Costa Rica and Nicaragua, two bordering countries in Central America have historically had interesting relations. For one there is the reoccurring dispute over the Rio San Juan and who actually has the rights to it, however as of recently the new big problem between the two countries has been the issue of illegal immigration from Nicaragua to Costa Rica. As we learned from our recent visit, Nicaragua is still recovering from the damages caused by many violent civil wars that occurred around two decades ago. As a result of the violence, the Nicaraguan economy took a heavy hit, with infrastructure being severely destroyed and a lack of jobs for its large population. As a matter of fact, according to the CIA World Fact-book, Nicaragua is the second poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, second only to Haiti. In search of jobs and better living opportunities, hundreds of thousands of Nicaraguans have emigrated to Costa Rica.
The issue of illegal Nicaraguan immigration is a very important topic for debate in Costa Rica political discourse. As such I asked members of my Tico family about their opinions on Nicaraguans or 'Nicas' as they are called. These responses come from my dinner conversation with my sister, Tica mom, and my sister's friend Ale whose dad is actually from Nicaragua. Overall among the three Ticas, the sentiment towards Nicaraguans has been relatively positive. The major reason why they felt this way about Nicas was that the legal ones who come are hardworking and willing to do the difficult jobs that none of the Ticos want to do. My Tico dad even made the same comment just before I left for Nicaragua. He said that they were important because they do the behind the scenes work that keep the country running. The main issue or problem that my Tico family had with the Nicas was mainly with the illegal immigrants who come and use the National welfare system for free that they do not pay for. My mom and sister both brought up the issue of health care and how the illegal immigrants can use national healthcare for free, but that it takes away from Ticos and legal immigrants who pay taxes for the services.
The past weekend's trip to Nicaragua was as fun as it was revealing as the two bordering countries were quite difficult. Besides a common language and sharing the Rio San Juan, there are however a few similarities. In both countries, coffee production and tourism account for very large sectors of the economy. As we learned in the trip, Nicaragua has many volcanoes similar to Costa Rica therefore its land was rich for agriculture and with few other natural resources it was forced to develop the Export Agricultural model as discussed in Silver to Cocaine readings done for class. However the major difference comes from development history and politics. Nicaragua did not escape social violence like Costa Rica did and suffered many debilitating civil wars. As a result of these the wars the lower class of Nicaragua is very large and it is evident the minute the border is crossed. One of the biggest differences between the two countries is the number of beggars. Disabled men, women and children made up the ranks of the beggars we encountered in Granada and Masaya. The economy is one of the marked differences between the countries and it is evident in the illegal immigration problem that Costa Rica is facing.
Despite the difference in agriculture, the economy in Nicaragua was functioning. One of the main exports according to our tour guide is food and agricultural products. In keeping with the class and our new unit on Bananas I kept an eye out for the fruits and how they were sold. In the areas we visited, there were not many banana vendors. I remember seeing a general fruit vendor in the central park of Granada one day and observing the way the bananas were being sold. Compared to Costa Rica, there was not a large selection of Bananas, and they seemed to be pretty bruised. The same vendor was also selling mangoes and other small fruits. Mangoes seemed to be bigger in Granada than Banana vendors. Several houses however around Granada and Masaya did have small plots of land with some banana plants which suggests that some of the fruits were being grown. As we continue to study the role of banana's in Latin America, specifically in Central America, we will learn how banana companies and the industry itself have affected Nicaragua. We know of the historical role of Banana companies such as the United Fruit Company in Costa Rica on the coasts and the problems they caused according to readings from Dan Koeppel and in From Silver to Cocaine, but in future classes and readings the impact of these companies and the banana industry in the region as a whole will be revealed.
Anthony
No comments:
Post a Comment