NEW DELHI: At a time where the world is dealing with two major armed conflicts, Russia-Ukraine and Israel-Hamas, Central American country Costa Rica is celebrating 75 years of peace and democracy without an army.
"Costa Rica’s journey towards becoming the first country in the world to abolish its army reflects the unwavering determination to foster a political environment grounded in civility and peace," Sofia Salas, Costa Rica’s chargé d'affaires for India, told The New Indian Express.
On December 1, 1948, Costa Rica made the bold decision to abolish its army and invest in its people, becoming the first country in the world to do so. Setting an example, it showed that an alternative model of co-existence and development is viable.
"Costa Rica and India share the same universal principles of democracy, human rights, peace and stability. While we understand the legitimate security and defence concerns that other countries have, we hope that our experience serves as a reminder and hope that peace is achievable through a rigorous commitment to the tools of international law," Salas added.
Costa Rica’s former President Jose Figueres, with the symbolic blow of a sledgehammer to a stone wall of the military facility 'Cuartel Bellavista', proclaimed the abolition of the army, publicly handing the keys to the Minister of Education and announcing that this military barracks would be placed at the service of Costa Rican culture and art. Since 1949, this historic site has housed the National Museum. The decision to abolish the army in Costa Rica was taken after the civil war in 1948.
President Figueres then proclaimed: "We are unconditional supporters of the ideal of a new world in America. In the land of Washington, Lincoln, Bolivar and Marti, today we say: Oh America, other peoples who are also your children, would offer you their greatness. Little Costa Rica wants to offer you now and always its heart, its love for civility, for democracy, for institutional life."
"The abolition of the army is a decision that changed the destiny of our country and has deeply marked the Costa Rican people. It instils in Costa Ricans a sense of great responsibility regarding the importance of firmly and consistently safeguarding our cherished peace and democracy, not to take it for granted," Salas added.
