representative before the SETENA Plenary Commission against Executive Decree No. 43212-MINAE, which reformed the Commission's functions. The petitioner argued the decree stripped SETENA of substantive functions, transferring them to political appointees, and that its issuance was…
Res. 25377-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Rechazo de acción de inconstitucionalidad contra Decreto 43212-MINAE
The Constitutional Chamber summarily dismissed an unconstitutionality claim filed by a member of SETENA's Plenary Commission against Executive Decree No. 43212-MINAE, which amended the commission's regulations. The claimant argued the decree undermined SETENA's technical autonomy, transferred substantive functions to politically appointed positions,…
Res. 25389-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
TAA debe resolver denuncia ambiental del Aeropuerto La Managua
The Constitutional Chamber hears an enforcement proceeding brought by Mauricio Arias Ruiz regarding judgment No. 2020-008926 of May 15, 2020. In that judgment, the Chamber granted an amparo appeal based on administrative delay by the Environmental Administrative Tribunal (TAA) and ordered its Secretary, within two months, to take the necessary measures to…
Res. 25418-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Estabilización de taludes en quebrada San Martín por omisión municipal
The Constitutional Chamber grants an amparo filed by the Terranostra Condominium against the Municipality of Santo Domingo de Heredia. The plaintiff alleged that for ten years the creek bordering the condominium has suffered slope instability due to stormwater runoff from the southern part of the canton, causing landslides and endangering residents' lives.…
Res. 25413-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Amparo sobre acceso a información ambiental y respuesta municipal tardía
The Constitutional Chamber reviewed an amparo action filed by a citizen against the Municipality of Moravia, alleging violations of the rights to petition, prompt resolution, and access to public information. The petitioner had requested, since September 2020, a copy of the municipal file concerning an illegal dump in La Trinidad, and answers to specific…
Res. 25454-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Derecho de acceso a la información ambiental y coordinación interinstitucional municipal
The Constitutional Chamber reviewed an amparo petition against the Municipality of Cartago for failing to provide a timely and complete response to a public information request on environmental matters. The petitioner had asked about the regulatory plan, stormwater drainage regulations, subdivision and construction rules, and any related problems. The…
Res. 25469-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Acceso a información sobre herbicidas municipales
The Constitutional Chamber reviews an amparo filed by the Biodiversity Coordination Network Association against the Municipality of Buenos Aires de Puntarenas, alleging violation of the right to public information access. On September 14, 2021, the plaintiff requested information on herbicides used by the municipality for weed control on roads, squares,…
Res. 25403-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Improcedencia de amparo para ayuda económica por muro de contención e inundaciones
The Constitutional Chamber denies an amparo appeal filed by a woman on behalf of her daughter and grandchildren, who live in a house that floods due to runoff from an adjacent coffee farm. The appellant claimed a violation of the right to a healthy environment and sought financial aid to build a retaining wall, arguing that neither the Municipality of…
Res. 25410-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Respuesta incompleta de municipalidad sobre construcciones ilegales en zona de protección del río Tiribí lesiona derecho de petición
The Constitutional Chamber reviewed an amparo action against the Municipality of La Unión for failing to provide a complete and congruent response to multiple information requests filed by a resident concerning alleged illegal construction within the Tiribí River protection zone. The petitioner had filed requests in March, June, and August 2021, inquiring…
Res. 22656-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Amparo por falta de respuesta a solicitud de información sobre contaminación del Río Torres
The Constitutional Chamber hears an amparo action against the Municipality of San José for failing to respond to an information request filed on October 7, 2021, concerning cleanup programs and pollution of the Torres River. The petitioner claimed the omission violated his rights to petition and access to information. During the amparo proceedings, the…
Res. 26656-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Omisión de respuesta a solicitud de información sobre contaminación del río Torres
The Constitutional Chamber reviewed an amparo appeal filed by an individual against the Municipality of San José for failing to respond to a request for information on cleanup programs and actions addressing pollution of the Río Torres. The claimant submitted his request on October 7, 2021, and had received no response by the time he filed the appeal. The…
Res. 25973-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Amparo por contaminación sónica y atraso en respuesta municipal
The Constitutional Chamber reviewed an amparo action filed by a resident of San Ramón against the Health Area Directorate and the Municipality of San Ramón. The plaintiff alleged that a mechanical workshop in front of his home generated excessive noise, and that authorities had neither adequately addressed his complaints nor provided a copy of the…
Res. 26008-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Falta de respuesta del MINAE sobre ocupantes en Refugio Gandoca-Manzanillo
The Ecology Development Association filed an amparo against the Ministry of Environment and Energy (MINAE), claiming it had not received a response to an information request filed on October 1, 2021. The petitioner asked for a list with names and coordinates of good-faith occupants within the Gandoca-Manzanillo Wildlife Refuge, relying on Constitutional…
Res. 26066-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Amparo por demora en entrega de información sobre expertos en humedales del SINAC
The Constitutional Chamber reviews an amparo filed by Marco Levy Virgo against the National System of Conservation Areas (SINAC). On September 8, 2021, the petitioner requested detailed information regarding the appointment and credentials of several officials designated to issue technical opinions as wetland experts in the Atlantic region, including…
Res. 26539-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Recolección de desechos sólidos en Paquera y alcance del amparo ambiental
The Constitutional Chamber grants an amparo action against the Paquera District Municipal Council for inadequate solid waste collection services. The petitioner, a resident and business owner in central Paquera, requested in August 2021 that her business be included in the service and received no definitive response. Although the municipality had begun…
Res. 26548-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Inacción municipal ante canalizaciones que inundan viviendas
The Constitutional Chamber granted an amparo action filed by residents of Playa Potrero, Santa Cruz, against the Municipality of Santa Cruz. Since 2019, the claimants had repeatedly asked the municipality to fix water channeling on the road leading to the Pacific Heights tourism development, which was causing flooding in their homes, yet no effective…
Res. 26587-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Omisión del Ministerio de Salud en resolver denuncia sobre herbicidas en espacios públicos
This ruling from the Constitutional Chamber resolves an amparo action brought by Mariana Porras Rozas, a forestry engineer and president of the Biodiversity Coordination Network, against the Ministry of Health. The petitioner had filed a complaint against a BASF Costa Rica S.A. employee for disregarding a 2019 sanitary alert advising against the use of…
Res. 26699-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Falta de respuesta a denuncia por venta de herbicida en áreas no agrícolas
The Constitutional Chamber granted an amparo petition filed by the Biodiversity Coordination Network Association against the Ministry of Health. The petitioner reported that SERACSA was marketing the herbicide Katrin 25 SL (imazapyr) for non-agricultural uses, ignoring a health alert issued by the Ministry in 2019. Initially, the Ministry dismissed the…
Res. 27019-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Plazo razonable para atender denuncia ambiental ante Ministerio de Salud
The petitioner filed an environmental and noise pollution complaint with the Ministry of Health on September 28, 2021, alleging unbearable noise from an industrial workshop and a heavy construction material garage near his residence in San José de la Montaña, Barva. Having received no response, he filed an amparo action on November 24, 2021, seeking an…
Res. 25995-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Rechazo de amparo por falta de agua en asentamiento informal y camino no clasificado
The Constitutional Chamber reviews an amparo action filed by residents of the informal settlement San Miguel, Barrio Los Gallos in Liberia, against the Costa Rican Institute of Aqueducts and Sewers (AyA) and the Municipality of Liberia. The residents claim that AyA denied them potable water for 12 years, arguing that the access road is not public and there…
Res. 26659-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Amparo parcial por falta de respuesta a denuncia ambiental sobre proyecto de ampliación de acueducto
The Constitutional Chamber hears an amparo filed by a resident of Orosi against public entities for alleged violations of due process, citizen participation, and the right to a healthy environment in the processing of the 'Fifth Expansion of the Metropolitan Aqueduct' project. The plaintiff claims that participation was limited, that no response was given…
Res. 27510-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Amparo ambiental por vertedero clandestino rechazado por plazo
The petitioner filed complaints with the Municipality of Tarrazú, the Los Santos Health Area, and the Environmental Administrative Tribunal regarding an alleged clandestine construction waste dump at Cerro La Roca, León Cortés. He submitted the complaints on October 10 and 21, 2021. Dissatisfied with the lack of a final decision, he filed an amparo action…
Res. 27089-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Dilación del TAA ante denuncia por contaminación de hidrocarburos en Limón
This amparo action, filed by a Limón resident against the National Groundwater, Irrigation, and Drainage Service (SENARA) and the Administrative Environmental Tribunal (TAA), alleges unjustified delay in resolving an environmental contamination complaint filed in 2013 against the Servicentro Costa Caribeños S.A. gas station. The Constitutional Chamber…
Res. 27127-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Amparo por falta de respuesta del Ministerio de Salud deviene improcedente
The Constitutional Chamber reviewed an amparo petition filed by the president of the Biodiversity Coordination Network against the Ministry of Health. The petitioner alleged a lack of response to an email sent on October 12, 2021, questioning the actions of the Health Governing Area of Heredia regarding a complaint about the Municipality of Heredia using…
Res. 27292-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Rechazo de amparo por demora en patente municipal de reciclaje
The Constitutional Chamber summarily dismissed an amparo writ filed on behalf of Recycling Solutions Company S.A. against the Municipality of Limón. The company complained that, since November 2017, it had applied for a business license for solid waste collection and recycling, but had received no decision. Despite numerous follow-ups, municipal…
Res. 27339-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Recurso de amparo prematuro por falta de respuesta a denuncia ambiental
The Constitutional Chamber summarily dismisses an amparo filed by a merchant from Puntarenas against the Municipality. The petitioner had reported garbage accumulation on Sundays and holiday Mondays along the Paseo de los Turistas, requesting the mayor to include collection service on those days, invoking the right to a healthy environment and the…
Res. 27385-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Desobediencia en amparo contra operación irregular de concretera
The Constitutional Chamber resolves the third non-compliance motion filed by the petitioner, who alleges that the Ministry of Health and the Municipality of Poás have failed to comply with the order to cease pollution caused by 'Concretos Modernos Prefablock'. The Chamber verifies that the respondent authorities carried out the closure of the…
Res. 27511-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Rechazo de amparo por agroquímicos entre privados
The Constitutional Chamber flatly rejects the amparo filed by Inversiones Bosque y Playa S.A., which alleged contamination from excessive agrochemical use on an adjacent property, affecting organic crops, a water spring, and health. The majority held that amparo is not available against private parties when ordinary administrative remedies, such as filing…
Res. 27607-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Amparo sobre contaminación de aguas residuales en Quebrada Ganado
The Constitutional Chamber reviews an amparo filed by a resident of Quebrada Ganado against the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Environment and Energy, and the Municipality of Garabito. The petitioner claims that pollution from waste and sewage in a stream that floods his property violates his rights to a healthy environment and health. A previous…
Res. 27622-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Omisión municipal y del MOPT ante contaminación sónica y mal estado de calle que afecta a vecinos vulnerables
Residents of Oreamuno filed an amparo after years of unanswered complaints about: 1) noise and exhaust pollution from a sawmill and two poorly parked buses in a residential area; and 2) the extremely poor condition of a municipal road (unpaved, no sidewalks, no speed bumps) that generates dust, hinders ambulance and fire truck access, and endangers the…
Res. 27665-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Denuncia por uso de herbicidas — Omisión de respuesta del Ministerio de Salud
The Biodiversity Coordination Network Association filed a complaint with the Ministry of Health against the Paquera District Council for using the herbicide Roundup (glyphosate) in areas of human coexistence, in violation of a health alert. The complaint was urgently forwarded to the Directorate General of Health and then to the Central Pacific Health…
Res. 27666-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Retardo del Ministerio de Salud en resolver denuncia ambiental sobre uso de herbicidas
The Constitutional Chamber hears an amparo filed by an environmental activist who complained to the Ministry of Health about the use of the herbicide Arsenal 24 SL by the Municipality of Barva de Heredia in human living spaces, in violation of a health alert. Although the Ministry conducted inspections and issued reports, it did not resolve the complaint…
Res. 28029-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Amparo por denuncia ambiental no resuelta
The Constitutional Chamber heard an amparo filed by Adrián Mora Rojas against several authorities —the Municipality of Paraíso, the Orosi Community Emergency Committee, the Costa Rican Institute of Aqueducts and Sewers (AyA) and the Ministry of Environment and Energy (MINAE)— for allegedly failing to respond and act on complaints regarding earthworks, tree…
Res. 28037-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Denuncia ambiental por drenaje de humedales en Westfalia, Limón
The Constitutional Chamber reviews an amparo action filed by a citizen and president of an ecological association against SINAC, the Regional Council of the Amistad Caribe Conservation Area, and the National Wetlands Coordinator. The petitioner claims that on March 16, 2020, he filed a complaint regarding the systematic drainage of thousands of hectares of…
Res. 28053-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Denuncia por contaminación sónica en Playa Hermosa
The Constitutional Chamber reviews an amparo action filed regarding noise pollution in Playa Hermosa de Jacó. The petitioner claimed the Ministry of Health failed to resolve their health complaint within a reasonable time, violating the right to a healthy environment and access to justice. The Chamber finds that despite initial delays, the Garabito Health…
Res. 28064-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Dilación indebida del Ministerio de Salud al resolver denuncia sobre herbicidas
The Constitutional Chamber reviews an amparo action filed by an environmental association against the Ministry of Health for failure to timely respond to a complaint about the use and sale of the herbicide Arsenal 24 SL in areas of human coexistence. The petitioner claimed that, despite filing the complaint in July 2021 and requesting a response in…
Res. 28069-2021 Sala Constitucional2021 · Sala Constitucional
Denuncia por lote en abandono no configura violación a derecho a ambiente sano
The Constitutional Chamber analyzed an amparo action filed against the Municipality of Puriscal for an alleged failure to address a complaint regarding the abandoned, overgrown, and dirty condition of a lot adjacent to the petitioner's property. The petitioner claimed violation of Articles 27 (right to petition) and 50 (right to a healthy environment) of…
Res. 20316-2020 Sala Constitucional2020 · Sala Constitucional
Desestimación de tercera gestión de incumplimiento por prematura
The Constitutional Chamber dismisses the third non-compliance motion filed by the petitioner against the Municipality of Turrialba and MINAE officials, finding it premature. In the original judgment No. 2020-004513, the Chamber had granted an environmental amparo and ordered the respondent authorities to take measures to resolve a reported environmental…
Res. 20337-2020 Sala Constitucional2020 · Sala Constitucional
Clausura de local y cancelación de permiso sanitario por invasión de área de protección de quebrada
The Constitutional Chamber granted the amparo appeal filed by Walter Brenes Soto against the Ministry of Health. The appellant requested the closure of the Bar Restaurant Los Manitos and the cancellation of its health operating permit, because part of the construction encroaches on the protection area of the Lisa stream in Garabito, according to a…
Res. 20366-2020 Sala Constitucional2020 · Sala Constitucional
Omisión municipal frente a contaminación en cementerio de San Rafael de Oreamuno
The Constitutional Chamber reviewed an amparo action filed by residents of San Rafael de Oreamuno, Cartago, against the Municipality of Oreamuno and the Ministry of Health. The petitioners complained about the accumulation of solid waste, unchanneled rainwater, and a wall at risk of collapse at the municipal cemetery, affecting their health and quality of…
Res. 20448-2020 Sala Constitucional2020 · Sala Constitucional
Plazo razonable para resolver denuncias ambientales ante el TAA
The Constitutional Chamber reviews an amparo action concerning the failure to resolve an environmental complaint filed with the Environmental Administrative Tribunal (TAA) and the rejection of a similar complaint by the Office of the Comptroller General (CGR). The petitioner alleged that a plot of land acquired to build a school in Mora contains a water…
Res. 20461-2020 Sala Constitucional2020 · Sala Constitucional
Coordinación interadministrativa en acceso a información y viabilidad ambiental
The Constitutional Chamber hears an amparo filed by a citizen against the Municipality of Puntarenas for failure to respond to his requests of July 1 and August 27, 2020, regarding a certified copy of the construction file for a bus terminal and a query on the project's environmental viability. The municipal authority responded on October 12, 2020, after…
Res. 20617-2020 Sala Constitucional2020 · Sala Constitucional
Rechazo de plano del amparo por demora ante el TAA — vía contenciosa idónea
The Constitutional Chamber summarily dismisses an amparo filed against the Administrative Environmental Tribunal (TAA) for delay in resolving case file 030-15-03-TAA. The petitioner claimed the constitutional right to prompt administrative justice was violated because no final decision had been issued since the hearing held in December 2019. The Chamber…
Res. 20575-2020 Sala Constitucional2020 · Sala Constitucional
Inadmisible amparo contra desalojo en terreno del Patrimonio Natural del Estado
The Constitutional Chamber declares inadmissible an amparo filed by an occupant against the Municipality of Desamparados, which ordered her eviction and the demolition of her dwelling in the El Zetillal settlement. The petitioner claimed violation of fundamental rights after more than five years of peaceful possession. However, the Chamber finds that the…
Res. 20870-2020 Sala Constitucional2020 · Sala Constitucional
Amparo ambiental y contaminación sónica en Puriscal
The Constitutional Chamber hears an amparo against the Ministry of Health and the Municipality of Puriscal for failure to address complaints of environmental and noise pollution, as well as illegal constructions. The petitioner alleges harm to his health and right to a healthy environment. The Chamber finds that the Municipality has partially addressed the…
Res. 20873-2020 Sala Constitucional2020 · Sala Constitucional
Amparo por denuncia de usurpación en Patrimonio Natural del Estado y planta de tratamiento en Manuel Antonio
The Constitutional Chamber denies the amparo filed by Robert Franklin Workman on behalf of Clara Luna S.A. against the MINAE Subregional Office of Quepos and Parrita and the Quepos Health Area. The claimant reported the usurpation of State Natural Heritage (PNE) land by Hacienda Pecos S.A. and the irregular construction of a wastewater treatment plant. The…
Res. 20887-2020 Sala Constitucional2020 · Sala Constitucional
Atención de denuncias por contaminación sónica por parte del Ministerio de Salud no configura omisión lesiva de derechos fundamentales
The Constitutional Chamber denied an amparo filed by a resident of Mora against the Ministry of Health for alleged failure to address complaints about noise and odors from a neighboring carpentry workshop. The petitioner claimed that her family's health had been affected since 2018 and that the Ministry had not conducted effective sound measurements…
Res. 20890-2020 Sala Constitucional2020 · Sala Constitucional
Viabilidad ambiental de planta de lodos en Sarapiquí
The Constitutional Chamber reviewed an amparo filed by the Integral Development Association of Puerto Viejo de Sarapiquí against the Ministry of Health, the Municipality of Sarapiquí, and SETENA, challenging the granting of environmental viability for a septic sludge treatment plant. The community argued that the project, located near schools, on…
Res. 20946-2020 Sala Constitucional2020 · Sala Constitucional
Improcedencia de amparo por aguas negras en Samarcanda
The Constitutional Chamber rejects an amparo petition filed by a resident of the Samarcanda subdivision in Heredia, who alleged a sewage problem affecting health and the environment. The Chamber finds that the complaint to the Ministry of Health was not filed by the petitioner but by another neighbor, and that inspections by the Health Authority did not…
Res. 20948-2020 Sala Constitucional2020 · Sala Constitucional
Desestimación de amparo por inundación en cultivo de ciprés por obras municipales
The Constitutional Chamber addressed an amparo appeal filed by an elderly man, owner of a cypress plantation in Desamparados de Alajuela, against the Municipality of Alajuela. The appellant claimed that municipal paving works in front of his property blocked a drain, causing flooding with rainwater, soapy water, sediments, and garbage, leading to fungal…
Res. 21533-2020 Sala Constitucional2020 · Sala Constitucional
Rechazo de amparo contra proyecto de ley de pesca de camarón
The Constitutional Chamber rejected outright an amparo filed against Bill No. 21478, the 'Law for the Sustainable Use of Shrimp Fishing.' The petitioners argued that the bill violated the right to a healthy and ecologically balanced environment, as well as the right to work of artisanal fishers and coastal communities. The Chamber held that amparo is…
Res. 21741-2020 Sala Constitucional2020 · Sala Constitucional
Rechazo de amparo por morosidad del Tribunal Ambiental Administrativo
The Constitutional Chamber flatly rejects an amparo action filed by Marlon Sánchez González against the Environmental Administrative Tribunal (TAA), alleging a violation of Article 41 of the Constitution due to a seven-month delay in issuing a decision in administrative file 089-18-02-TAA. Without addressing the merits, the Chamber holds that whether the…
Res. 21255-2020 Sala Constitucional2020 · Sala Constitucional
Rechazo de amparo por denuncia ambiental no resuelta en plazo legal
The Constitutional Chamber summarily rejects a writ of amparo filed against the Municipality of El Guarco for failing to resolve a complaint of environmental pollution. The complainant had filed the complaint on September 1, 2020, and reiterated it on October 1, 2020, alleging that an adjacent municipal lot was neglected, with proliferation of insects,…
Res. 21340-2020 Sala Constitucional2020 · Sala Constitucional
SENASA no incurre en inercia ante denuncias por plaga de mosca del establo
The Constitutional Chamber reviews an amparo filed by a cattle rancher alleging inaction by the National Animal Health Service (SENASA) and the State Phytosanitary Service regarding attacks by the hematophagous stable fly (Stomoxys calcitrans) on her livestock, worsened since 2019. The petitioner claims that the pest breeds in neighboring pineapple farms…
Res. 21344-2020 Sala Constitucional2020 · Sala Constitucional
Derecho de acceso a la información y petición en trámites de construcción de centro comercial en vía pública
The Constitutional Chamber hears an amparo action filed by residents of Loma Linda de Río Blanco de Limón against the Municipality of Limón. The petitioners allege violation of their fundamental rights to petition, timely response, and access to administrative information. By email sent on July 10, 2020, they requested information regarding the…
Res. 21826-2020 Sala Constitucional2020 · Sala Constitucional
Amparo sobre mora en procedimiento de cancelación de concesión en Zona Marítimo Terrestre
The Constitutional Chamber hears an amparo against the Municipal Council of Santa Cruz for the alleged failure to resolve a request filed on December 10, 2019, seeking the initiation of administrative proceedings to cancel a concession in the Maritime Terrestrial Zone and annul construction permits granted to an individual. The Chamber verifies multiple…
Res. 21755-2020 Sala Constitucional2020 · Sala Constitucional
Corrección de error material en amparo por granja porcina
The Constitutional Chamber corrects a material error in the operative part of judgment No. 2020-020356, which granted an amparo action against the Ministry of Health for foul odors from a pig farm. The correction adds the National Animal Health Service (SENASA) as a respondent authority, since it is within its powers to issue the Veterinary Operation…
Res. 21790-2020 Sala Constitucional2020 · Sala Constitucional
Ampliación de plazo para cierre de vertedero y estación de transferencia en Turrialba
The Constitutional Chamber resolves a request from the Municipality of Turrialba for a further extension of the deadline set in rulings 2018-016934 and 2020-001623 to solve the final disposal of solid waste in the canton. The Mayor submitted a third compliance report detailing progress and limitations, including delays by AyA, budget constraints due to…
Res. 21796-2020 Sala Constitucional2020 · Sala Constitucional
Ataques de mosca del establo en finca ganadera sin denuncias formales
The Constitutional Chamber reviews an amparo petition filed by a cattle farmer from Pital de San Carlos, who alleges his herd suffers attacks from the blood-feeding stable fly Stomoxys calcitrans, which breeds in neighboring pineapple plantations. The petitioner accuses the State Phytosanitary Service and the National Animal Health Service (SENASA) of…
Res. 21913-2020 Sala Constitucional2020 · Sala Constitucional
Amparo sobre permisos de construcción en humedal Laguna Pochotal
The Constitutional Chamber dismissed on the merits an amparo filed by the owner of a company holding land in Playa Hermosa de Jacó, where SINAC identified a possible wetland (Laguna Pochotal). The petitioner argued that the Municipality of Garabito and ACOPAC prohibited construction on their land without prior expropriation, violating the right to property…
Res. 92041-2020 Sala Constitucional2020 · Sala Constitucional
Admisión de acción de inconstitucionalidad contra reformas a la ley del Parque Nacional Manuel Antonio
The Constitutional Chamber admits for study an unconstitutionality action filed by a lawyer in defense of diffuse and collective interests against Law No. 9885, which reformed the regulations of Manuel Antonio National Park. The claimants allege formal and substantive defects: incongruence in the legislative procedure by including in Transitory V a…
Res. 22283-2020 Sala Constitucional2020 · Sala Constitucional
Rechazo de segunda gestión de desobediencia en caso Relleno Sanitario Los Pinos
The Constitutional Chamber denies a second non-compliance petition filed by the plaintiff, who alleged that the Ministry of Health, the Municipality of Cartago, SETENA, and the Environmental Administrative Tribunal (TAA) were failing to comply with ruling 2020-002374. The plaintiff argued omissions, contradictions, and falsehoods in the submitted reports,…
Res. 22602-2020 Sala Constitucional2020 · Sala Constitucional
Amparo prematuro contra Ministerio de Salud por falta de respuesta a denuncia ambiental
The Constitutional Chamber summarily dismisses this amparo filed by an individual against the Ministry of Health, alleging failure to resolve an environmental complaint about noise and vibrations from a commercial premises and warehouse (PROCODI) in Santa Bárbara de Heredia. The complaint had been filed only one month and four days before the amparo, and…
Res. 22620-2020 Sala Constitucional2020 · Sala Constitucional
Reiteración de cumplimiento de sentencia de amparo en precario Lomas del Río
The petitioner filed a non-compliance action against the Municipality of Turrialba and the Ministry of Health, claiming that the prior amparo ruling had not been executed. That ruling had ordered verification of environmental and construction problems in the informal settlement of Lomas del Río and, if applicable, initiation of proceedings to bring the…
Res. 22705-2020 Sala Constitucional2020 · Sala Constitucional
Amparo prematuro por denuncia de agroquímicos y acuíferos
The Constitutional Chamber declares inadmissible as premature the amparo filed by Alfredo Villalobos Salazar against the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock. The petitioner alleged lack of response to a request for investigation into the free commercialization of certain agrochemicals and possible contamination of aquifers, filed on October 7, 2020. The…
Res. 22735-2020 Sala Constitucional2020 · Sala Constitucional
Constitucionalidad del Manual de Planes Reguladores del INVU
The Constitutional Chamber dismisses a constitutional challenge against the Manual for Regulatory Plans as a Tool for Land-Use Planning issued by INVU (2017). The petitioners argued the manual was regressive on environmental matters, confusing the integration of environmental variables, contradicting Decree 32967-MINAE, and lacking a Strategic…
Res. 22767-2020 Sala Constitucional2020 · Sala Constitucional
ASADAS de Santa Rita, La Tabla y Santa Isabel vs. MINAE y otros sobre contaminación de fuentes de agua
The Constitutional Chamber dismisses a claim of non-compliance brought by representatives of the ASADAs of Santa Rita, Santa Isabel, and La Tabla, who argued that the respondent authorities had failed to comply with Judgment No. 2019-695, which ordered the start of cleanup and elimination of pesticide residues from the water sources supplying those…
Res. 22798-2020 Sala Constitucional2020 · Sala Constitucional
Amparo contra concesión minera en Humedal Riberino Zapandí
The Constitutional Chamber hears an amparo against a mining concession granted to Agregados Filadelfia S.A. for mechanized sand extraction in the Tempisque River bed within the Zapandí Riparian Wetland. Applicants claim violation of the right to a healthy environment because machinery was authorized and coordination with the wetlands authority was omitted.…
Res. 22807-2020 Sala Constitucional2020 · Sala Constitucional
Omisión de respuesta a denuncias por contaminación sónica y ambiental de taller clandestino en zona residencial
The Constitutional Chamber heard an amparo appeal filed by a resident of Pérez Zeledón against the Ministry of Health and the Municipality of Pérez Zeledón. The appellant alleged that since February 2020, a neighbor operated an illegal metalworking shop that generated constant noise, smoke, ash, and chemical gases, disturbing her health and peace. Despite…
Res. 22845-2020 Sala Constitucional2020 · Sala Constitucional
SINAC debe resolver denuncia sobre cementerio en área de conservación
The Constitutional Chamber hears an amparo filed by a citizen against SINAC for failing to respond to his requests of June 5 and July 3, 2020. The petitioner reported the construction of a municipal cemetery in a conservation area in La Ceniza, Pérez Zeledón, where springs of the Pacuare River and Quebrada Honda originate, and diverse fauna inhabits.…
Res. 23284-2020 Sala Constitucional2020 · Sala Constitucional
Acceso a información sobre permisos de uso en zona marítimo terrestre
The Constitutional Chamber hears an amparo against the Municipality of Talamanca for denying information on land-use permits granted in the maritime terrestrial zone over the previous eight years. The municipality argued the information was confidential and that some files had been seized during raids. The Chamber finds that, beyond the confidentiality of…
Res. 23866-2020 Sala Constitucional2020 · Sala Constitucional
Amparo parcialmente con lugar sobre acceso a información y denuncia ambiental en Gandoca-Manzanillo
The Constitutional Chamber hears an amparo filed by an environmentalist and the Association for the Development of Ecology against the Mayor of Talamanca for lack of response to a request dated November 5, 2020. The request had two parts: (1) a thorough investigation into the legal conditions under which luxury bungalows, a pool, and other structures were…
Res. 23271-2020 Sala Constitucional2020 · Sala Constitucional
Inundaciones en Urbanización Clara Rosa no acreditadas
The Constitutional Chamber ruled on an amparo action against the Municipality of Cartago, the Ministry of Health, and the National Emergency Commission, in which the plaintiffs alleged non-compliance with ruling 2007-18625, which had ordered measures to address flooding in the Clara Rosa Subdivision in Dulce Nombre, Cartago. The plaintiffs argued that the…
Res. 23298-2020 Sala Constitucional2020 · Sala Constitucional
Ausencia de lesión por denuncia ambiental atendida
In this amparo, the petitioner claimed that the Naranjo Health Area had failed to respond to a complaint about environmental contamination and smoke. The Constitutional Chamber found that the administration had already inspected the site and notified the complainant of the results before the amparo was served. The inspection concluded that the chimney met…
Res. 24315-2020 Sala Constitucional2020 · Sala Constitucional
Amparo por falta de respuesta a solicitud de información laboral
The petitioner, an employee of the Municipality of San José, filed an amparo action claiming the municipality had failed to respond to an information request made on October 30, 2020, concerning environmental complaints and health orders assigned to her in 2018, 2019, and 2020. The request was based on the Access to Information Law No. 9097. The…
Res. 24206-2020 Sala Constitucional2020 · Sala Constitucional
Ampliación de plazo para construir puente Quebrada Guape
The Constitutional Chamber extends the deadline granted in ruling 2018-011704 for the Municipality of Santa Cruz to build a vehicular bridge over the Quebrada Guape. The original 2018 ruling ordered construction within 24 months, but the abbreviated tender was declared unsuccessful. The municipality demonstrated it has taken actions to comply, including…
Res. 24209-2020 Sala Constitucional2020 · Sala Constitucional
Incumplimiento de sentencia por alcantarillado pluvial en Turrialba
The Constitutional Chamber rules on an alleged non-compliance with Judgment No. 2020-004513, which ordered the Municipality of Turrialba and MINAE to resolve an environmental problem of foul odors and mosquitoes. The Municipality submitted reports and coordinated with various agencies, including engineers and geographers, to address the situation. MINAE's…
Res. 24223-2020 Sala Constitucional2020 · Sala Constitucional
Denegatoria de paja de agua por inexistencia de red municipal
The Constitutional Chamber reviews a post-ruling motion against a judgment that dismissed an amparo action claiming denial of a drinking water connection by the Municipality of Aserrí. The petitioner alleged inconsistencies in the sworn report and requested that the amparo be granted. The Chamber reiterates the evidentiary value of reports from respondent…
Res. 24230-2020 Sala Constitucional2020 · Sala Constitucional
Omisión de atender denuncias por ruido y vibraciones de un gimnasio
The Constitutional Chamber reviewed an amparo action filed by neighbors in San Nicolás de Cartago against the Municipality of Cartago and the Cartago Health Area, for failing to address complaints regarding excessive noise and vibrations from the 'Triada' gym, which operated with structural deficiencies. The plaintiffs, elderly adults with chronic…
Res. 24231-2020 Sala Constitucional2020 · Sala Constitucional
Mora del TAA en denuncia por invasión de precaristas en área de protección
The Constitutional Chamber heard an amparo filed by the representative of Forestales Alegría S.A., owner of a farm in Limón, against the Administrative Environmental Tribunal (TAA). The petitioner alleged that since June 10, 2015, he had filed a complaint regarding the illegal opening of a trail, logging in a forest, and the subsequent settlement of a…
Res. 24289-2020 Sala Constitucional2020 · Sala Constitucional
Omisión de la CAID en resolver desalojo en zona de vulnerabilidad ambiental
The Constitutional Chamber hears an amparo action filed by a corporation that owns properties in Limón, which were invaded by squatters. The Ministry of Public Security initially ordered the eviction but later suspended it and referred the case to the Comprehensive Eviction Assistance Commission (CAID), considering it a socially vulnerable matter. The…
Res. 22254-2020 Sala Constitucional2020 · Sala Constitucional
Rechazo de acción de inconstitucionalidad contra proyecto de pesca de camarón
The Constitutional Chamber summarily dismissed the unconstitutionality action filed against the Bill for the Sustainable Exploitation of Shrimp Fishing (No. 21.748). The petitioner argued the bill violated Article 50 of the Constitution (right to a healthy environment) and Article 56 (right to work), claiming that the trawling practice it includes causes…
Res. 21194-2020 Sala Constitucional2020 · Sala Constitucional
Disponibilidad de agua supeditada al cumplimiento del proyecto urbanístico Nuevo Guápiles
The Constitutional Court heard an amparo action filed by Luis Alonso Salazar Rodríguez on behalf of a legal entity against the Costa Rican Institute of Aqueducts and Sewers (AyA). The petitioner challenged the denial of potable water and sanitary sewer availability for a property segregated from the parent parcel of the “Nuevo Guápiles” urban development…
Res. 23842-2020 Sala Constitucional2020 · Sala Constitucional
Omisión de respuesta municipal sobre manejo de aguas residuales en urbanización
The Constitutional Chamber hears an amparo filed by neighbors of the Astúa Pirie community against the Municipality of Pococí, the Water and Sewer Institute (ICAA), the Water Directorate of the Ministry of Environment and Energy (MINAE), and the Ministry of Health, for failing to respond to a request submitted on August 27, 2020. The petitioners sought…
Res. 02957-2020 Sala Constitucional2020 · Sala Constitucional
Requisitos para denuncias ambientales no pueden impedir atención de gestiones
The Constitutional Chamber hears an amparo against the Ministry of Health for failure to address complaints of wastewater contamination in Santa Teresa de Cóbano. The petitioner had filed several complaints: one in January 2019 to an unofficial email, reiterated in December 2019 to the correct address; and another in October 2019 regarding Quebrada Danta,…
Res. 04113-2020 Sala Constitucional2020 · Sala Constitucional
Amparo por dilación del TAA en denuncia por vertedero clandestino
The petitioner filed a complaint in 2015 before the Environmental Administrative Tribunal (TAA) regarding the use of a property in Alajuela as a clandestine dump. The TAA conducted inspections, consolidated related files, held an oral hearing on November 29, 2016, and later received additional motions. However, by the time of the amparo filing in February…
Res. 05606-2020 Sala Constitucional2020 · Sala Constitucional
Derecho de acceso al expediente administrativo en incidente de nulidad de uso de suelo
The Constitutional Chamber hears an amparo action filed by the representative of Bajo Pita S.A., owner of properties in Alajuela for which the Municipality had issued land-use certificates. The petitioner challenges the municipal annulment of one certificate, carried out after a third-party nullity incident without notifying her or granting access to the…
Res. 06676-2020 Sala Constitucional2020 · Sala Constitucional
Sala Constitucional rechaza amparo contra prórroga de concesión minera en río Chirripó
The Constitutional Court denied an amparo filed by a resident against the renewal of a mining concession for extracting materials from the Chirripó River channel. The plaintiff argued the renewal was illegal and that exploitation caused flooding in Matina, endangering human life. The Court held that legal objections (applicable regulations, SETENA…
Res. 08752-2020 Sala Constitucional2020 · Sala Constitucional
Protección de nacientes Murillo 1, Murillo 2 y Oropéndolas en Horquetas de Sarapiquí
The Constitutional Chamber grants protection to the Horquetas de Sarapiquí community water association (ASADA), ordering SINAC to definitively resolve the protection zones of the Murillo 1, Murillo 2, and Oropéndolas springs within six months, and to immediately take effective measures to protect them. The decision is based on proven danger from…
Res. 09739-2020 Sala Constitucional2020 · Sala Constitucional
Sala Constitucional concede amparo por aguas negras en Barrio San Martín, Nicoya
The Constitutional Chamber heard an amparo action filed by a resident of Barrio San Martín, Nicoya. Since November 2018, she denounced that residents of the Manuel Ajoy development were discharging untreated black water into a nearby stream, causing foul odors and health risks —children played in the heavily contaminated water. The Court found that the…
Res. 10645-2020 Sala Constitucional2020 · Sala Constitucional
Municipalidad de Garabito debe construir alcantarillado pluvial en Quebrada Ganado
The Constitutional Chamber heard an amparo action filed by a resident of Quebrada Ganado, Garabito, against the municipality and health authorities for pollution caused by wastewater and stormwater affecting his home and the health of residents. The Chamber found that while the Health Area Office had conducted inspections and issued sanitary orders since…
Res. 11189-2020 Sala Constitucional2020 · Sala Constitucional
Municipalidad de San José debe limpiar el cauce del río Ocloro
The Constitutional Court granted an amparo filed by residents of Barrio Francisco Peralta against the Municipality of San José for the accumulation of waste in the Ocloro River channel, specifically at the bridge on 29th Street. The residents alleged municipal inaction since July 2019 despite cleanup requests and the risk of flooding endangering health and…
Res. 11171-2020 Sala Constitucional2020 · Sala Constitucional
Exhibiciones de fauna silvestre como sitio de manejo
The Constitutional Chamber dismissed a constitutional challenge against Articles 84 and 189 of the Wildlife Conservation Law Regulation (Decree 40548-MINAE). The plaintiffs argued that the regulation omitted the ‘exhibition’ category as a wildlife management site and excluded the importation of CITES species for such sites, thereby limiting environmental…
Res. 12900-2020 Sala Constitucional2020 · Sala Constitucional
Contaminación atmosférica por ganado estabulado en Liberia y deber de coordinación administrativa
The Constitutional Chamber heard an amparo filed by a Liberia resident against the Ministry of Health and SENASA for atmospheric pollution from a high-volume feedlot cattle operation. The petitioner alleged that the foul odors affected the health and quality of life of about 20,000 people, from the facility to the city of Liberia. A measurement by the…
Res. 15129-2020 Sala Constitucional2020 · Sala Constitucional
Ministerio de Salud debe resolver denuncia por contaminación en Tamarindo
The Constitutional Chamber reviewed an amparo filed by a resident of Tamarindo against the Ministry of Health for failing to resolve a sanitary complaint filed in January 2020 regarding water and public watercourse pollution in the area. The plaintiff highlighted multiple sources of residual, black, and stormwater, bad odors, and leachate at various…
Res. 21889-2019 Sala Constitucional2019 · Sala Constitucional
Amparo por construcciones ilegales en zona protectora Cerro de la Carpintera
The Constitutional Chamber granted an amparo filed by residents of La Unión canton against the Municipality of La Unión. The residents reported illegal housing construction in the Cerros de la Carpintera, a protected zone established by executive decree with an inter-institutional management plan. The constructions lacked municipal permits, did not meet…
Res. 02816-2017 Sala Constitucional2017 · Sala Constitucional
Clausura de gasolinera construida sin permisos ni viabilidad ambiental
The Constitutional Chamber ruled on an amparo action against the Municipality of Upala for granting a land-use permit for a private gas station and allowing its construction without municipal permits or SETENA environmental viability. The court found that the land-use certificate was not a construction permit, so no violation occurred there. However, it…
Res. 13347-2017 Sala Constitucional2017 · Sala Constitucional
Suspensión de combustible a pesquero por pesca ilegal en refugio de vida silvestre
The Constitutional Chamber reviewed an amparo filed by the owner of the fishing vessel 'Monarca' against INCOPESCA after the agency temporarily suspended (for three months) the competitive-price fuel benefit. The suspension followed the vessel being caught conducting trawl fishing inside the Camaronal Wildlife Refuge, a protected area. The petitioner…
Res. 14907-2017 Sala Constitucional2017 · Sala Constitucional
Estado condenado por abandono y falta de vigilancia efectiva en áreas silvestres protegidas
The Constitutional Chamber granted an amparo action filed by FECON, SITRAMINAE and others against MINAE, the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Health and the Comptroller General, due to the neglect and insufficient resources in the national parks and equivalent reserves system. The Court found a violation of the right to a healthy and ecologically…
Res. 09795-2013 Sala Constitucional2013 · Sala Constitucional
Amparo por participación ciudadana y tipo de EIA en proyecto comercial de Desamparados
The Constitutional Chamber heard an amparo action filed by a neighbor against SETENA, alleging a violation of the principle of citizen participation and that the 'Centro Comercial San Rafael S.A.' (Plaza Viva) project, with an area of 15,495 m², required an Environmental Impact Study (EsIA) rather than an Environmental Management Plan Prognosis (P-PGA).…
Res. 08931-2012 Sala Constitucional2012 · Sala Constitucional
Amparo ambiental por contaminación sónica y riesgo de derrumbe en precario
The Constitutional Chamber heard an amparo filed by neighbors in Barrio México against the Municipality of San José and the Ministry of Health. They reported stormwater drainage problems, noise pollution, a clandestine welding workshop, and the imminent collapse of a shack built near a cliff in the Gloria Bejarano squatter settlement (Los Cipreses…
Res. 12645-2012 Sala Constitucional2012 · Sala Constitucional
Audiencias públicas SETENA son facultativas, no obligatorias
The Constitutional Chamber rejects a constitutional challenge against Article 95 of the Biodiversity Law (Law 7788) and Article 56 of the EIA Procedures Regulation (Decree 31849). The plaintiff argued that leaving SETENA discretion to hold public hearings on environmental impact projects violated the right to a healthy environment (Article 50 Constitution)…
Res. 17940-2010 Sala Constitucional2010 · Sala Constitucional
Incumplimiento y principio precautorio en contaminación por vertedero de Tilarán
The Constitutional Chamber hears a second non-compliance proceeding regarding orders issued in decisions 2008-06568 and 2009-09627, which required the mayor of Tilarán and the director of the local health area to comprehensively address the environmental pollution caused by the municipal landfill. Reports from the authorities contradicted those of AyA and…
Res. 08770-2008 Sala Constitucional2008 · Sala Constitucional
Demora en expropiación en Parque Nacional Las Baulas y justicia pronta
The Constitutional Chamber grants an amparo action filed by the owner of a private property located within the Las Baulas National Marine Park. The court finds that the Ministry of Environment and Energy (MINAE) incurred an excessive and unjustified delay —nearly 10 years from the park's creation law and over 18 months since the public interest…
Res. 14873-2005 Sala Constitucional2005 · Sala Constitucional
Derecho de petición por denuncia ambiental de matanza de tortugas baulas
The Constitutional Chamber hears a writ of amparo filed by the conservationist association YISKI against the Minister of Environment and Energy and the Director General of SINAC. The petitioner claims a violation of the right to petition and prompt resolution (Article 27 of the Constitution) because, since June 23, 2005, it filed a complaint about the…
Res. 01923-2004 Sala Constitucional2004 · Sala Constitucional
Aguas subterráneas, acuífero de Poás y principio precautorio en proyecto urbanístico
The Constitutional Chamber reviews the environmental clearance granted to the 'Linda Vista' high-density residential project, which relies on individual septic tanks and is situated on the recharge zone of the Poás aquifer. The Chamber finds the aquifer to be highly vulnerable to contamination, notes that existing hydrogeological studies are contradictory,…
Res. 14603-2003 Sala Constitucional2003 · Sala Constitucional
Desalojo en zona pública de la Zona Marítimo Terrestre sin derecho de ocupación
The Constitutional Chamber dismisses an amparo appeal against the Municipality of Osa concerning the eviction and demolition of structures located within the public zone of the Maritime Terrestrial Zone. The appellant, who ran a restaurant and residence in Dominicalito, claimed her rights were violated because the eviction was carried out while an appeal…
Res. 04407-2002 Sala Constitucional2002 · Sala Constitucional
Resolver gestión de ocupantes en reserva forestal
The Constitutional Chamber reviews an amparo filed by three occupants of the Los Planes Settlement, located in the former Golfo Dulce Forest Reserve. The petitioners allege that the Agrarian Development Institute (IDA) has not decided the petition they submitted on October 9, 2001, seeking a solution to the legal uncertainty caused by the annulment of…
Res. 01092-2001 Sala Constitucional2001 · Sala Constitucional
Incumplimiento de sentencia previa sobre Zona Protectora Tivives
The Constitutional Chamber dismissed the amparo action against the Municipality of Esparza, IDA, the Ministry of Health, and MINAE regarding alleged illegal occupations and constructions in the Tivives Protective Zone. On the issue of illegal land tenure, the Chamber held that the matter had already been decided in ruling 1763‑94, which annulled…
Res. 01669-2000 Sala Constitucional2000 · Sala Constitucional
Responsabilidad solidaria del titular de empresa por daño ambiental no requiere procedimiento separado
The Constitutional Chamber reviews an amparo action against the Administrative Environmental Tribunal (TAA) for imposing joint civil liability on the legal representative of a construction company without a prior individual procedure. The claimant alleged a due process violation. The Chamber held that Article 101 of the Organic Environmental Law…