98 Chapter 2
On December 11, only 10 days after Costa Rica disbanded its military, 1,000 Costa
Rican exiles invaded from Nicaragua and captured the town of La Cruz. Costa Rica
suspected Nicaraguan support for the rebels. Costa Rica protested to Nicaragua, the
United Nations, and the Organization of American States (OAS) the day of the inva-
sion. Nicaragua denied the charges but added that it would take additional steps to
prevent further rebel incursions from its territory.
By December 24, Costa Rica had pushed the rebels back over the border. On
December 14, the OAS voted to form an investigation commission. On December
24, the OAS demanded that both sides cease provocative acts and established a five-
man committee to watch the border for violations. Two days later the commission
announced that the invasion force consisted of Costa Rican exiles only but that Nica-
ragua had done nothing to stop them from attacking from Nicaraguan territory. Unrest
continued and, on December 28, demanded that the OAS impose sanctions on Nica-
ragua. On December 30, Nicaragua alleged that Costa Rica mistreated its citizens.
On February 21, 1949, Costa Rica and Nicaragua signed the Pact of Amity in
Washington, and on March 4, Nicaragua arrested Dr. Rafael Angel Calderon Guardia,
the alleged leader of the exile invasions. Five days later Nicaragua repatriated 35 of
its citizens accused by Costa Rica of taking part in the rebellion.
Coding changes: Start Date changed from December 11, 1948. End Date changed
from March 9, 1949. Outcome changed from Unclear. Fatalities changed from Missing.
MID#1193
Dispute Number: 1193
Date(s): April 6, 1954 to February 24, 1955
Participants: 93 Nicaragua/2 United States of America, 94 Costa Rica
Outcome (and Settlement): Compromise (Negotiated)
Fatalities: None
Narrative: Tensions had run high between Costa Rica and Nicaragua since 1948,
when Jose Figueres overthrew Costa Rican President Teodoro Picado, friend of Nica-
ragua’s President Somoza. The militarized dispute began in April 1954 when Nicara-
gua moved troops to the Costa Rican border after an assassination attempt on Somoza,
and the next month Nicaragua accused Costa Rica of plotting the assassination. In
November Costa Rica accused Nicaragua of planning an invasion.
On January 11, 1955, Costa Rican exiles launched raids into Costa Rica from
Nicaragua with the objective to overthrow the Costa Rican regime. The Organiza-
tion of American States (OAS) became involved when Costa Rica requested its help
under the Rio Treaty. On January 13, an OAS fact-finding mission arrived in Costa
Rica. Within a couple days it found that rebel supplies were coming from Nicaragua
and that foreign planes were overflying Costa Rican territory. The OAS subsequently
called on member states to provide aircraft for the defense of Costa Rica. On January
16, the United States sold Costa Rica four fighters and a transport plane, and by Janu-
ary 21, Costa Rican forces had driven the rebels back across the border.
On February 18, the commission presented its results and recommendations to the
council. In addition to confirming that fighters had entered Costa Rica from Nicara-
gua and planes and materiel had also come from outside the country, the commission