7 ▁following ▁the ▁C ay o ▁Conf ites ▁affair . ▁Fig uer es ▁offered ▁Costa ▁Rica ▁as ▁a ▁base ▁to ▁the ▁Leg ion ▁against ▁the ▁government ▁of ▁Som o za ▁if ▁the ▁Leg ion ▁would ▁help ▁him ▁over throw ▁Te od oro ▁Pic ado . ▁Although ▁the ▁government ▁of ▁Pic ado ▁was ▁engaged ▁in ▁limited ▁social ▁reform ▁within ▁the ▁country , ▁it ▁did ▁not ▁wish ▁to ▁eng age ▁with ▁anti - dict atorial ▁efforts ▁in ▁Central ▁America , ▁and ▁so ▁many ▁of ▁the ▁ex iles ▁were ▁opposed ▁to ▁it . ▁Costa ▁Rica ▁was ▁also ▁attract ive ▁as ▁a ▁base ▁because ▁it ▁border ed ▁Nic ar agua , ▁whereas ▁Gu atem ala ▁did ▁not . ▁ ▁Ar é val o ▁agreed ▁to ▁Fig uer es ' ▁offer , ▁and ▁provided ▁the ▁ex iles ▁with ▁the ▁conf isc ated ▁weapons ▁he ▁had ▁received ▁from ▁Cuba . ▁On ▁ 1 ▁January ▁ 1 9 4 8 ▁the ▁Costa ▁R ican ▁government ▁ann ul led ▁a ▁president ial ▁election ▁that ▁had ▁been ▁won ▁by ▁the ▁opposition ▁candidate . ▁This ▁provided ▁the ▁Leg ion ▁with ▁a ▁pre text ▁for ▁an ▁invasion , ▁and ▁the ▁ 3 0 0 - strong ▁Costa ▁R ican ▁army ▁was ▁quickly ▁defeated ▁by ▁the ▁invasion ▁force ▁composed ▁mostly ▁of ▁Nic ar agu an ▁ex iles , ▁and ▁Fig uer es ▁was ▁made ▁President . ▁ ▁Lu per ón ▁invasion ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 4 9 , ▁Ar é val o ▁supported ▁another ▁invasion ▁of ▁the ▁Domin ican ▁Republic , ▁this ▁time ▁by