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Do you believe there is a country in the world with no standing army at all?And yet there is order,peace,and political stability in the country.In fact it attributes its success to absence of military in the country.The budget previously dedicated to the military is now dedicated to security,education and culture.
Obama’s visit to Costa-Rica.Photo; Courtesy
The country we are talking about is Costa-Rica.Its experiment without a military began in 1948,after Eigar Cardona,the then Minister for Defense,proposed the idea arguing that the country should spend more resources and money on education and health instead of running a military force.
Jose Figueres.Photo; Courtesy
Abolition of military
Jose Figueres,a provisional president then,accepted the idea and took the proposal to the assembly which approved it.And to signal the end of military force in the country,the president handed over the keys of former barracks to minister of education.Most of them now are now national museums.
Costa Rica’s unique landscape attracts a lot of tourists.Photo; Courtesy
Its benefits
Since then,the country has made tremendous achievements in health and education sectors.According to the 2017 Global Competitive Report,Costa Rica lead the Latin America and Caribbean region in health and primary education,having the second lowest infant mortality rate and 98% literacy rate.
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The World Health Organization also ranks Costa Rica as having the best health care system in Central America and 36th best in the world.In 2017,it was ranked first in Latin America and 12th the world in World Happiness Index.It also enjoys a standard of living that is double that of other Central American nations.
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Who protects the country?
So who protects the country?You may ask.The country maintains alliances with other militarized countries,such as the United States,that will assist in the event of war within Costa-Rica.The country also employs some special forces that help enforce law,patrol borders and decrease drug-trafficking.The Civilian Guard is also in place and helps in ensuring that there is general public order and safety.
