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Costa Rica: Article 12 of the Constitution has forbidden a standing army since 1949, following the Costa Rican Civil War. The Public Force, whose main role includes law enforcement, internal security and command of the Air Vigilance Service, has limited military capacities. [12] [56] Iceland
Costa Rica is one of the few countries without armed forces and, alongside Panama, one of the few that is not a microstate. However, like Panama, Costa Rica does have limited military capacities with its Public Forces which have both police and defense functions and had taken part in military operations since 1949. [2]
On 1 December 1948, the President of Costa Rica, José Figueres Ferrer, abolished the Costa Rican military after his victory in the Costa Rican Civil War. [ 2 ] [ 3 ] In a ceremony at the national capital of San José , Figueres symbolically broke a wall with a mallet , symbolizing an end to the military's existence. [ 4 ]
As military forces around the world are constantly changing in size, no definitive list can ever be compiled. All of the 172 countries listed here, especially those with the highest number of total soldiers such as the two Koreas and Vietnam , include a large number of paramilitaries, civilians and policemen in their reserve personnel.
Despite its official abolition of its military, between 1950 and 1970 Costa Rica accepted 1.8 million USD in military aid and 113,000 USD in surplus equipment from the United States. However, in 1981, the Costa Rican government stated that all military equipment on hand — including a small number of M113 armored personnel carriers acquired in ...
There is officially no Air Force of Costa Rica; the only air wing in existence is attached to the Public Force of Costa Rica.Currently this unit, officially called Air Vigilance Service (Spanish: Servicio de Vigilancia Aérea (SVA)), also called the Air Service (Servicio Aéreo), does not operate any armed military aircraft.
The Costa Rican Constitution is remarkable in that in its Article 12 abolished the Costa Rican military, making it the second nation after Japan to do so by law. Another unusual clause is an amendment asserting the right to live in a healthy natural environment .
Costa Rica is a member of the International Criminal Court, without a Bilateral Immunity Agreement of protection for the United States military (as covered under Article 98). Costa Rica is an observer of the Organisation internationale de la Francophonie.