Calderonista invasion of Costa Rica

The Calderonista Invasion of Costa Rica was a small rebellion carried out in North-West Costa Rica by forces loyal to the disgruntled former president Rafael Calderón, and was supported by the Government of Nicaragua who were unhappy with the election of Jose "Pepe" Figueres Ferrer to the Costa Rican Presidency two years prior.

Calderonista Invasion of Costa Rica (1955)
DateJanuary 1955
Location
Costa Rica
Result Costa Rican government victory
Belligerents

 Costa Rica

Supported by:
 United States[1]

Calderón forces
CIA (alleged)

Supported by:
 Nicaragua
 Venezuela
 United States (alleged)
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Beginning

The rebellion started when forces loyal to former president Rafael Calderón, who were backed by the Nicaraguan president Anastasio Somoza García,[2] crossed the border from Nicaragua into Costa Rica.[1] Venezuelan dictator Marcos Pérez Jiménez provided financial support to the rebels and, reportedly, air support.[3][4][5] The rebel forces seized the border town of Villa Quesada on 12 January.[6]

Allegations of CIA involvement

Jose Figueres accused the CIA of covertly aiding Nicaragua's invasion by sending pilots and sorties to covertly attack Costa Rica, notably subjecting at least 11 villages to machine gun fire.[7]

Resolution

The Costa Rican government appealed to the Organization of American States to investigate.[8] The Organization of American States found the Nicaraguan government was supporting the rebels and as soon as this was announced, the Nicaraguan government ended its support of the rebels. The United States sold Costa Rica four fighter planes, while the rebels were overwhelmed by the popularly backed government forces. After some fierce fighting in a handful of northern towns, the rebels were pushed out of Costa Rica.[1]

References
  1. "Calderonista invasion of Costa Rica 1955". Onwar.com. Onwar. Retrieved 17 February 2018.
  2. Ameringer, Charles (1 November 2010). Caribbean Legion: Patriots, Politicians, Soldiers of Fortune, 1946–1950. Penn State Press. ISBN 978-0271042183.
  3. "Daily Illini 19 January 1955 — Illinois Digital Newspaper Collections". idnc.library.illinois.edu. Retrieved 16 January 2020.
  4. "Cuando Somoza invadió Costa Rica". Magazine - La Prensa Nicaragua (in Spanish). 12 June 2017. Retrieved 16 January 2020.
  5. "Invasión 55 – El Espíritu del 48". elespiritudel48.org. Retrieved 16 January 2020.
  6. "Cascon Case NCR: Nicaragua-Costa Rica 1955–56". web.mit.edu. Retrieved 18 February 2018.
  7. Ameringer, Charles D. (1978). Don Pepe: a political biography of José Figueres of Costa Rica. Albuquerque: University of New Mexico Press. pp. 124–125.
  8. "Costa Rica Star". Retrieved 18 February 2018.
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