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Nicaragua Charges Costa Rica Violated Its Territory

Nicaragua on Wednesday said that two speedboats flying Costa Rican flags illegally entered the waters of the San Juan river, while a Cessna light aircraft violated its air space in the same area.

In a letter of protest, the Nicaraguan Foreign Ministry informed Costa Rica that such violations cannot be repeated if peace is to be maintained between the two countries.

Costa Rica rejected the accusations made by Nicaragua.

Costa Rica’s Foreign Ministry, in a press statement, said that it has not received “by the usual diplomatic channels” any note of protest from Managua, but nevertheless rejected the accusations reported by the press and attributed to the Nicaraguan government.

“No Costa Rican ship was in Nicaraguan waters at the time and date indicated”, said the press statement.

The Nicaraguan Foreign Ministry said navy patrols detected the two speedboats and forced them to return to Costa Rican territory, after they had illegally traveled two miles into Nicaraguan jurisdictional waters in the San Juan de Nicaragua area.

The Foreign Ministry said that another two speedy boats had tried previously to enter the San Juan River.

The South Military Unit at the El Delta Border Checkpoint on the San Juan river, said a Cessna aircraft coming from the Rio Colorado area in Costa Rica also flew over a large part of Nicaragua.

Both incidents are provocations that hinder frank and open talks, as well as the understanding promoted by the National Unity and Reconciliation Government, which is why the Foreign Ministry demanded that Costa Rican authorities ensure that further such incidents do not happen.

Costa Rica and Nicaragua have been locked into a border dispute since October, when it Nicaraguan troops were discovered to have set up camp and hoisted flag on the Isal Calero, a border island on the south side of the San Juan river, both Costa Rica and Nicaragua claim as its own.

Attempts by the Organization of American States (OAS) to mediate a solution failed, prompting Costa Rica to file a claim before the International Court of Justice in The Hague, where a hearing is scheduled for January 11, 2011.