160 years ago, in 1856, a war raged in Central America that lasted an entire year. The war started because some North American soldiers set out to invade this territory and govern it with the aim of profiting from the numerous resources at hand. These soldiers, called filibusters, initiated their endeavor when they arrived in Nicaragua, where political chaos made it easy for them to take control of the government. When the Costa Rican president heard that the filibusters had taken over in Nicaragua and that they intended to take control of the other Central American nations as well, he communicated to the Costa Rican people that he would not allow Costa Rica to lose its independence. Combatantly, he requested those who agreed with him to form an army so as to stop the invasion. While the army was still being formed, the filibusters had already made their way down to Santa Rosa, in Guanacaste Province, and occupied a mansion. When the Costa Ricans found out, they planned a surprise attack to lure them out of the mansion under the cover of darkness. Upon their arrival, the battle began and finished in mere minutes, because many filibusters fled after hearing gun shots. Nonetheless, the Costa Ricans´ mission was not over, as the filibusters continued their efforts from the Nicaraguan territory. The final battle was fought in Rivas, Nicaragua, during which a Costa Rican soldier called Juan Santamaría set fire to the meson where the North American soldiers had been hiding out. The Costa Rican army triumphed when the North Americans abandoned the area. Given the fact that Costa Rica never had to fight a war to obtain independence, the Rivas battle represents the first time the Costa Rican people took up arms to defend their sovereignty and territory.
