Editor’s Letter

Is Costa Rica different?  Without an army since 1949, the small Central American country of six million people has been a democratic bastion in a region of conflict. What it has not spend on defense has been invested in health and education. Yet the quality of these public services, Costa Ricans say, is eroding. Homicide rates are rising. So is inequality. Costa Rica is at a crossroads.

This issue has gathered togethers thinkers and activists to reflect on this changing panorama in Costa Rica and what can be done about it. Authors range from two former Costa Rican presidents, current and former cabinet officials, a university president, a Harvard Business School professor to community activists, film critics, musicologists, journalists and curators. 

These are the voices of Costa Ricans from the highlands, from the valley, from the Caribbean, from the academic diaspora, with a smattering of other voices of those who care deeply about this small but important country in Central America.  

The magazine has a lot to say about the challenges and opportunities for Costa Rica. Security, environmental setbacks, youth unemployment, regional unrest are all discussed here. And so are the country’s rich history, art and culture. As with all of our special editions on countries, we’ve aimed at creating a panorama. 

Many of the authors not only diagnose the situation but propose solutions. The articles are intended to work in dialogue with each other. It is my fervent hope that, long after this issue is published, the conversation will continue.