A former official of the Costa Rica’s Ministry of Public Works and Transport (MOPT) has accused ex-minister Mauricio Batalla Otárola of failing to respond to her messages regarding alleged sexual harassment she experienced from a division director within the ministry.

The complainant reported that she reached out to Batalla via email in early 2024 but did not receive any acknowledgment or response.

She indicated that although an internal procedure was initiated against the accused, she was never informed about the progress, and eventually discovered that her case had been archived five months later due to late notification to the accused, which allowed for the statute of limitations to lapse.

The complainant stated, "This is a person in a trusted position who remains in their role; nobody has removed them.

They let the complaint expire.

I sent multiple emails to Mauricio Batalla questioning why someone like this continued to hold a trust position, especially given that such posts typically change with the administration, and I never received a response."

Despite her efforts, including reaching out to the Defensoría de los Habitantes, she learned that the case was shelved when the ombudsman requested information from the MOPT.

In parallel, in March 2024, she filed a complaint with the Gender Prosecutor's Office for an alleged crime of sexual abuse involving an adult, under case number 24-000325-0994-PE. Consequently, on August 30, the Public Prosecutor’s Office submitted a formal accusation and request for trial against the accused.

A preliminary hearing to determine whether the case will proceed to an oral and public debate is scheduled for August 27, as confirmed by the press office of the Prosecutor’s Office.

The complainant is also listed as a plaintiff in the case.

In an interview, she described the harassment as persistent and claimed that the accused extorted sexual favors in exchange for a job position.

Additionally, she mentioned having audio recordings that support her allegations of abuse.

Batalla Otárola, who had previously served as the director of the National Road Council and held the position of Minister of Public Works and Transport, resigned from his most recent post on January 31, aligning with the constitutional requirement for ministers to vacate their roles at least 12 months prior to elections to enable them to run for the presidency or vice presidency.

On a recent occasion, he announced his retirement from political life “for as long as God deems necessary,” without elaborating on his reasons.

He indicated learning about the leak of a judicial file to the media concerning allegations of three counts of sexual abuse against an adult, specifically related to a former employee of his family’s restaurants.

The Gender Prosecutor’s Office formally charged Batalla in July 2023, but the complainant chose not to continue with the case in November 2024, accepting a confidential settlement with him, reportedly receiving 3 million colones in exchange.

Efforts to obtain a comment from Batalla regarding the allegations have been unsuccessful, as he did not respond to multiple inquiries since his political withdrawal announcement.

The complainant further reported experiencing professional retaliation for her allegations, claiming that following her reports to Batalla and later to the Prosecutor's Office, her alleged perpetrator began to pursue her in the workplace, leading to several administrative proceedings against her.

Notably, in September 2024, a resolution was issued regarding one such administrative process, which accused her of workplace abandonment in May 2024—two months after her harassment allegations surfaced.

Ultimately, she was exonerated of all charges, as the investigation concluded there was no misconduct on her part.