Costa Rica and the Cold War, 1948–1990

Abstract

The Cold War affected countries throughout the Americas, including Costa Rica, which was important because of its strategic location between the Panama Canal and Nicaragua. This article examines the major Cold War events that affected Costa Rica from 1948, the year when Costa Rica’s Second Republic was born, until 1990, when Nicaragua’s Sandinista government lost a presidential election and its East German ally disappeared. It argues, first, that both the United States and the Soviet Union actively involved Costa Rica in their Cold War pursuits; second, that relations with neighbouring Nicaragua were the single most important determinant of Costa Rica’s Cold War policies; and third, that despite US pressure, Costa Rica managed to maintain considerable autonomy.