Sidebar #18 - La Batalla de Santa Rosa

Costa Rica is a famously peaceful country, yet today they recognize one of the few violent conflicts in Costa Rica’s history, the Battle of Santa Rosa. Each year on March 20th, Ticos commemorate a military victory against Nicaragua. In the mid-1800s, an American filibuster named William Walker led a political revolution and took over control of Nicaragua. Emboldened by Manifest Destiny beliefs, his outspoken desire was to establish slave slates throughout Central America. Costa Ricans recognized his imperialistic threat to their sovereignty, and thus the President of Costa Rica declared war on Nicaragua. A battalion was sent to Costa Rica’s northern border near Nicaragua, and it swiftly won the Battle of Santa Rosa in just 14 minutes. Today, this is not a major holiday amongst Ticos, but students in my escuela had an acto cívico, or assembly, to learn about the event. As a Peace Corps Volunteer serving in Central America, the US’ role in the conflict is another reminder that people in the region may have justified doubts about a gringo living in their community. My identity as an American is an important part of my service but is something I need to have a lot of awareness about in everything I do.



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