“Peace is not the product of a victory or a command.  It has no      finishing line, no final deadline, no fixed definition of achievement.  Peace is a never ending process, the work of many decisions.”

                                                                                 H. E. Oscar Arias
                                                                             President of Costa Rica 
                                                                         Nobel Peace Laureate (1987)

Costa Rica is the most democratic country in Central America.  Practicing the principals of democracy, Costa Ricans have enjoyed a peaceful country and stable government for the greater part of 117 years.  Having survived a very brief civil war in 1948, the country has demonstrated an uninterrupted democratic process and continues to be a strong republic. 

As in the United States, the government consists of three separate branches: executive, legislative and judicial.  Also similar to the US, all Costa Ricans are guaranteed equality before the law with basic rights such as freedom of speech, the right to petition and assembly, the right to own property, and the right to habeas corpus.  All citizens enjoy the right to vote, starting at the age of 18, when they are automatically registered and issued a voter identity card.  In addition to the three branches, Costa Rica has what some consider to be a "fourth" branch of government – the Supreme Tribunal of Elections – an independent body with far-reaching powers that has the authority to organize and supervise National Elections.  With the exception of the right to vote, all foreigners living in Costa Rica enjoy all the freedoms guaranteed under the Constitution.

“Well, Costa Rica is a proud example of a free people practicing the principals of democracy.  And (they) have done so in good times and in bad, when it was easier and required great courage.”

                                          Ronald Reagan – former President, United States