Óscar Arias

My country is a country of teachers. It is therefore a country of peace. We discuss our successes and failures in complete…

— Oscar Arias

Costa Rica believes in building bridges, in looking for solutions to problems, and not clinging to positions.

— Óscar Arias

In the United States, resources exist to retrain displaced workers and promote the development of technologies that create new job opportunities for…

— Óscar Arias

It is in the U.S. interest to have a more prosperous neighbor to the south. Because if we cannot export goods, we…

— Óscar Arias

A nation that mistreats its own citizens is more likely to mistreat its neighbours.

— Óscar Arias

There are too many war museums.

— Óscar Arias

Action had to be taken in response to the terrorist attacks on September 11, but I am very concerned about the current…

— Oscar Arias

The children of the world, what they want and what they need are health clinics and schools, not tanks or armed helicopters…

— Óscar Arias

I cannot accept that to be realistic means to tolerate misery, violence and hate. I do not believe that the hungry man…

— Oscar Arias

We need a force that recognizes that only through development and liberty, through education and health care, through better priorities and wiser…

— Óscar Arias

I would like to see the U.S. fighting another war, perhaps in addition to that against terror: a war on poverty, illiteracy,…

— Oscar Arias

The more freedom we enjoy, the greater the responsibility we bear, toward others as well as ourselves.

— Oscar Arias

I am not a pacifist, however I do believe that the U.S. tends to resort to force too quickly. I am not…

— Oscar Arias

The existence of nuclear weapons presents a clear and present danger to life on Earth.

— Oscar Arias

We are calling on countries that supply weapons to comply with certain restrictions: not to sell weapons to human rights abusers, not…

— Oscar Arias

While the armed forces have intervened in the political affairs of every other Central American country over the past fifty years, with…

— Oscar Arias

I shall never accept that the law can be used to justify tragedy, to keep things as they are, to make us…

— Óscar Arias

Latin Americans hold on tight even to pain and suffering, preferring a certain present to an uncertain future. Some of this is…

— Óscar Arias

During the 41 years that have elapsed since Costa Rica abolished its army, our fundamental freedoms have never been threatened, nor do…

— Óscar Arias

The existence of nuclear weapons presents a clear and present danger to life on Earth. Nuclear arms cannot bolster the security of…

— Oscar Arias

I have to believe in the possibility of peace, because the alternative is to accept the inevitability of continual war, and of…

— Oscar Arias

I think it's in the hands of each head of state: the future of peace in his own country.

— Óscar Arias

In a democracy, a leader must be the head teacher, someone eager to respond to doubts and questions and explain the need…

— Óscar Arias

Indeed, it is quite sad to see the United States becoming the main exporter of arms. It is quite sad to look…

— Óscar Arias

An overall trend of political moderation in Latin America makes for far less interesting headlines, but it also makes for far better…

— Óscar Arias