

In response, the president of Costa Rica called for his army and all Costa Ricans to get ready for an invasion.

Walker’s dream was to annex all of Central America and for the Confederate States to take over all of Latin America.Īfter his siege of Nicaragua, Walker planned his next move: to conquer neighboring Costa Rica. So on March 1, 1856, two years after a civil war broke out in Nicaragua, he led an army to take over the country. William Walker, an American mercenary, wanted to take advantage of this. In the 1800s, way before the Panama Canal existed, the best way to move goods from one side of the Americas to the other was through Nicaragua. Juan Santamaría I Wikipedia Commons Grounds for War in Costa Rica See also: El Top: Costa Rica’s Famous Horse Parade Young Juan became a legend for his involvement and death at the Second Battle of Rivas, during the so-called Guerra contra los filibusteros (Filibuster War) in 18. It’s easy to assume that he and his family were peasants. At the time, most people in Juan’s hometown survived off the land.
#Hero academy costa rica skin
Historians agree that Juan had dark skin and argue that he was mestizo.

Not much else is known about Juan’s early life. Still, as a young boy, he later joined Costa Rica’s National Army. In his youth, Juan worked as a candy vendor, builder’s assistant, drover, coffee picker, sacristan, and drummer for Alajuela’s military band. Juan Santamaría: The Drummer Turned War Heroīorn on August 29, 1831, in Alajuela, Juan Santamaría Rodríguez was the son of María Manuela Santamaría the identity of his father is unknown. Learn Spanish Before Your Next Trip to Costa Rica.Juan Santamaría: The Drummer Turned War Hero.Keep reading to find out more about the pride of Alajuela, Juan Santamaría, and how people in Costa Rica remember and honor him even today! Poets reciting poetry, colorful balloons flying around, marching bands playing across the country-that’s how people in Costa Rica pay tribute to their national hero. When was the last time you heard of a 25-year-old running between enemy fire, torch-in-hand, to burn down the invader’s hideout?įorget about Pancho Villa, Juan Santamaría is the real deal! On National Heroes Day, Costa Rica celebrates a man named Juan Santamaría.Įvery April 11, Costa Ricans commemorate the death of the brave man who they consider a national hero.ĭid you know that once there was an American businessman who tried to take over all of Latin America? García Hispanic Culture 0 comments Cosa Rica’s National Hero Juan Santamaría: What’s the Big Deal?
