In his inaugural speech in San Jose, May 8th, 2006, the recently elected President of Costa Rica, Dr. Oscar Arias Sánchez proclaimed;
‘I would like to think that the Presidential sash I wear today is the talisman that will make it possible for Costa Rica to arrive at the Bicentennial of its independence as a developed nation’.1
Costa Rica’s bicentennial year is 2021, giving the country just fifteen years to reach its goal. This article will take a look the strategies Costa Rica is adopting and the challenges and dilemmas it faces in working towards development.