In 1922, a democratically elected President Ricardo Oreamuno said with much pride, “We are a country with more teachers than soldiers…and a country that turns military headquarters into schools.”

Reflecting the broadening of the democratic process, forty percent of the 57 legislators are now women. Women are also rapidly increasing their numbers in such traditionally male-dominated fields as medicine, law and government service. Until recently, two political parties, the National Liberation Party (PLN) and the Social Christian Unity Party (PUSC), dominated national politics. However, in the 2002 elections, a new party, Partido Accion Civica (Citizens Action Party), garnered 25 percent of the vote just 14 months after it was founded. Its presidential candidate, Otton Solis, an economist and former Congressman, mobilized the electorate by challenging Costa Ricans to takeresponsibility for the direction of public policy, building on growing distrust of business as usual. While he lost, he was able to change the dynamics of domestic politics.

In return for pursuing such enlightened policies, this small nation of four and a half million is highly respected throughout Latin America. A former president, Oscar Arias, who governed from 1986 to 1990, received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1987 for his work in attempting to spread peace from Costa Rica to all of Central America. Another former president, Miguel Angel Rodrigeuz, is favored to become the next Secretary General of the Organization of American States. The 14-member Caribbean Community (CARICOM) has just given him its official backing.

Costa Rica’s foreign policy is geared toward maintaining friendly ties toward the US. The