Guanacaste’s annexation

Back in the early 1800s, what is now the Guanacaste region of Costa Rica (now referred to as the gold coast for its beautiful beaches) formed part of the Nicaraguan territory. For starters, for all of you wondering what is the meaning of the word anexión or annexation in English, in Costa Rica, this verb is a synonym for the traditional celebrations of Guanacaste’s union with Costa Rica on July 25^th.

If we trace back to the Independence of Central America in 1821, it is important to note that just after independence from the Spanish colonials, Nicaragua quickly started imposing itself over the Nicoyans, even though these identified with the Costa Rican community.  In those days, Nicaragua was in the middle of civil war and had many internal problems within their government, and it was this the drop that spilled the glass for the Nicoyans. Later in 1824 the Partido de Nicoya finally was able to unite with Costa Rica through the act of incorporation and by presidential discrete in 1825, was added to the territory of Costa Rica.

The use of ‘annexation’ is believed to be a misconception, in fact, it is critiqued by many famous academic and experts in folklore for they argue that this idea is imprecise and it suggests a circumstance that is contrary to what actually occurred with the Partido de Nicoya and its voluntary integration to Costa Rica.

Starting from the notion that the verb “to annex” had a connotation that referred to conquering territory and demanding its submission through violence, it is clear as water that it was not the case for the Nicoyans in 1824. Either way, the question is why do people refer to it as the annexation of Guanacaste? and, how did this connotation change over the years?

Expert in folklore and philosophy Marco Tulio Gardela agrees with the fact that the word is misused and stated in his program “Vivamos la Guanacastequidad” (let’s live Guanacasteness) that “The Partido de Nicoya freely agreed to join Costa Rica. It could be an addition, incorporation, or union. I think they chose the wrong word,” said Gardela.

To understand why the word annexation has been used, it is essential to draw a timeline and look at different events that have impacted the world. In 1824, the year when the Nicoyans united with Costa Rica, the Act of Incorporation of the Partido de Nicoya to Costa Rica the word annexation was not used to describe the event. It is believed that the word started making an appearance in 1848 when Costa Rican diplomats Felipe Molina and Lorenzo Montúfar used the term “annexation”, an anglicism derived from the word annexation. The historical use of the term tracks back three years prior, in 1845, when the United States annexed Texas, possibly influencing the adoption of the new term in Costa Rica.

Until this day, the word has maintained and according to the Royal Spanish Academy, the definition for “anexionar” now refers “to join or incorporate something, especially a country or a part of its territory, with another”, meaning that ultimately, it is up to whether you want to refer to it as an annexation or simply as the union between Guanacaste and Costa Rica.

In Costa Rica and especially in Guanacaste this day is celebrate with Parades, Tico style bullfights, Marimba (Traditional instrument), Dances, Music, Typical foods.

All the Government offices are closed and most of the commercial centers. For Costa Rican, this is an important Holiday and the spirit celebrations are big… Guanacaste is a beautiful area and has developed nicely these past years famous for its surfing, resorts, natural beauty, amazing beaches, nightlife, restaurant, endless options for recreation that most travelers are looking for.

Make Guanacaste one of your Top destinations and you would not be disappointed!.