In 1948, which Latin American country became the first in the world to constitutionally abolish its army?
"Latin American migration to the United Kingdom Latin American migration to the United Kingdom dates back to the early 19th century. However, up until the 1970s, when political and civil unrest became rife in many Latin American countries, the United Kingdom's Latin American community was not particularly large. Latin Americans in the UK are now a rapidly growing group consisting of immigrants from Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Belize Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Puerto Rico, Uruguay and Venezuela. Large numbers of refugees and asylum seekers moved to the UK"
"The only recent candidate for having performed an act of complete disarmament is Costa Rica, which unilaterally disarmed and demilitarized itself in 1948, writing its non-military status into its constitution in 1949. In a public ceremony to mark the occasion, the existing Commander-in-Chief handed the keys to Army HQ to the Minister of Education, for use as a school. Since that time, Costa Rica has been briefly invaded once, by Nicaragua, but has maintained its territorial integrity through reliance on diplomacy within international structures such as the OAS. Costa Rica's peace dividend has been reinvested well, as evidenced by infant"
"Rica has remained among the most stable, prosperous, and progressive nations in Latin America. Following the brief Costa Rican Civil War, it permanently abolished its army in 1949, becoming one of only a few sovereign nations without a standing army. The country has consistently performed favorably in the Human Development Index (HDI), placing 69th in the world , among the highest of any Latin American nation. It has also been cited by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) as having attained much higher human development than other countries at the same income levels, with a better record on human development"
"in 1967, his first to publicly question the U.S. involvement in Vietnam. Other examples from this period include the 1986 People Power Revolution in the Philippines led by Cory Aquino, and the 1989 Tiananmen Square Protests which included the broadly publicized ""Tank Man"" incident. On December 1, 1948, President José Figueres Ferrer of Costa Rica abolished the Costa Rican military. In 1949, the abolition of the military was introduced in Article 12 of the Costa Rican constitution. The budget previously dedicated to the military is now dedicated to providing health care services and education. According to the Ahmadiyya understanding of"
"provinces quickly became engulfed in warfare and political chaos, Costa Rica escaped such devastation and made tentative economic strides forward”. She also argues that the lack of a land-owning elite class in Costa Rica was instrumental in the development of good governance and maintaining a stable democracy in the country. The abolishing of the military in 1948 helped free up valuable resources that the government chose to invest into education and resource protection. The country entered into a positive reinforcement cycle thereafter, where new laws enacted drew international praise which helped solidify Costa Rica's position as global leader in resource"
"On 1 January 1948 the Costa Rican government annulled a presidential election that had been won by the opposition candidate. This provided the Legion with a pretext for an invasion, and the 300-strong Costa Rican army was quickly defeated by the invasion force composed mostly of Nicaraguan exiles, and Figueres was made President. In 1949, Arévalo supported another invasion of the Dominican Republic, this time by air. 60 Dominican exiles were to take part. The invasion force was trained at Guatemalan military facilities, and Arévalo persuaded the Mexican government to allow the invasion planes to refuel there. However, due to"
"Constitution of Costa Rica The Constitution of Costa Rica is the supreme law of Costa Rica. At the end of the 1948 Costa Rican Civil War, José Figueres Ferrer oversaw the Costa Rican Constitutional Assembly, which drafted the document. It was approved on 1949 November 7. Several older constitutions had been in effect starting from 1812, with the most recent former constitution ratified in 1871. The Costa Rican Constitution is remarkable in that it abolished the Costa Rican military, making it the first nation to do so by law. Another unusual clause include an amendment asserting the right to live"
"allow for a high renewable energy output. In addition, Costa Rica is the fourth highest nation in terms of rainfall per capita: it receives an average of 2,926mm of precipitation per year. As a smaller nation with a population of only 5 million and no major industry, the need for strong energy infrastructure is less than for larger countries of higher population density. The 1948 elimination of the military of Costa Rica freed up millions of dollars from the government defense budget which are now invested in social programs and renewable energy generation. As president of Costa Rica in 1948,"
"the oldest democracies in the region and formally abolished its army on December 1, 1949, just after the end of a revolution that reformed the country's political structures. The internal security of the country was administered by the Civil Guard that, over the years, has transformed into what it is now, the Public Forces of Costa Rica, under the command of the Ministry of Public Security. It is composed of several departments: Public Force, Anti-Drug Police, National Coast Guard Service, National Police School, Reserve of the Public Force and the Air Surveillance Service, itself a successor of the Costa Rican"
"of '43, but greatly expanded the rights of the military government. The Court relinquished its right to authorise decrees to the ""de facto"" government and also allowed for decrees to remain in force after a return to constitutional government, without the need for ratification. In 1955, the ""Revolución Libertadora"" ousted President Juan Domingo Perón. The new government dissolved the Congress, replaced the members of the Supreme Court and intervened in the provinces. A constitutional convention repealed Perón's 1949 amendments to the constitution. The Court did not rule on this but accepted the constitution as it was in place in 1898"
"The Platt Amendment was also repealed, freeing Cuba from legal and official interference of the United States in its politics. The Second World War also brought the United States and most Latin American nations together. In the postwar period, the expansion of communism became the greatest political issue for both the United States and governments in the region. The start of the Cold War forced governments to choose between the United States and the Soviet Union. Following the 1948 Costa Rica Civil War, the nation established a new constitution and was recognized as the first legitimate democracy in Latin America"
"to study the specific fields of Peace Education; Gender and Peacebuilding; Media, Peace and Conflict Studies; Responsible Management and Sustainable Development; etc. The University for Peace has its headquarters in Costa Rica, a country distinguished by a long tradition of democracy. Costa Rica abolished its army in 1948, the former President, H.E. Oscar Arias Sánchez was awarded The Nobel Peace Prize in 1987 and the country continues to develop strong efforts for natural conservation - not to mention the friendly locals. The main campus of the University - the Rodrigo Carazo Campus - is located 30 km Southwest of San"
"crisis. In October 1948, rebel sailors and officers seized five warships, locked up or shot their commanders, sent landing parties ashore under cover of a ragged bombardment. Shore-based sailors took over the Naval Academy, the Naval Armory, and the Real Felipe Fortress. After troops loyal to the government crushed the revolt, President Bustamante suspended all civil rights. The insurrection, he declared, had been the work of the APRA Party. Under the President's orders, government troops occupied the APRA headquarters, seized the plant of its newspaper, La Tribuna, and arrested several prominent ""Apristas"". But for the Military Cabinet, those moves were"
"education and culture. Costa Rica maintains Police Guard forces. The museum ""Museo Nacional de Costa Rica"" was placed in the ""Cuartel Bellavista"" as a symbol of commitment to culture. In 1986, President Oscar Arias Sánchez declared December 1 as the ""Día de la Abolición del Ejército"" (Military abolition day) with Law #8115. Unlike its neighbors, Costa Rica has not endured a civil war since 1948. Costa Rica maintains small forces capable of law enforcement, but has no permanent standing army. In 1996, the Ministry of Public Security established the ""Fuerza Pública"" or Public Force, a gendarmarie which reorganized and eliminated"
"Latin American nations, all fighting came to a stop. Ecuador and Peru came to an accord formalized in the Rio Protocol, signed on January 29, 1942, in favor of hemispheric unity against the Axis Powers in World War II favouring Peru with the territory they occupied at the time the war came to an end. The 1944 Glorious May Revolution followed a military-civilian rebellion and a subsequent civic strike which successfully removed Carlos Arroyo del Río as a dictator from Ecuador's government. However, a post-Second World War recession and popular unrest led to a return to populist politics and domestic"
"Public Forces of Costa Rica The Public Force of Costa Rica is the country’s law enforcement force, which performs policing and border patrol functions. On December 1, 1948, President José Figueres Ferrer of Costa Rica abolished the military of Costa Rica after victory in the civil war that year. In a ceremony in the ""Cuartel Bellavista"", Figueres broke a wall with a mallet symbolizing an end to Costa Rica's military spirit. In 1949, the abolition of the military was introduced in Article 12 of the Costa Rican Constitution. The budget previously dedicated to the military is now dedicated to security,"
"keeping the army happy, because it stimulated demand for Paraguayan export products, such as meat, hides, and cotton, and boosted the country's export earnings. More important, United States policy toward Latin America at this time made Paraguay eligible for major economic assistance. Paraguay received American financial help which was used for improving roads and other infrastructure projects. Pressure from the US for democratization swept South America after the war. On June 9, 1946 Morínigo dismissed Colonel Benitez Vera, the right-wing head of the army, and crushed a short uprising by Vera's supporters. He then created a civilian coalition government formed"
"senior posts for which they had little training and without making way for the younger officers. They saw the generals failing to prepare for the social and economic changes coming to Central America. They objected to unfair disciplinary measures and unfair surveillance. In 1948, fighting broke out between the younger officers and troops under their command and the senior generals and the police force under their command. The president, Salvador Castaneda Castro (1888 1965) was imprisoned. Senior officers and politicians were dismissed. The new government promoted the formation of a truly national, apolitical and professional army in El Salvador. From"
"on May 13, 1999. The agreement was ratified without opposition by both nations' congress. U.S. President Bill Clinton said: ""This signing marks the end of the last and longest running source of armed international conflict in the Western hemisphere"". This dispute is unique and significant in the study of causes and resolution of international conflict. Ecuador and Peru are populated by people who share a language, a culture, a religious preference, have basically the same social and ethnic diversity, and comparable economic difficulties. They are also both democracies (for the most part in modern times) which puts in doubt the"
"for the new Republic. Simón Bolívar became the first President of Colombia, and Francisco de Paula Santander was made Vice President. However, the new republic was unstable and three countries emerged from the collapse of Gran Colombia in 1830 (New Granada, Ecuador and Venezuela). Colombia was the first constitutional government in South America, and the Liberal and Conservative parties, founded in 1848 and 1849 respectively, are two of the oldest surviving political parties in the Americas. Slavery was abolished in the country in 1851. Internal political and territorial divisions led to the dissolution of Gran Colombia in 1830. The so-called"
"Panamanian Public Forces The Panamanian Public Forces () are the national security forces of Panama. Panama is the second country in Latin America (the other being Costa Rica) to permanently abolish standing armies, with Panama retaining a small para-military security force. This came as a result of a U.S. invasion that overthrew a military dictatorship which ruled Panama from 1968 to 1989. The final military dictator, Manuel Noriega, had been belligerent toward the U.S. culminating in the killing of a U.S. Marine lieutenant and U.S. invasion ordered by U.S. President George H. W. Bush. Panama maintains armed police and internal"
"and is an active participant in negotiations toward a Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA). During the crisis in Bolivarian Venezuela, Peru participated in a leading role to help mediate the situation in Venezuela by being active within the Lima Group. The Peruvian Armed Forces are the military services of Peru, comprising independent Army, Navy and Air Force components. Their primary mission is to safeguard the independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of the country. As a secondary mission they participate in economic and social development as well as in civil defense tasks. Conscription was abolished in 1999 and replaced"
"of his ballots. When the Supreme Court declared ousted Daniel Chanis still the lawful President, Remón went straight to Arnulfo's Bella Vista home and invited the man he helped toss out in 1941 to take over at the palace. Quickly summoned crowds rushed to the Presidencia and roared approval as Remón, presenting the new President, shouted: ""Arias is legality."" Arnulfistas who had been dodging Remón's cops for years yelled: ""Viva Remón!"" Within hours, the electoral jury amiably announced that Arnulfo Arias had really won in 1948 after all and should be President now. On 7 May 1951 the 1946 constitution"
"beginning in the early 1980s when the Brazilian Army became the first army in South America to accept women into career ranks; women serve in Navy and Air Force only in Women's Reserve Corps. South America is a relatively peaceful continent in which wars are a rare event; as a result, Brazil hasn't had its territory invaded since year 1865 during the Paraguayan War. Additionally, Brazil has no contested territorial disputes with any of its neighbours and neither does it have rivalries, like Chile and Bolivia have with each other. However, Brazil is the only country besides China and Russia"
"are commissioned Second Lieutenants. Many officers of the PPF nowadays are also graduates of foreign exchange programs in Latin American military and police academies. Panamanian Public Forces The Panamanian Public Forces () are the national security forces of Panama. Panama is the second country in Latin America (the other being Costa Rica) to permanently abolish standing armies, with Panama retaining a small para-military security force. This came as a result of a U.S. invasion that overthrew a military dictatorship which ruled Panama from 1968 to 1989. The final military dictator, Manuel Noriega, had been belligerent toward the U.S. culminating in"
"About 70 members strong, it is organized along military lines, although officially a civilian police unit. Its motto is ""God, Fatherland, and Honor."" Commissioner of Police Juan José Andrade Morales serves as its current Commissioner General. There are 15 aircraft operated by Air Vigilance Service as government support, law enforcement, and civil duties. Public Forces of Costa Rica The Public Force of Costa Rica is the country’s law enforcement force, which performs policing and border patrol functions. On December 1, 1948, President José Figueres Ferrer of Costa Rica abolished the military of Costa Rica after victory in the civil war"
"of requiring cabinet member nominees to first pass appropriate examinations, unique among politicians anywhere. In 1993, the Liberal Party's Carlos Reina was elected president, promising to reform the judicial system and limit the power of the armed forces. In April 1995 compulsory military service was abolished. The Liberal Party's Carlos Roberto Flores Facussé was elected in 1997, also promising to restructure the armed forces; in 1999 the armed forces were brought under civilian control. In 2001, Ricardo Maduro was elected president on a platform that promised to stop rampant inflation afflicting the nation, and to put a stop to the"
"century. On October 29, 1948, General Manuel A. Odría led a successful military coup and became the new President. Thanks to a thriving economy, Odría was able to implement expensive, populist social reconstruction, including housing projects, hospitals, and schools. His government was dictatorial, however, and civil rights were severely restricted, and corruption was rampant throughout his régime. Military juntas continued to majoritarily rule Peru over the next three decades. The economic policies of the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s in particular, were based on the substitution of imports, and had little effect on the size of the economy. General Francisco Morales"
"bases and in Chile during the presidency of the dictator Augusto Pinochet. Amnesty International estimated that at least 184 people ""disappeared"" from 1980 to 1992 in Honduras, most likely due to actions of the Honduran military. The resolution of the civil wars in El Salvador and Nicaragua, and across-the-board budget cuts made in all ministries, has brought reduced funding for the Honduran armed forces. The abolition of the draft has created staffing gaps in the now all-volunteer armed forces. The military is now far below its authorized strength, and further reductions are expected. In January 1999, the Constitution was amended"
"precipitated the fall of the military junta that ruled the country, then enters the General Reynaldo Bignone, who began the process of return to democracy in 1983. Since the return to civilian rule in 1983, the Argentine military have been reduced both in number and budget and, by law, cannot intervene anymore in internal civil conflicts. They became more professional, especially after conscription was abolished. In 1998, Argentina was granted Major non-NATO ally status by the United States. The modern Argentine Army is fully committed to international peacekeeping under United Nations mandates, humanitarian aid and emergencies relief. In 2010, the"
"wife three years later. They would have four children. On July 1945, he along with twelve others from the original 124, graduated as commissioned officers. He was assigned to the artillery regiment, known as El Zapote, (now a military museum) in the nation's capital, across from the Presidential House. On December 14, 1948, being the commander on duty at the strategic location across the Presidential house for that day, he was enlisted to participate in a rebellion to overthrow President Salvador Castaneda Castro. The rebellion proved successful and brought an old friend, Coronel Óscar Osorio, into a governing position in"
"The unpopularity of Tinoco's regime led, after he was overthrown, to a considerable decline in the size, wealth, and political influence of the Costa Rican military. In 1948, José Figueres Ferrer led an armed uprising in the wake of a disputed presidential election between Rafael Ángel Calderón Guardia (who had been president between 1940 and 1944) and Otilio Ulate Blanco. With more than 2,000 dead, the resulting 44-day Costa Rican Civil War was the bloodiest event in Costa Rica during the 20th century. The victorious rebels formed a government junta that abolished the military altogether, and oversaw the drafting of"
"exile in Madrid. Revolución Libertadora Revolución Libertadora (; ""The Liberating Revolution"") was a military and civilian uprising that ended the second presidential term of Juan Perón in Argentina, on 16 September 1955. President Perón was first elected in 1946. In 1949, a constitutional amendment sponsored by the government introduced a number of workers' rights and the possibility of presidential reelection. Perón was reelected in 1952. At the time, his administration was widely supported by the labor unions, the military and the Catholic Church. However, economic problems, some of the government's policies and Perón's own personality cult changed this situation. The"