The five republics of Central America

Chapter 6: FOOTNOTES:

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About This Book

The author surveys the historical, political, and economic development of five Central American republics from colonial times to the early twentieth century, emphasizing how colonial legacies, social composition, and weak institutions produced chronic instability and recurrent revolutions. It analyzes constitutional structures, party politics, presidential power, and patronage across each republic, and assesses economic conditions and social divisions, including the marginalization of indigenous populations. The study also examines external influence, especially from the United States, and argues that informed foreign policy and domestic reform are crucial to promoting stable governance and economic progress; methodological limits of sources and the author's on-the-ground observations are noted.

FOOTNOTES:

[6] By Peninsular Spaniard is meant a native of European Spain.

[7] In Costa Rica, the departments are called provinces, and their administrative heads, gobernadores.

[8] This is not the official designation, which differs from country to country. In Guatemala, they are called comisionado político y comandante militar, in Nicaragua, agente de policía, in Costa Rica, jefe político, etc.

[9] It should be stated that the description of Central American governments in this chapter does not apply in all its details to Costa Rica. In that country, although the written constitution and the framework of the government are the same as in the other countries, political conditions are, in fact, very different. The President comes into office, in most cases at least, by a free election rather than a revolution, and exercises a far less absolute power than elsewhere on the Isthmus. The peculiar conditions existing in Costa Rica will be described in a subsequent chapter.