This lovely land, dubbed "rich coast" by the Spaniards because they were first greeted by natives draped with gold spangles, has been touted as a country of contrasts, and indeed it is.
In 1821 it gained independence from Spain and two years later separate factions started a civil war.
Juan Mora Fernandez's militia was victorious and formed a government in 1824; this country was on its way.
Every so often in the ensuing 100 years a popular rouser of the rabble would rise up and take charge but then be ousted when the political wind changed, and another aspirant would shake his fist to impress the peasants.
In those early days the U.
S.
fruit corporations were the powers behind whatever bamboo throne existed.
The nation saw 80% of its forests cut down by avaricious U.
S.
lumber companies who shipped the lumber north.
Finally, along about 1949, the budding populace put forth Don Pepe Figueres who brought this tiny nation into focus, stabilized the provinces, signed agreements with neighboring states, and finally declared a shrewd pacifist policy-he abolished the military for all time.
It was shrewd in that the country did not have money to maintain an army and navy however small, not to mention the purchase of weapons.
The ruling group at the time assured each other that if and when the time came for the need of a militia, they had treaties with neighbors.
Being new to governing they did not realize that treaties made by democracies, or any other "cracy," are worth little more than the paper on which they are written.
Costa Rica's no-military posture has been heralded throughout the world.
A decade ago, however, the CR government quietly began to assemble a military arsenal provided by the guiding hand of Big Brother up north.
The U.
S.
found a way to repair the damage caused by the debacle of the Reagan administration when it used CR as a base while attempting to overthrow the democratically elected Sandinistas in Nicaragua.
(The U.
S.
has a penchant for attempting to either openly or covertly overthrow any small democratically elected government that was not installed by the CIA).
The U.
S.
has been providing weapons to CR believing that all "approved" countries should be able to conduct an aggressive war when they choose.
The CR Police can now gear up with bulletproof armor and hoist almost any weapon needed to "stop civil disobedience in its tracks.
" (Or fight a small war.
) The only detriment to this being a powerful signal to possibly offending neighbors is the size of the police force.
CR will probably need four times the 14,000 mostly traffic cops should a conflict be imminent.
The problem is exacerbated by the fact that almost two-thirds of the police are always on a leave, out sick, on vacation, or on a holiday.
Another concern, of course, is that the police might go on strike if they had to fight a conflict against say, Nicaragua, and it lasted into a holiday Friday.
Every single Costa Rican public servant worth his salt would insist upon getting the holiday weekend off to be with his family.
How this country will defend its borders with the police under union control is presently being negotiated.
This writer has been advised by parties close to the heart of the government who allege to be personal friends with certain high up individuals who are said to have the ear ofunion leaders, that they have agreed that should the need arise the police will respond and that the holidays, vacation time, etc.
would be allowed to accrue (double-time being paid for warring on a holiday, of course).
However, the above labor consternations may be for naught.
A rumor has been leaked that appears to have a solid and valid foundation.
It is being quietly circulated by highly positioned CR government insiders that this nation has already made a Pact with the U.
S.
It is asserted that in the event of conflict, the U.
S.
would fight the war for Costa Rica! As witness, the pundits point to the agreement in August of this year allowing 8000 Marines and accompanying warships access to Costa Rican land and waters.
The visit of the U.
S.
Secretary of State this fall is also fraught with meaning, insiders alleging that covert ways and means were confirmed on both sides.
The essence of the Pact allows the U.
S.
armed forces to "assist, train, and support the Costa Rico police in the event of a domestic insurgency, or any other defense requirement.
" (As will be remembered, the U.
S fought in South Vietnam to demonstrate the best techniques in modern warfare.
That small nation only lost a few hundred thousand of its civilian population through "collateral damage.
" It was unfortunate that the U.
S.
military was trounced and chased out of the little country.
) As the quid pro quo for the U.
S.
Congress approving a military engagement on behalf of CR, an investigative reporter has assured this writer, sworn to deep-throat secrecy, that he has personally talked with knowledgeable officials who say they have been told by certain persons high in the administration that covert and secret agreements have been signed that provide exploration rights to a major U.
S.
oil corporation for off-shore oil development, including exclusive rights to any oil found.
It has been whispered in the halls of the Rayburn Building in Washington that payments have already been made to the appropriate members of Congress on both sides of the aisle, as well as to certain members of the Costa Rica legislature, thus insuring binding commitments on both sides.
Should it come to pass, it would be a heart-warming object lesson for all small countries to see how the major democracy in the world defends the rights of a small, struggling, and aspiring country.
In this quiet backwater of life we say "Pura Vida," while sipping a tot of Panama rum and smoking a Nicaraguan cigar.