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The country celebrates today the annexation of Nicoya to Costa Rica By
the A.M. Costa Rica staff
The annexation of the party of Nicoya to Costa Rica is a historical event that refers to the incorporation of the territory of Nicoya, most of what is today Guanacaste*, to the country. That took place July 25, 1824. According to National Library's relevant registers of Guanacaste, the annexation followed a plebiscite that took place in the city of Nicoya, in which, in the open town hall, the citizens of the municipalities of Nicoya* and Santa Cruz* voted to join Costa Rica, while the town of Liberia*, declined the annexation. However, on March 18, 1825, the citizens of those places became part of Costa Rica by a law issued by the Congress of the Federal Republic of Central America. According to the archives, the real addition of Guanacaste to Costa Rica was by that law and not a result of people choice. "The term annexation of Guanacaste to refer to this event is considered historically incorrect," said the history specialist Ana Maria Botey Sobrado, on her book "Costa Rica: desde las sociedades autóctonas hasta 1914. Currently, the annexation of the Nicoya Party is an anniversary created by the Costa Rica government, which is celebrated with civic and cultural events in schools and communities across the country every July 25. The word party is partido in Spanish and its meaning in this context is a Spanish geographical division. Guanacaste's official motto, which appears in its official emblem, is in Spanish "De la patria por nuestra voluntad," meaning: of the homeland by our own will. According to Botey, the annexation of the party from Nicoya to Costa Rica has had political, economic, social and cultural repercussions, as follow: - Costa Rica saw its national territory increase, reaching its maximum historical extension until 1836, when it lost Bocas del Toro (today part of Panam á) before the Neo-Granadian usurpation. - The population increased and therefore the labor contributed remarkably in the economy. - The Guanacaste lands are of great importance in the production of rice, sugar cane, and sorghum among others. Also, it is an excellent livestock area. Nowadays, the Guanacaste region is one of the main tourist attractions of Costa Rica for its beaches, landscapes, plains, and volcanoes. - The culture of Costa Rica was enriched by the contribution of Guanacaste. This cultural enrichment is observed in various aspects such as gastronomy, music, folklore, musical instruments, legends, traditions, and customs. After the annexation, there was long diplomatic litigation between the two Costa Rica and Nicaragua, the other option, that was settled with the signing of the Cañas-Jerez treaty in 1858. Today Guanacaste's citizens celebrate their day with concerts, horse parades, cultural activities, among many other activities. Schools, some government institutions and banks get a holiday. Another tradition is that the president and his ministers, vice-ministers, deputies and other officials convene the government council in public in Nicoya in Guanacaste. ----------------------- Have you visited Guanacaste when the annexation day is celebrated? We would like to know your thoughts on this story. Send your comments to: news@amcostarica.com |
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