Decree of Basis and Guarantees

[1] In 1841, with the intention of giving some juridical support to his authoritarian regime that had been established since 1838, Carrillo Colina decided to issue a fundamental statute of his own making what would fulfill a similar role to that of the Constitution.

[1] The Decree proclaimed that Costa Rica was a sovereign and independent State, both in its internal administration and in its foreign relations, and made no allusion to the Central American union.

The First Head would presided over a Consultative Chamber of five members (one for each province), elected by census and indirect suffrage in four grades, and whose agreement was necessary to issue and interpret codes, ordinances and general regulations, declare war and make peace, set the budget, impose taxes, negotiate loans and other matters.

[2] The Decree of Bases and Guarantees did not mention the procedure for its reform, so it could be assumed that the constitutional review would be carried out using the prescribed for the issuance of codes, ordinances and general regulations, that is, through an agreement between the First Head and the Consultative Chamber.

The Decree of Bases and Guarantees was in force for a very short period, since in April 1842 the invasion of General Francisco Morazán Quesada overthrew the institutionalized dictatorship of Carrillo and the constitutional order was broken.