Annexation of the Party of Nicoya (Guanacaste)

The party of Nicoya was a territory that included/understood earth located between the river of the Flower and the lake from Nicaragua to the Northwest and the South of Costa Rica (Gulf of Nicoya, Tempisque river, Salto river and a line that united to this one with the beginning of the Drainage or San Juan river) to the east. This region was very independent; generally, it depended in the civilian and the administrative thing on the Post of captain-general of Guatemala. Nevertheless, due to his proximity with the Costa Rican towns of Puntarenas, It scatters, Bagaces and the Canes, it had obtained great identification with our country. In addition, in the 1812 Party of Nicoya was united to our country, so that we completed the population necessary and thus to be able to have a representative in Cortes of Cadiz, in Spain. Of this form, our country could send to the presbítero Florencio of the Castle that had a great participation in defense of the rights of the natives.

The annexation

When the independence of Central America in 1821 was declared, the Nicaraguan authorities began to have certain influence on the nicoyanos. Nevertheless, Nicaragua was a state with many internal problems and the inhabitants felt more identified with our country.

Then, the inhabitants of Nicoya decided in open town hall to elevate a letter headed by their head, Cupertino Briceño, requesting the annexation to the province of Costa Rica. In that Costa Rica time it was not still a republic, by as much the request of the party of Nicoya had to appear to the general congress of Guatemala. When this congress met, the Costa Rican deputies informed the request into Nicoya presenting/displaying all the documents and acts signed by Cupertino Briceño, who was the mayor of Nicoya and was the one who proposed the idea of the annexation.

They clarified that, by its territorial situation, the towns of which today is Guanacaste would have greater advantages belonging to Costa Rica. The 25 of 1824 July it is confirmed the agreement definitively; the members of the villa of Nicoya, reunited in Opened Town hall, declared solemnly that they were considered from that moment integrated to the state of Costa Rica. The Chief of State of our country is that moment was Don Juan Mora Fernandez.

Pumps

From the 25 of 1824 July it was left writing in the shield of the province “Of the Mother country by Our Will”, because they were the inhabitants of the province who decided to annex themselves to Costa Rica.

The tree of Guanacaste is representative of the province, because there are many in the zone, nevertheless, the name arose in the middle of century XVIII, by a leafy tree that was where they left the ways that went towards Bagaces, Nicaragua and Rivas, that place corresponds to where is at the moment the park of Liberia.

In year 1831 it granted itself to him title from Villa to the town of Guanacaste. In year 1848 the category of province with four corners occurred him: Guanacaste, Nicoya, Santa Cruz, Bagaces and Cañas. At the moment the province has 11 corners.

Between the consequences of the annexation we have the increase of the national territory. The earth guanastecas are of great importance in the production of rice, sugar cane and sorghum among others. In addition, it is an excellent cattle zone. It increased to the population and therefore the manual labor that contributes remarkably in the economy. The national culture became rich with its contributions in food like tortillas and the sponge cake. Costa Rican music also was favored with the contribution the folclor of music varied like “the Torito”, “Passion”, “Love of Season” and “Pampas”. Between the contributed instruments they are the quijongos, drums, ocarinas and marimba. Within the legend and customs they are imagination histories full, in addition to the sum of bulls and his güipi pía.

Board in the Park of Nicoya
with the text of the act of Annexation

ACT OF ANNEXATION FROM NICOYA TO COSTA RICA

The act of the Annexation from Nicoya to Costa Rica is faithful copy and exact of the document, thus the “orthographic errors” are included that contain.

“In the Town of Nicoya and Julio twenty and sinco of thousand eight hundred twenty and four years. Being this Corporation Together and congregated with the Political Gefe and all the Citizens of its control and with consent of the Citizen gentlemen Sergeant and Cabos and other other military and Main soldiers and common of the Town: The call was ***reflxed mng to them literally that was sent to him to this Municipality by the Government of Costarrica in which brotherly a (made a will: us) invicta to these Towns so that spontaneously they deliberate to the Union and aggregation in this virtue being this corporation in common agreement; with the avitantes we have freely deliberate to the indicated Union consulting the advantages that they provide to us in the commerce by the Port of Sand End, (made a will: with) the quick administration of Justice and promotion of the branches; the security calm and political regime that are open low, the demarcation of that state as the yndica the Nature and demands the Public convenience, (made a will: ynted) ydentidad of interests and other relations that bind this Party: under this consideration and of the improvements that result these Towns. By the advantages whereupon the state of Costarrica to the others of the Center of America has been confederado according to is pronounced of the Decree that have been accompanied to us in this authorized copy, and the ynmediata participation and resiproca of the benefits and advancements that are felt in the state of Costarrica: this corporation of unanimous with centimiento and in partnership of its fellow citizens contemplating in all the related one had the well to ynvitar with the same call to the Municipality of poblazon of Santa Cruz of this same Party, that being of this same one to seem, and haviendo to the effect summoned to most of their vecindario answered the office that accompanies this letter. By everything, and repairing the present yndigencias that are the Towns of this Cntemplandolos party from this date, (to ecepción of Guanacaste) like yntegrante part of the state of Costarrica it has been had in consideration that stops to remedy soon by escases of the numerario for the necessary occurrences and while bottoms settle down of which it will have to be determined by the corresponding courts; this Town and the one of Santa Cruz put themselves in the tercenas of tobacco, previous the customary formalities, and with their products, reserved for aucilio in qualquier event, or disturbance in the order; you would deberan such to be protected Towns of this Party For the creation of the schools, coo so ynteresantes to Educación and Illustra of Youth, Because for everything, the courts of the state delineated, you would estableceran and daran the conducive measures for (made a will: Address:) creation of the bottoms whereupon we must be protected.

In this state the Gefes Military referred ysieron precente to this Municipality that stops to be disturbed in the free aggregation to the state of Costarrica to that east Party has been constituted, are not absolutely had in a deplorable situation without bottoms and arms to maintain itself, (etrerrenglonado: without) (made a will: in) being harmed puesa exactly they do not appear but that twenty and six ynutiles fuciles reason why in this case will be very necessary that the state determines and has the forces of aucilio that would deberan to protect us like yntegrantes parts of he himself, taking care of the plots and dicenciones of the province of Nicaragua of where we will perhaps be able, to be sorprehendidos. To consequencia to be in favor of this act that we have selebrado solemnly and in the presence of all the Town consus the Military legitimately added the Government of Costarrica this operation concludes, signing all the members of the corporation with the other Paysanos citizens and the military that knows and by that to its request removing one certificacón does not authenticate to send it to the state of Costarrica by conduit of President certificamos Secretario everything what, date ut. supra.

Manuel Briceño. - The Road Toribios, regidor. - Ublado Martinez, Regidor. - Manuel Garci'a, Regidor.

Hymn to the Annexation

Guanacaste! Your history is sublime,
and by loyal, your blazon today enjoya;
it made the value heroic of Curime,
and the power of Diriá and Nicoya.

It always frees of strange chains
you have never yielded in the struggle;
you have, all the core of Iberia
and the arrogant value chorotega.

When You were Mayorship of Nicoya,
your Party prevailed in History,
and when shouting your annexation to the Mother country,
you covered yourself by always with glory.

Guanacaste: your historical persistence
Costa Rica does not have to forget,
when it raised the Briceño standard…
“Of the Mother country by our will”.

Letter: Jose Ramirez S.     Music: Jesus Bonilla