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Only a few days after historians and leftist sympathizers observed the 60th anniversary of Ernesto “Che” Guevara’s historical visit to Costa Rica, media reports of the formation of a new militia group training in the Caribbean prompted President Laura Chinchilla to explain that such informal militaristic actions do not fit into the country’s long-standing unarmed and peaceful tradition.
The Costa Rica Star has previously reported on one such group, the self-denominated Patrulla 1856, which decided to stand down after receiving a less-than-welcome reception on social media. Months later, however, the group resurfaced on a television report broadcast by Teletica Channel 7 and an in-depth article on El Pais, a major European newspaper.
“Upholding Sovereignty”
Ironically, Costa Rica recently celebrated her 65th year of life without armed forces. “More Teachers than Soldiers” has been a patriotic slogan used by Ticos to celebrate their country’s unique adherence to unarmed conflict resolution. Not having an army, however, has prompted the neighboring regime of President Daniel Ortega to test Costa Rica’s sovereignty, which seems to be the motivation behind these militia groups.
The Teletica report mentioned an organizational structure lead by the Patriotic Front for National Defense, under which the reactivated Patrulla 1856 and the Iron Vanguard groups, which are about the size of an infantry platoon in NATO countries, are organized. The commander of this organization is Jose Fabio Piozarro, who was actually the Director of Fuerza Publica (Costa Rica’s national police force) in the early 21st century.
Mr. Pizarro explained that his fighters are simply training for the occasion when Nicaraguan soldiers mount a resolute invasion into Costa Rica. In recent years, invasions from the Ortega regime have mostly consisted of embarrassing maneuvers such as the Google Maps invasion of 2010, for which former guerrilla leader Eden Pastora is now watched under an Interpol Red Notice as he tries to repair environmental damage he caused to Isla Calero in the northern Caribbean region.
Saying NO to Militarism
Minister of Public Safety Mario Zamora lamented the actions of this group, stating that although their intentions seem to be noble and patriotic, they leave themselves open to corruption, foreign control, gun smuggling, etc. Zamora added that in Central America, militias have been infiltrated by foreign intelligence and criminal organizations. It does not matter if these groups are aligned to the left or the right: Paramilitaries tend to incite factional armed violence that Costa Rica does not want.
Zamora added that the Ministry of Public Safety is monitoring the situation and will try to contact these groups before making a decision on what to do. After all, to storm in and take them down by force will be antithetical to Costa Rica’s national philosophy.
Anonymous intelligence sources told newspaper El Pais that there is a chance that the Ortega regime could be behind the formation of these groups as a means to embarrass Costa Rica in the wake of an International Court of Justice resolution that favors the Ticos. President Ortega has expressed his suspicions that Costa Rica has a hidden army. An outlandish claim, to be sure; however, some special units of Fuerza Publica have received training and support that conforms to the ongoing militarization of the world, which in the end it’s just business.
