Oscar Arias
Oscar Arias
Óscar Arias Sánchezwas President of Costa Rica from 1986 to 1990 and from 2006 to 2010. He received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1987 for his efforts to end the Central American crisis...
NationalityCosta Rican
ProfessionWorld Leader
Date of Birth13 September 1940
CityHeredia, Costa Rica
people rican thank
I thank the Costa Rican people for their confidence.
armed change country means military minds name necessary people profound wore yesterday
To demilitarize the country means to make a profound decision. It is not enough to change the name of the armed forces. It is necessary to change the minds of those people who only yesterday wore a military uniform.
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There is a difference between the typical politician and the statesman. A typical politician is that person who tells people what people want to hear, while the statesman tells people what people need to know.
expressed final people president triumph
On Dec. 1, 1948, after the triumph of the revolution, which insured the final victory of the will of the people expressed through elections, President Jose Figueres abolished the army in my country.
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Nuclear arms kill many people all at once, but other weapons kill many people, little by little, every day, everywhere in the world.
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It's not fair for the U.S. to spend, on arms and weapons, so much money and then not spend on health care the money that is needed.
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In 1995, world military spending totaled nearly $800 billion. If we redirected just $40 billion of those resources over the next 10 years to fighting poverty, all of the world's population would enjoy basic social services, such as education, health care, nutrition, reproductive health, clean water and sanitation.
doubt
You should not have the least doubt that in this, we will not cede.
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It's a country that's accustomed to elections every four years. Clean, crystalline, transparent elections.
aid central future increased trade
The absence of significant development aid has only increased the importance of trade for Central America's future.
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Poverty and lack of education are ruining our planet.
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Our world is certainly dangerous, but it is made more dangerous, not less, by those who value profits over peace.
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More combat planes, missiles and soldiers won't provide additional bread for our families, desks for our schools, or medicine for our clinics.
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Mine is an unarmed people, whose children have never seen a fighter or a tank or a warship.