AC M "). ▁Costa ▁Rica , ▁because ▁of ▁its ▁relative ▁economic ▁prosper ity ▁and ▁political ▁stability , ▁chose ▁not ▁to ▁particip ate ▁in ▁the ▁C AC M . ▁The ▁goals ▁for ▁the ▁C AC M ▁were ▁to ▁create ▁greater ▁political ▁un ification ▁and ▁success ▁of ▁import ▁substitution ▁industrial ization ▁policies . ▁The ▁project ▁was ▁an ▁immediate ▁economic ▁success , ▁but ▁was ▁abandoned ▁after ▁the ▁ 1 9 6 9 ▁" Foot ball ▁War " ▁between ▁El ▁Salvador ▁and ▁H ond uras . ▁A ▁Central ▁American ▁Parliament ▁has ▁operated , ▁as ▁a ▁purely ▁advis ory ▁body , ▁since ▁ 1 9 9 1 . ▁Costa ▁Rica ▁has ▁repeatedly ▁decl ined ▁inv itations ▁to ▁join ▁the ▁regional ▁parliament , ▁which ▁seats ▁deput ies ▁from ▁the ▁four ▁other ▁former ▁members ▁of ▁the ▁Union , ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁from ▁Pan ama ▁and ▁the ▁Domin ican ▁Republic . ▁ ▁South ▁America ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁ 1 9 6 0 s ▁and ▁ 1 9 7 0 s , ▁the ▁govern ments ▁of ▁Argentina , ▁Brazil , ▁Chile , ▁and ▁Uruguay ▁were ▁over th rown ▁or ▁disp la ced ▁by ▁U . S .- aligned ▁military ▁dict ator ships . ▁These ▁dict ator ships ▁det ained ▁tens ▁of ▁thousands ▁of ▁political ▁prisoners , ▁many ▁of ▁whom ▁were ▁tort ured ▁and / or ▁killed ▁( on ▁inter - state ▁collaboration , ▁see ▁Operation ▁Cond or ). ▁Econom ically , ▁they ▁began ▁a ▁transition ▁to ▁ne oli ber al ▁economic ▁policies . ▁They ▁placed ▁their ▁own ▁actions ▁within ▁the ▁United ▁States