The magistrates of the constitutional court (Sala IV) have decided that the detention of ex-President Miguel Ángel Rodríguez when he arrived here was perfectly legal. The judges declared null a writ of habeus corpus filed on behalf of the president, alleging that the detention was illegal because MAR had immunity until midnight when his resignation as Secretary of the OAS was to take effect.

The Sala decided that there is a difference between an international warrant and one issued here in Costa Rica and that the detention was in accordance with the Penal Code and Constitution.