Costa Rican Constitution of 1871

[1] Influenced by the Liberals, the Constitution of 1871 was quite pioneering for the time and, among other things, abolished the death penalty, decreed the freedom of religion, strengthened education and separated the three branches of the Republic.

[2] In 1870 the provisional Costa Rican president Bruno Carranza Ramírez called a Constituent Assembly shortly before resigning his post, which was assumed by General Tomás Guardia.

[3] While for the elections of 1870 Carranza used a law of its creation issued on June 20, 1871 that established as requirements to be able to vote be over 25 years, own a property valued at at least one thousand pesos or an annual income of five hundred and priests, soldiers and judicial officials were banned from voting.

[3] Guardia modified the law to call these elections establishing -among other things- the elimination of economic requirements and allowed members of the clergy, the judiciary and the military to vote and be elected deputies, likewise the requirements they were older than 25 years old, able to read and write and be a resident of the province where they voted.

This National Constituent Convention successfully drafted the Constitution of 1871 that has been the longest lasting in the country.