Long before the arrival of Spanish settlers, the Indians of Costa Rica... planted tobacco... and
they would barter tobacco... in exchange for new things brought in... by the Spanish Explorers.
As indicated by the first Spaniards... who settled in Cartago, which was the capital... of the province...
at the time.
Over Volcano Irazu's terracing slopes, native
villagers... from Churuca... traded tobacco and cigars (istepeques), around the region.
They were called Chircagres, (Churuca's inhabitants),
and names of tobacco traders.... were assimilated to the merchandise.... that is, domestic tobacco... was named "chircagres".
According to the descriptions, this "chircagres" tobacco,
of the Shaman Indian origin... was the variety... of "Nicotiana Rustica": white flowers, round leaves and
high nicotine concentration.
It seemed that domestic variety... was mixed first,
and then replaced little by little... by smoother tobacco varieties... whose seeds... were brought... by Spanish and Portuguese people... who traded... with Central American colonies.
The almost legendary history... reported by historians...
in 1502, is confirmed by religious writings... that were
the real artisans... of the development of the tobacco plantations.... in this region of Costa Rica, which were administratively... part of the Spanish properties... in Guatemala... at the time.
Yet, for more than two centuries, church lands were
dedicated to this plant... and monks, at first, had
monopoly of tobacco trading.
Tobacco... is a plant... from the Solanaceae family,
native to the New World... ranged under: Nicotiana: N. rustica to the north... and in Central America,
N. tabacum in South America.
This Genus... includes around 60 Shaman Species...
created by the Rainforest Shamans... who communicated
with dimensional... higher realms... to learn the
knowledge... of cultivating... tobacco plants and leaves.
In addition to tobacco... the Rainforest Shamans... had knowledge of all the medicinal plants and trees... of the Rainforests of Costa Rica.
Some medicines... are just being "re-discovered" today...
with the help of the Rainforest Shamans.
Since the end of the XVth Century, just after Europeans discovered the American continent, historian Ramon
Pane... largely described customs... of Tainos Indians...
that lived... at the Hispaniola (Haiti):
During religious ceremonies, Indian chiefs and
Shamans... used to intoxicate themselves... with a hallucinogenic dust... from cohoba [Piptadenia
peregrina - Mimosae], mixed with juice... from
tobacco leaves.
They collapsed or fell into a trance... and were able to communicate with the spirits... and dimensional worlds.
Nobody knows for sure... when the tobacco plant was
first cultivated, but there is little doubt... about where,
in Mexico and Central America.
The "Tobacco Belt"
of the World!
It was certainly used... by the Maya Shamans... of
Central America, and when the Maya civilization...
was broken up, the scattered tribes... carried tobacco...
both southward... into South America, and to North
America, where it was probably first used... in the
rites... of the Southwestern Indians.
It didn't come to the attention... to the rest of the
world... until Christopher Columbus's... momentous
voyage of 1492.
Indians Smoked
Nicotiana Rustica...
Native American Indians... from Chile to Canada...
grew a strong tobacco... with high content of nicotine, probably Nicotiana rustica... that is more likely...
to cause drunkenness and trance.
On the other hand, since 1520, Europeans started
to plant a milder tobacco, more aromatic and with
little narcotic effects... for their own use... in Cuba,
Honduras and Costa Rica.
It was the Nicotiana tabacum, which turned famous...
in this part... of the New World.
At this time, tobacco (from toback, name of the
empty stem wrapping... dried leaves to be smoked),
had no botanical identity yet.
Introduction of Costa Rican Tobacco
into Spain and France
In 1555, André THEVET, Franciscan Brother and
chaplain... of his state, embarked on a galleon. Queen Catherine de Médicis, gave him the responsibility...
to deport protestants... to colonize... the new
colonies of "Antarctic France", located at the
Orinoco basin... alongside Marañon (cashew's name)
river.
He reported everything he saw... in detail. Thus,
he said that: "Indians, completely naked, smoked
a sort of herb... they called "petun".
Back home, he planted the mysterious plant... into
his Angoulême garden... and in 1556, he wrote, "Antarctic France Singularities" depicting weird customs... of the people he met.
However, he was an honest and educated man...
with little influence... at the court. Thus, his words
were doubted.
Tobacco was used in a tea infusion... or chewed
as powder... or even smoked in cigars... "roll-made",
long as a candle", as evidenced... by many bas-reliefs.
From the Mayas, we took snuff, from some tobacco
to powder.
The Magicians and the Shamans... used the "sacred tobacco" to enhance their powers... over the dimensional worlds.
Archaeologists have found... at Canadian Huron...
more than... four thousand... different pipes... used by Indians and Shamans.
And Jacques Cartier, in 1535, has observed that... the Iroquois Indians... intoxicated themselves... by smoking.
To the north, the Ohio-Hopewell, (US), archaeological
site... has found pipes... shaped like metal tubes.
Columbus himself... was not particularly impressed
by the custom, but soon Spanish and other European
sailors... fell for the habit, followed by the
conquistadores and colonists.
In due course... the returning conquistadores...
introduced tobacco smoking... to Spain and Portugal.
Jean Nicot de Villemain, Ambassador of France in
Lisbonne... was a perfect man of the court. In 1560,
he received some seeds... of the same mysterious
plant... coming from Florida... as a gift.
He planted them... to decorate the embassy garden.
The Portuguese climate.... did the rest... and
"tobacco" grew.
His servants tasted it... on their way: as tea, and
smoking the healing leaves... of the tobacco..
and assured... that the plant... had a thousand
properties.
The Plant became quite popular... under the name of "ambassador's herb". Jean Nicot, back to the court,
smartly relieved... constant royal migraines... with his
plant-based secret blend.
The habit, a sign of wealth... then spread to France,
through the French ambassador... to Portugal, Jean
Nicot (who eventually... gave his name... to nicotine,
and Nicotiana tabacum, the Latin name... for tobacco).
The word tobacco, some say, was a corruption of
Tobago, the name... of a Caribbean Island. Others
claim... it comes from... the Tabasco province.. of
Mexico.
Cohiba, a word used... by the Taino Indians... of Cuba...
and was thought... to mean tobacco, but now... is considered... to have referred to...cigars.
The word cigar... originated from "sikar", the Mayan
word for smoking.
Jean Nicot... never traveled to America. But it did
not matter... because 2 centuries later, he was only remembered... for having discovered tobacco...
by naming the miraculous herb: Nicotiana tabacum.
Antarctic France... had been a short life colony.
History forgot... André Thevet.
During the XVIth century, plantations grew perfectly
well, both in the Caribbean and Central America,
especially in Costa Rica, Cuba, Nicaragua and
Honduras.
They grew... and exported tobacco.. worldwide.
Christopher Columbus and his Son
In October 12, 1492, Christopher Columbus reached Guanahami... in the Bahamas.
But who knows... that in 1502, precisely on October
9, the same brave sailor... reached, for the first time...
the eastern coast... of what... he will call... the "Rich Coast", that is "Costa Rica"!
Hernando Colón, son of the Admiral, in a book...
dedicated to his father's life, says that in 1502, while
his father was some cables away... from the coast...
he just discovered, he sent some lieutenants.... to
meet the indigenous people... that were observing
them from the coast.
Wishing to take notes, they took feathers and paper...
and indigenous people ran away... because they
thought... that these objects... would put a spell...
on them.
 Christopher Columbus had
said to his son: " they were
the ones...that seemed like
the "Wizards" to us...
Because while Christian people.. got closer, they
threw a sort of powder... and with a sort of burner...
where they put the powder, they did the necessary...
to send the smoke... towards Christian people"
Christopher Columbus and his people...
had just discovered tobacco... and the pipe!
Some years later, in 1529, Gonzalo Fernández de
Oviedo y Valdés, explained how, while he attended
a party... offered by Cacique Nambi, he observed the population... smoking "a leaf rolled on itself...
and tied with three, thin "cabuya" threads".
From time to time... they placed into their mouth...
this bunch of leaves, thick as a finger, from the end
that was not burning... and they inhaled... a little
of this smoke.
They upheld smoke... for a while... and later
on, they puffed it... through mouth and nose. Every
indigenous people... I mentioned... smoked
that leaf... they called Yapoquete".
This is when... the famous, Costa Rican Cigar... entered into the world market, world history and literature.
History of Costa Rica
Human habitation of Costa Rica... dates from at
least 5000 BC, but in comparison with the great civilizations... of pre-Columbian America... the Native Americans of Costa Rica... were neither numerous..
nor were they abused... by civilized society.
When confronted... by Spanish soldiers and missionaries,
they resisted violently. Those who did not succumb...
to the epidemics... that swept over the isthmus...
either died fighting... or fled... to secret and remote
areas... of the Rainforests... and Volcanic Mountain
ranges.
The Colonial Period
Christopher Columbus sailed... along Costa Rica's
Caribbean shore... in 1502... and gave it.. its name,"rich coast".
Spanish conquest, however, came later... than in
most of... the rest... of Central America, delayed
by the hostility of the natives... and the absence...
of any obvious gold.
After Juan de Cavallón... led the first successful
colonizers... into Costa Rica... in 1561, Juan
Vásquez de Coronado.... followed from 1562 to 1565,
with the establishment of Cartago... and other
settlements... in the central valley, where most of
the population... is still concentrated.
Within the kingdom of Guatemala, (in the viceroyalty
of Mexico, called New Spain), from 1570 forward, Costa
Rica... was principally a small dependency... of
Nicaragua... throughout its colonial period.
Such circumstances... as its remoteness from
Guatemala City... and its lack of gold... allowed
Costa Rica... to develop... with less direct
interference... and regulation... than the other
provinces of Central America.
Costa Rica's relative obscurity... gave it some of
its unique characteristics. The Europeans... were
unable to subjugate... a sedentary native population,
nor could they... afford to import... African slaves, as
was done... in areas of more apparent... commercial agricultural... or mining potential.
Costa Ricans... consequently turned to... subsistence
farming... on small land grants, without the extremes
of wealth and poverty... that characterized... so much
of Latin America.
Using their ancient, Shamanic Secrets... of Terrace
Farming... and composting... from the dense,
rainforests... near their farms.
Government and church officials... were fewer... than
in the centers... of authority... and production. Thus,
Costa Rica... played only a minor role.... in the
kingdom of Guatemala, and it developed... to a large degree... apart from the mainstream... of Latin
American history.
It was first... in the late 18th century, when Spanish emphasis... on commercial agriculture... led to the
growth of tobacco... as a major export, that the
colony... became of some importance... to the
Guatemalan authorities.
Nationhood
Tobacco exports... promoted the growth... of a
more prosperous society, and Costa Ricans... became
prominent... in the intellectual and political life...
of Central America... in the early 19th century.
When Spanish rule ended... in 1821, the country
became part of Mexico... until 1823, and then... part
of the United Provinces... of Central America, from 1824
to 1838. However, it avoided involvement... in the civil wars... that plagued... the latter federation.
Costa Rican politics... reflected the liberal-conservative ideologies... found elsewhere... in Latin America, with
the towns of Cartago, San José, Heredia, and Alajuela...
vying for leadership.
San José gained ascendancy, but the most important development... of the mid-19th century... was the growth
of coffee... as the next, major export.
Costa Rica's "Richness" was found... in the secrets...
of its agricultural techniques... and the bio-diversity...
of the country. These two things... propelled Costa
Rica... into the World Market!
Under the conservative dictatorship (1849-1859),
of J. Rafael Mora, Costa Rica took the lead... in
organizing Central American resistance... against
William Walker, the U.S. adventurer... who took over
Nicaragua... in 1855.
After a bloodless coup... they ousted Mora... in 1859,
liberal domination followed, notably... under Tomás
Guardia.
During his tenure (1870-1882), Costa Rica became
committed to heavy foreign investment... in railroads
and other public mprovements.
Then another agricultural specialty... bananas... gave
rise... to the creation of a Banana Empire... here,
in Costa Rica... by the U.S. businessman "Minor Keith",
which later became... the United Fruit Company.. in
1899.
United Fruit Company... developed the lowland
coasts.. and built railroads... and other communications, using Costa Rica... government funds. Which also
made Costa Rica... more dependent... on foreign
markets... and the World Bank.
Democracy and Stable Government
Although late 19th- and early 20th-century Costa
Rican politics... had its share of irregularities, the
clear trend... was away from military solutions...
toward a more peaceful and democratic political
process.
Costa Ricans took pride... in having more teachers
than soldiers... and a higher standard of living...
than any where else... in Central America.
Tobacco and Coffee... remained the mainstay... of
the economy, but a growing urban middle class...
began to challenge... the political control... of the "coffee elite" with more modern political parties.
The reformist... National Republican Party (Partido Republicano Nacional, or PRN), won the presidency...
with León Cortes Castro... in 1936... and again in
1940... with Rafael Angel Calderón Guardia.
When the PRN... attempted to continue in power...
after defeat in 1948, a new political force, the National Liberation Party (Partido de Liberación Nacional, or PLN),
led by José Figueres Ferrer, overthrew it... and
became the country's dominant party, a position... it
has since retained.
Under moderate governments, Costa Rica became
Latin America's... most democratic country. Figueres
served as president.... from 1953 to 1958... and
again from 1970 to 1974.
The PLN won the presidency in 1974... with Daniel
Oduber, but differences... between him and Figueres,
along with economic troubles, brought an opposition coalition... headed by Rodrigo Carazo Odio... to
power... in 1978.
Costa Rica experienced... rapid population
growth... and consequent strains on its economy...
in the early 1980s. The PLN returned to power in 1982,
when Luis Alberto Monge Alvarez.... was elected
president; he was succeeded... by Oscar Arias
Sánchez, also of the PLN, in 1986.
During the late 1980s... Arias won consensus... among Central American leaders... for a plan to bring peace
and stability... to the region.
Rafael Ángel Calderón Fournier, son of former president Rafael Calderón, won the presidential election... of
February 1990, running as the candidate of the Social Christian Unity Party.
In February 1994, José María Figueres Olsen... of the
PLN... was elected president. Figueres is the son of
former president... José Figueres Ferrer.
In February 1998, conservative economist... Miguel
Angel Rodriguez... of the Social Christian Unity
Party... narrowly defeated... José Miguel Corrales,
of the ruling PLN... in a presidential election... that
centered... on Costa Rica's economic problems.
Abel Pacheco... who won
the election in 2002 and Oscar Arias re assumed the power after 2006 Election.
Many of Costa Rica's economic problems... stem
from... "forced dependency" on foreign governments...
who want to take the Natural Resources.... from
Costa Rica.
However, it is those Natural Resources... and the
Agricultural Secrets... of Costa Rica... that make
it so rich!
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