December 1st is now a national holiday here in Costa Rica, which celebrates the abolition of their army in 1949. The importance of this holiday can’t be overstated as it is a reflection of this nation's always progressive view on the global stage, commitment to peace, commitment to the well-being of its people, and role as a global leader and visionary nation. The impact of the abolition of the military is FAR GREATER than you might think, and much of this nation's persona, culture, happiness, and well-being can be attributed to this monumental move.
The idea to abolish the military was actually born from the nation's then Defense Minister, Edgar Cardona, who proposed to use the funds being spent on the military at the time to be dedicated to education and health. Jose Figueres, who was the president at the time, took this idea to the Constitutional assembly, which approved it and replaced the military with a civil police force charged with protecting the nation and law/order.
The impacts of this monumental move are far greater than you might think. During the 50’s and 60’s, the allocation of all that military spending to education and health care created a booming middle-class population that was well cared for in both physical and mental well-being. A generation of Costa Rican’s were born with the pride of being a peaceful nation, blessed with the finest public education system in Central America, a huge expansion of literacy nationwide, and enormous gains in trade and higher education training. This educated populace helped to make Costa Rica a growing hub for international business, and in the 70-plus years since the abolition of its army, the nation continues to attract global investment in technology, health, textiles, and other industries looking for highly skilled and highly educated labor.
The funds diverted from the Military also played an enormous role in the decades following in expenses in public health. Costa Rica’s health care system has been a major component in the well-being and happiness of its people and the strength of the socialized health care system has never been more evident than during the 2020 CoVid crisis. While no one in the world has been immune to the effects, Costa Rica has been blessed with a proactive health ministry that has been informing the populace daily, preparing hospitals and health care facilities to ensure capacity is ALWAYS available, and also been leading the world in the development of equine-based therapies, respirators, and other tools used to help combat the impacts of the virus.
Even the nation's economy saw massive improvements in the decades following the abolition of the army. In the two decades prior to abolishing the army, Costa Rica went from having the 4 lowest level of growth in the GDP, to being SECOND in all of Latin America, only behind Brazil in GDP growth.
Perhaps most importantly, the changes in the national psyche of Costa Rica are still evident today, and perhaps much of the “Pura Vida” which Costa Rica is so famous for today can be traced back to a nation with the vision to focus on peace, health, education, and conservation. In a part of the world, Central America, defined by political unrest, poverty, military coups, and struggle, Costa Rica hosts the region's longest-standing democracy, some of the world’s highest literacy rates, a nation leading the world in ecology, conservation, and most of all, HAPPINESS. While the visionaries who made these decisions likely couldn’t have imagined the scope, as a US and now Costa Rican citizen, I can tell you that today is a holiday worth celebrating, and in a world full of unrest, this peaceful and beautiful nation has much to be proud of.