Costa Rica Government

Costa Rica is one of the few countries in Latin America which has had a democratic government throughout the majority of its history as an independent nation.

The exceptions were a 12 year dictatorship by General Tomás Guardia from 1870 and a 2 year dictatorship by Federico Tinoco Granados from 1917.

Following the armed uprising of 1948, the following year Costa Rica abolished its military and the country's peace efforts have been recognized through the efforts of Jose María Figueres Ferrer (Don Pepe) who assisted in the abolishment and Oscar Arias Sanchez who was elected as the country's President in 1986 and won the Nobel Peace Prize the following year.

Notable governmental leaders in Costa Rica include Juan Mora Fernandez, the country's first Head of State in 1824, who encouraged coffee cultivation and increased public education. Despite ruling as a dictator, Tomás Guardia introduced free compulsory primary education. Dr. Rafael Angel Calderón Guardia was elected in 1940 and introduced a minimum wage. Unfortunately he did not want to release his power and the 1948 civil war broke out as a result.

Don Pepe allowed women the vote and black people full citizenship and Arias was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for promoting peace in Central America and getting 5 Presidents to sign a peace plan.