70 years after army scrapped, Costa Rica finding prosperity
Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador are plagued by chronic poverty and violence that have sent a flood of refugees fleeing to the USA. Panama has gained the unwanted title as a world capital for money laundering and corruption. And all of them, plus Nicaragua, face recurrent political upheaval.
Amid this chaos, one Central American neighbor remains an island of political stability, economic prosperity and contentment: Costa Rica.
The country’s secret is something that virtually no other country in the world can claim — no standing army. It used the savings from defense spending to improve education, health care and a durable social safety net.
In 2018, Costa Rica will mark its 70th anniversary since it abolished its military, and that seems to suit the population. It ranked first in Latin America and 12th in the world in happiness, according to the 2017 World Happiness Index. The Happy Planet Index ranked it No. 1 in the world.
This tropical country, home to the greatest density of species in the world, takes pride in its ecologi- cally friendly policies that attract tourists to its lush jungles. It also enjoys a standard of living that is about double that of other Central American nations except for Panama, which profits from the Panama Canal.
Costa Rica’s experiment without a military began in 1948, when Defense Minister Edgar Cardona proposed the idea to spend more for education and health, according to former Interior minister Alvaro Ramos.
José Figueres, provisional president at the time, took the proposal to the constitutional assembly, which approved it. Instead of a permanent armed forces, the assembly created a new civil police force to defend the nation.
Ramos, 62, said the change led to many advances for Costa Rica, especially in the 1950s and ’ 60s. “The standard of living of the sick, rural society went up, ( and) we built big hospitals, but most importantly, there was a massive education boost.”
Costa Rica leads the Latin American and Caribbean region in health and primary education. It has the second- lowest infant mortality rate after Chile and a 98% literacy rate, according to the 2016- 17 Global Competitiveness Report.
The country provides universal health care to its citizens and permanent residents. The World Health Organization ranks Costa Rica as having the best health care system in Central America and 36th- best in the world.
Costa Rica has a history of presidential support for peace and conflict resolution without violence. Former president and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Oscar Arias said negotiation is the best way to avoid confrontation.
“Military solutions to conflicts should be the last, last resort,” he said. “Here, conflicts are resolved at a negotiating table.”
Arias, 77, received international attention in 1986 for his efforts to end major civil wars and pro- communist revolutions in several Central American countries. He received the Nobel in 1987 for leading a peace plan with Central American heads of state.
Costa Rica remains peaceful despite violence in neighboring countries. The border between Costa Rica and Panama became the only nonmilitarized frontier in the world after Panama followed Costa Rica’s example and abolished its military in 1989.