The Politics of the Environment in Costa Rica
Costa Rica has become the first country in Latin America to begin reforestation. Unlike every other country in the region, the rainforests in Costa Rica are growing rather than shrinking. This is not a feat that happened overnight, in fact in the 1970's Costa Rica had the highest rate of deforestation in Latin America. So how did they get from cutting down the most trees to growing their forests in 50 years? It all starts with Costa Rica's political stability and its Constitution. Costa Rica has been continuously classified as a democracy since 1949. This means that, unlike Mexico, they have had elections where 2 or more parties have been competitive, and that, unlike Argentina, Brazil, and many others, there has always been a peaceful transition of power. Additionally, Costa Rica has been able to keep the same Constitution in place this whole time. Costa Rica's 1949 Constitution is especially important in the narrative because it has key articles giving rights and protect...