Costa Rica
Country in Central America, bounded N by Nicaragua, SE by Panama, E
by the Caribbean Sea, and W by the Pacific Ocean.
Government
The 1949 constitution provides for a president, elected for a four-year
term by universal adult suffrage, two elected vice presidents, and an
appointed cabinet. There is a single- chamber legislature, the 57-member
assembly, elected through a party list system of proportional representation
and also serving a four-year term. Voting is compulsory.
History
Originally occupied by Guaymi Indians, the area was visited by Christopher
Columbus 1502 and was colonized by Spanish settlers from the 16th century,
becoming independent 1821. Initially part of the Mexican Empire, Costa
Rica became - with El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua -
part of the United Provinces of Central America 1824- 38. After the
collapse of the federation, there followed a decade of dictatorships
and constitutional conventions before Costa Rica declared itself an
independent republic. While the other Central American powers were involved
in frequent conflicts at this time, Costa Rica managed to remain aloof,
with a few exceptions.
Following the rule of the caudillos (military leaders), the last of
whom was Tomás Guardia 1870-82, Costa Rica embarked on a half-century
of tranquillity and the consolidation of democracy. The regime of Rafael
Calderón 1940-48 saw an attempt to satisfy demands for change through
social-security legislation and a new workers' code. Calderón himself
was driven into exile after a revolution. In 1949 a new constitution
abolished the army, leaving defence to the Civil Guard. José Figueres,
leader of the antigovernment forces in the previous year, became president.
He cofounded the National Liberation Party (PLN), nationalized the banks,
and introduced a social-security system. He was re-elected 1953. There
followed 16 years of mostly conservative rule, with the reversal of
some PLN policies. In 1974 Daniel Oduber won the presidency for the
PLN. He returned to socialist policies, extended the welfare state,
and established friendly relations with communist states. Communist
and left -wing parties were legalized. In 1978 Rodrigo Carazo of the
conservative Unity Coalition (CU) became president. His presidency was
marked by economic collapse and allegations of his involvement in illegal
arms trafficking between Cuba and El Salvador. In 1982 Luis Alberto
Monge, a former trade-union official and cofounder of the PLN, won a
convincing victory in the presidential election. He introduced a 100-day
emergency economic programme.
The Monge government came under pressure from the USA to abandon its
neutral stance and condemn the left-wing Sandinista regime in Nicaragua.
Costa Rica was also urged to re-establish its army. Monge resisted and
in 1983 reaffirmed his country's neutrality, but relations with Nicaragua
deteriorated after border clashes between Sandinista forces and the
Costa Rican Civil Guard. In 1985 Monge agreed to create a US- trained
antiguerrilla guard, increasing doubts about Costa Rica's neutrality.
In 1986 Oscar Arias Sánchez became president on a neutralist platform,
defeating the pro-US candidate, Rafael Angel Calderón, of the
Christian Socialist Unity Party (PUSC). Arias worked tirelessly
for peace in the region, hosting regional summit meetings and
negotiating framework treaties. He won the Nobel Prize for Peace
in 1987 for his efforts. However, Calderón won the 1990 presidential
election. In 1994 José Maria Figueres of the PLN, son of the former
leader José Figueres, was elected president. He promised to revitalize
the social welfare system and end the government's privatization
programme. Costa Rican voters chose a conservative economist,
Miguel Angel Rodriguez of the Social Christian Unity Party, as
the country's new president Feb 1998. Rodriguez defeated the National
Liberation Party's representative, José Miguel Corrales.
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