Once in office, Arias became the driving force in uniting Central America around a peace plan, which ended the Nicaraguan war. Indeed, he affirmed his commitment to a negotiated resolution with the leaders of Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, and Nicaragua, and reasserted Costa Rican national independence. In he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.
Alvarado built his presidential campaign around the defense of Human Rights and the call for unity in Costa Rica, as well as promising to support gay marriage. Nowadays, Costa Rica is sometimes referred to as the Switzerland of Central America for its natural beauty, comfortable lifestyle and peaceful democracy. Ever since the new Constitution was chartered, Costa Rica has made remarkable strides in improving living standards. A careful analysis of the Costa Rican socio—economic context of the past decades reveals a change from inward-looking economic policies to promote development within Costa Rica, to a model aimed at integrating the country into the world market.
During his presidential term — , Jose Figueres Ferrer carried out his program for turning Costa Rica into a social welfare state. Expenditures on education and public housing were increased and urban development programs were initiated, as were state agricultural programs. To pay for the programs, income taxes on the wealthy and on the United Fruit Company were more than doubled. The minimum wage was increased, additional jobs were created within government and imported products were more heavily taxed to encourage domestic production.
These policies contributed to a rapid expansion of the economy; however, a deep recession from to led Costa Rica to adopt a new economic strategy. The country privatized the majority of its state-owned enterprises, including some banks, adopted free-trade zones to attract investment, and gradually opened the domestic market to foreign competition. Nowadays, Costa Ricans have access to free health care, basic education, and social services. Free-market policies have forced reductions in spending, but health and education indicators remain impressive.
Socially, Costa Ricans have been very united as a population. Indeed, although many upper-class families descended from a few Spanish conquistadores, levels of interaction between social classes were high well into the twentieth century. More recently, President Alvarado has called for a variety of public investments to foster economic growth and improve social welfare in the rural and coastal regions of Costa Rica that have benefitted the least from the growing and increasingly diverse economy.
Indeed, Costa Rica abolished the death penalty in Moreover, from to , Costa Rica hosted the Central American Court of Justice, which was the first permanent international tribunal that allowed individuals to take legal action against states on international law and human rights issues. The absence of a military and the centrality of peace are now a pivotal part of Costa Rican identity.
The supreme court exercises judicial power. The constitutional chamber reviews the constitutionality of legislation, executive decrees, and all habeas corpus warrants. The legislative assembly has 57 members who are elected through a closed-list proportional representation system. Also, establishes the protection of private property and the protection of intellectual property rights.
Government Type: Democratic Republic. Coat of Arms of Republic of Costa Rica. Forests cover more than 54 per cent of its territory today and meet the daily needs of thousands for people. More than 26 per cent of the national territory is protected by law and the country is already implementing plans, public policy, and specific actions for land restoration.
President Carlos Alvarado said that "for Costa Rica it is important to use its leadership - and it must do so — to bring many partners together and to be able to raise its voice on this issue. In cities, the desertification issue may be seen as something remote. How much our fate depends on our relationships with nature. How much we need good political will, combined with collective action, and sustained investment. When these come together, we can make a difference. Restoring land can give us better food and water security, reduced carbon emissions, and healthy air quality.
We already have the tools — like responsible land governance, and investments that protect and restore nature.
0コメント