Costa Rica Celebrates 59
Years Without An Army
Costa Rica yesterday
celebrate its 59th year
without an army. The
celebration was full of
cultural events,
tributes and a message
from Dr. Oscar Arias
Sánchez, Nobel Prize
winner and president of
Costa Rica.
"Today we come to
celebrate the abolition
of the army in Costa
Rica, and though it is
motive to be happy, it
is not motive to be
satisfied", said
president Arias in a
speech given at the
Museo Nacional (national
museum), former barracks
of the national army.
"How can we be
satisfied, while our
children walk to school,
others children in the
Sudan flee their
villages where their
parents have been
killed? How can we be
satisfied, while our
young find work, while
the job of other young
is to go fight in
Iraq?", Arias expressed
in his speech.
Arias said that Costa
Ricans have calling to
be protagonists of
change.
Costa Rica was the first
country in the world to
eliminate its army,
investing rather in
social programs, health
and education.
José Figueres Ferrer or
“Don Pepe” as he known
affectionately is
responsible for the
abolition of the
military on December 1,
1948, weeks following
the conflict of civil
war that had gripped the
country.
"War is the worst form
of violence", said
Arias.
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