Costa Rica

Once the Costa Rican government abolished the national armed forces in 1948, internal security, border patrol, and most national police functions became the responsibility of the small paramilitary Civil Guard. The president is the commander in chief, exercising his authority through what was the Ministerio de Seguridad Publica (Ministry of Public Security) and is now officially the Ministerio de Gobernacion, Policia y Seguridad Publica, although the old name is still often...