Faces of Costa Rica
Faces of Costa Rica |
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 Coffee beans like these were the source of economic and political power in the late 1800s and early 1900s. |
Coffee Barons: Politics and Power The arrival of coffee in Costa Rica created a ruling class who gained their economic and political power because of wealth obtained from coffee cultivation. By 1829, coffee was Costa Rica's main source of revenue and cafetaleros, or coffee barons, controlled Costa Rica. They admired laissez-faire capitalism and thought government should remain apart from business transactions. In 1849, they overthrew president José María Castro because they did not approve of his efforts to reform Costa Rica's military and educational systems -- or his lack of control over political unrest. Coffee barons controlled a large percentage of land and used influence to keep taxes down, and to reinforce their own economic positions. The majority of politicians during this time period, including president Juan Rafael Mora, were members of the coffee elite. |