New tension between Colombia and Nicaragua over portions of the Caribbean Sea

This Tuesday, February 16, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, on behalf of the national government, indicated that it had presented Nicaragua with a note of protest against the law recently approved by the National Assembly of that country, through which the appeal “Nicaraguan Caribbean Biosphere Reserve”.

As stated by the Colombian government, this Nicaraguan measure does not comply with international requirements and procedures for the recognition of areas and places of special interest and the protection of the environment. “This is a unilateral decision by Nicaragua that ignores the existence and achievements in terms of environmental protection of the Seaflower Biosphere Reserve, declared as such since 2000 by UNESCO”, explained the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

In its protest note, Colombia rejects that, on the pretext of a measure to protect the environment and contrary to international law, Nicaragua understands and qualifies parts of the Caribbean Sea as if they were part of its territory.

“The statement represents a further attempt to Nicaragua must generate facts before the International Court of Justice, in order to claim respect and respect for standards relating to human rights and the environment, although it is already widely known to the international community that the Nicaraguan authorities are systematic offenders in these areas ”, declared the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. .

The Ministry of Foreign Relations specifies that this Nicaraguan decision is an internal measure of this country which is not opposable to third States like Colombia.

The Colombian Government reiterated:

• That he will spare no effort to defend the highest interests of the Nation before international bodies, including the rights of Colombians, including those of the Raizal population and all inhabitants of the archipelago.

• Their desire to engage in an open dialogue with the States of the southwestern Caribbean in order to continue adopting the best standards for the protection and conservation of the maritime spaces and resources of the Seaflower Biosphere Reserve established within the framework of the UNESCO.

On November 19, 2012, at the seat of the International Court of Justice in The Hague, they redefined the maritime borders between Colombia and Nicaragua, leaving the latter 40% of the sea that previously belonged to Colombians.

The dispute between the two governments is said to have ended with the decision of the International Court. However, the problem was with the raizales; the inhabitants of San Andrés from that moment could no longer access the fishing area which meant the economic support of their familiesSince this place is now part of Nicaraguan maritime territory, crossing it would constitute a violation of international law.

On several occasions, Nicaragua has denounced Colombia for having violated its maritime territory. In 2018, for example, Colombia presented its defense to the ICJ and In a document prepared by then-chancellor Carlos Holmes Trujillo, he established that Nicaragua had “violated the artisanal fishing rights of the inhabitants of the archipelago, in particular the Raizal community, to access and exploit their traditional fishing grounds “.

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