First the government of Costa Rica declared military peace in 1948 by abolishing its army. Now, the administration of President Abel Pacheco has declared “peace with nature” by proposing guarantees that, if approved, would make environmental protection the constitutional duty of citizens and the government. In a ceremony on Sept. 14, the eve of Costa Rica’s Independence Day, Pacheco formally signed a package of seven constitutional amendments that now will be taken up by the country’s unicameral congress. “We ask the Legislative Assembly to make the historical decision of elevating the defense of nature to the highest legal degree in the land,” Pacheco said in a speech delivered in the colonial capital of Cartago. Though the amendments have won wide praise, it remains unclear how... [Log in to read more]