A study of Costa Rican Exceptionalism Within the Realm of State Formation

TOMÁS GUARDIA

A DICTATOR FOR THE GREATER GOOD

Throughout the initial decades on the process of state formation in Costa Rica there were a number of dictatorships, however none were as influential as that of Tomás Guardia. Coronel Guardia was at the head of a military coup motivated by yet another oligarchy rivalry, however once in power, he severed his ties to the coffee elite (Acuña Ortega et al. 2000). Guardia was able to consolidate a base of support outside of the coffee oligarchy, particularly within the army. During the years of the dictatorship Guardia succeeded in transforming the military from a political extension of the dominant class into an autonomous, professional organization (Mahoney 2001).

In addition to the restructuring of the military apparatus, one of the main outcomes of this dictatorship was the drafting and promulgation of the 1871 constitution. This would be the charter that would remain, save for some short interruptions, until 1948 – and even then it would serve as the basis for the following constitution. Reflecting a visionary outlook, the constitution of 1871 established political and economic freedom, alongside individual rights, as guiding principles of the state.

The liberal reform period had begun during Guardia’s dictatorship and was subsequently largely based on his legacy. The liberal motto of “Order and Progress” was put into practice. It is during this period that political leaders and decision makers, including Guardia, would begin prioritizing freedom of enterprise and capitalist progress in such a way that little consideration was given to the possible ramifications of foreign investment (Acuña Ortega et al. 2000). In this sense, the period of liberal reform in Costa Rica was a cont...

... middle of paper ...

...k: Cambridge University Press.

Mahoney, James. 2001. “Radical, Reformist and Aborted Liberalism: Origins of National Regimes in Central America.” Journal of Latin American Studies 33 (2): 221–56.

Pereira, Luiz Carlos Bresser, and Peter Spink, eds. 1999. Reforming the State: Managerial Public Administration in Latin America. Boulder: Lynne Rienner Publishers.

Sibaja Hernández, Miguel Alexander. 2013. “Formación Del Estado Costarricense: Período Republicano (1821-1914)” April 26. http://www.slideshare.net/PATOLUCASWEB/1-formacin-del-estado-costarricense-perodo-republicano-1821-1914.

Stone, Samuel Z. 1982. La dinastía de los conquistadores: la crisis del poder en la Costa Rica contemporánea. San José (Costa Rica): Editorial Universitaria Centroamericana (EDUCA).

Weber, Max. 1978. Economy and Society: An Outline of Interpretive Sociology. University of California Press.