The colorful history of Costa Rica’s capital
By Hubert Solano

During the 19th century, the honor of being capital city of Costa Rica led to much quarreling among the major cities of Alajuela, San José, Cartago and Heredia, at one point allowing Alajuela to become the country’s capital for a short time.

Until 1821, Cartago was Costa Rica’s colonial capital city. Two years later, after the country’s first civil war, the capital was moved to San José. Eight years passed, and just when it seemed that the capital would forever remain in San José, Rafael Osejo proposed his idea of having the site of the State’s supreme authorities rotate every two years between the country’s four major cities.

From then on his proposal would be known as the “Law of Wandering”, as it allowed the capital to move periodically from one city to the next. His proposal caused immediate reactions among the country’s higher circles.

In a booklet called “The Equality of Action”, Osejo stated that “without a doubt, the city that holds the Supreme Powers receives immeasurable benefits, be it from the increased industry production, the requisite cleanup of the city and the flow of tourism, or the management of the daily business of the State”.

Three years later, in 1834, Costa Ricans voted in favor of the “Law of Wandering”, which stated in its first article: “The Supreme Powers of the State will reside for periods of four years in the cities of Alajuela, Heredia, Cartago and San José”.

Alajuela came first, as Cartago and San José had already been the capital at some point in time. Alajuela had also been an ally of San José during the first civil war, which San José won. Heredia came second as it had allied with Cartago during the war.
Cartago earned the third spot. Its inhabitants placed great hope in the new law, as they weren’t planning to turn their status over when their time was up.

Therefore, conspiracies were afoot among the citizens of Cartago, as secret plans were made to recover the capital status in 1844 and never give it back.

By 1833, State income tax reached the measly sum of 42,276 pesos. However, as all the other cities began to see, San José developed at an alarming rate. This provoked feelings of envy among the provincial citizens.

By the end of 1833, a second civil war was expected, to the point where the Chief of State, Rafael Gallegos, prepared to resign from office.

Congress was reinstated in 1834, with 12 members, seven of whom were in favor of the “Law of Wandering”. All they needed was one more vote to get the required majority and approve the law.

The citizens of San José were confident that the capital city would remain in their hands, as they had four men in Congress, without whose support the provincials could not approve the law.

Among the heated debates that broke out in Congress sessions, San José representative Juan Diego Bonilla said: “I am against this law for these reasons, but if it is approved, I will, in a way, rejoice over the settlement of this affair, as it evident that the capital has a great number of followers that pick up whatever it leaves behind”.

A representative for Cartago, Fr. José Antonio, immediately answered: “Thank God I have nourishment and am not the kind described by Juan Diego. I will prove that the “Wandering Law” is good and beneficial, as Fr. Nicholas has also proven”.

The crossfire turned so intense that the president of Congress had to suspend the session, when the law was finally approved. The law was approved because Fr. Andrés Rivera decided to vote against the San José representative.

The citizens of San José obeyed the disposition. Alajuela being the new capital, the government was ordered to move to its new home.

A large crowd began the trip to Alajuela on April 25, 1834, taking furniture, files and other government paraphernalia. The entire operation cost 30 pesos.

Alajuela received the new government with open arms. The city’s armed forces saluted them with blank gunfire charges. In contrast, when the group passed through Heredia, only a few citizens waved at them.

The capital was to be in Alajuela only a short time. The plan failed because of the lack of proper buildings for all the government operations and because of the constant struggles in the rest of the country, with everyone clamoring for the capital to return to Cartago, San José and maybe even to go Heredia.