army abolishment

Costa Rica on Monday is celebrating the 72nd anniversary of the abolition of its army.

With the upcoming celebration of the abolition of the Army of Costa Rica, it's a good time to give some historical context on what...

The museum occupies the house in which Figueres — remembered as Don Pepe — lived on a farm where he developed many of the ideas that he would put into practice.

Costa Rica on Monday is celebrating the 72nd anniversary of the abolition of its army.

Costa Ricans will enjoy a long weekend to end November as the country celebrates a national holiday in commemoration of Army Abolition Day. While the...

Costa Rica abolished its military in 1948.

"It is with enormous honor and pride as a Costa Rican that I partake in this commemoration — one that is unique throughout the world," said President Carlos Alvarado.

"It is with enormous honor and pride as a Costa Rican that I partake in this commemoration — one that is unique throughout the world," said President Carlos Alvarado.

Breaking one of the crenellations of the former fortress with the swing of a hammer as a ceremonial gesture, President José Figueres Ferrer abolished the armed forces in Costa Rica on Dec. 1, 1948.

In downtown San José, just west of the Cementerio de Obreros, sits a forgettable lot of urban real estate where the municipality and the Public Works and Transport Ministry park garbage trucks and heavy equipment. But on this same spot 73 years ago, an internment camp was erected by the government to hold hundreds of German-Costa Rican prisoners after the United States and Costa Rica entered World War II in December 1941.