mar 12, 1948 - The Costa Rican Civil War (Kyle)

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On March 12 1948, political tensions in Costa Rica heightened then erupted into a short but violent civil war because of a disputed presidential election. The conflict began after the results of the 1948 February election came in and Otilio Ulate Blanco had defeated former president Rafael Angel Calderon Guardia. However congress which supported President Guardia annulled the election results by claiming that the election was fraudulent and rigged. In response, a rebel force led by Jose Figueres Ferrer, another prominent figure in Costa Rican politics launched an armed uprising against the government, arguing that democracy had been violated. Over the course of 44 days, fighting broke out across the whole country, resulting in about 2,000 deaths and many more injured making it the bloodiest conflict in Costa Rican history. After Figueres and his rebel militia defeated the government forces in April 1948 he honored the original election results and handed power to Ulate. The most significant result of the war was the termination of Costa Rica’s military in order to direct the funding towards social programs, with the decision still standing to this day.

“The Story of the Costa Rican Civil War.” Shaka Costa Rica, 15 Apr. 2015, shakacostarica.com/blog/the-story-of-the-costa-rican-civil-war.

‌“Costa Rica Endures Its Bloodiest Civil War | EBSCO.” EBSCO Information Services, Inc. | Www.ebsco.com, 2023, www.ebsco.com/research-starters/history/costa-rica-endures-its-bloodiest-civil-war.

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