The annexation of the Partido de Nicoya to Costa Rica is a historical event that refers to the incorporation of the territory of Nicoya (most of what is today's modern day Guanacaste) to the State of Costa Rica, which occurred on July 25, 1824. The annexation went through a plebiscite that took place in the city of Nicoya, in which, in the open town hall, the inhabitants of the municipalities of Nicoya and Santa Cruz voted to join Costa Rica, while the town of Guanacaste, today the city of Liberia, declined the annexation, however, on March 18, 1825, said population became part of Costa Rica by a law issued by the Congress of the Federal Republic of Central America. The term annexation of Guanacaste to refer to this event is considered historically incorrect. Currently, the annexation of the Nicoya Territory is an anniversary of Costa Rica, which is celebrated with civic and cultural events in schools and communities across the country every July 25. Guanacaste's official motto (which appears in its official sigil) is "De la patria por nuestra voluntad" (Of the homeland by our own will) for this reason. History Nicoya became a legal political, administrative and legal entity subject to the Villa de Bruselas township, controlled by the government of Castilla del Oro. In 1527, the Spanish Crown created the Province of Nicaragua, segregating it from Castilla de Oro, and included the territory of the Kingdom of Nicoya, since it was requested to establish whether the territory of the Villa de Bruselas (located at the southern tip of Nicoya) belonged to the Province of Nicaragua (the new circumscription), or if it remained under the authority of Castilla de Oro, and a Royal Decree of April 21, 1529 resolved the conflict in favor of the Province of Nicaragua, when the Villa had ceased to exist. In 1554, the Corregimiento de Nicoya was established, segregating it from the Province of Nicaragua. The Mayoralty of Nicoya became an entity that was directly dependent on the Royal Audience of Guatemala. In 1555, as a result of the war of conquistadors in the viceroyalty of Peru, the Audiencia of Guatemala appointed Coroner of Nicoya to Pedro Ordóñez de Villaquirán. In 1566, Miguel Jiménez Ferrer was named Mayor of Nicoya, becoming the Corregimiento in Mayoralty of Nicoya. Although the Corregidor and the Mayoralty had the same faculties, the difference was that the Corregidor was