Military of Costa Rica
From Open Encyclopedia
On December 1, 1948, president José Figueres Ferrer of Costa Rica abolished the country's army after victory in the civil war in that year. In a ceremony in the Cuartel Bellavista, Figueres broke a wall with a mallet symbolizing the end of Costa Rica's military spirit. In 1949 the abolition of the military was introduced in the Article 12 of the 1949 Constitution.
Image:FigueresMuroCuartelBellavista.jpg
The budget previously dedicated to the military now is dedicated to security, education and culture; the country maintains armed National Guard forces. The museum Museo Nacional de Costa Rica was placed in the Cuartel Bellavista as a symbol of commitment to culture.
In 1986, president Oscar Arias Sánchez declared December 1 as the Día de la Abolición del Ejército (Military abolition day) with law #8115.
Unlike its neighbours, Costa Rica has not endured a civil war since.
In fiction
At the end of Michael Crichton's novel Jurassic Park, the Costa-Rican Air Force bombs Isla Nublar to get rid of astray dinosaurs.
See also
External links
- El Espíritu del 48: Abolición del Ejército A brief history and facts of the abolishment of the military in Costa Rica
- Constitución Política de la República de Costa Rica See article 12.
- Museo Nacional de Costa Rica
- History of the Museum
