Abstract

The following paper proposes an analysis of cartoons published between 1900-1930, featured in over a dozen Costa Rican magazines and papers that comment on socio-political events of the time. Over a hundred cartoons created by Costa Rican intellectuals portray the tumultuous tensions between Central American nations and the United States of America, especially through the iconic figure of Uncle Sam. This paper analyses the complex depiction of anti-imperialistic notions conveyed through cartoons on Costa Rican newspapers and magazines of important circulation. This paper analyses the context that surround the creation of this images and the characteristics that define this corpus of anti-imperialistic images. These cartoons not only register the convulsive times Central America faced at the beginning of the 20th century, they also manifest and urge a sense of resistance through the satirical streak that characterizes these drawings. These are testimonies of the complicated relationship, and veritable love-hate saga, between Central Americans fascination with American culture, but utter disgust towards American foreign policy towards Costa Rica and its neighbouring nations.