The Costa Rica News (TCRN) – The Costa Rican government has doubts about the appropriateness of use of Lake Nicaragua to build the canal said the chancellor of Costa Rica, Enrique Castillo.
On May 13, the Costa Rican Foreign Ministry received a letter from the government of Nicaragua in which he states that the company HK Nicaragua Canal Development Investment Co. Ltd may discarded the use of the San Juan River border as a route for this work.
According to the document, the company (Chinese capital) and the Authority of the Grand Canal of Nicaragua, is still determining the route to this passage between the place in the north of the South Atlantic Autonomous Region.
The Chancellor Castillo told the AP that that Nicaragua may discard the San Juan River to build your channel, not entirely reassuring to authorities in San Jose, as the changes that Lake Nicaragua may suffer with this work, ultimately affecting the San Juan river and other Costa Rican rivers in the border area.
“Costa Rica is still in doubt as to the possible routes that are proposed … Lake Nicaragua if used, means damage to the Rio San Juan, where we have navigation rights, and poses harm Colorado River (in the far northeast of the country), “said Castillo.
The minister said his country is waiting for Nicaragua to define which route is to be used for the construction of this channel.
The biologist and expert in environmental assessment of the National University, Freddy Pacheco, told AP that the Nicaraguan canal work will involve very large changes in the Lake of Nicaragua, as it needs to be twice its current depth for large vessels.
He argued that the work is not feasible, because it requires a mobilization of large materials and resources, which has been criticized by the environmental sector in Nicaragua.
Castillo Minister acknowledged that he personally warned China and other countries not part of the Nicaraguan project in regards to using the San Juan River, as the right bank is Costa Rican territory.
“No country can unilaterally use that margin. China reacted positively saying that no Chinese company would do that,” said Castillo.
Days ago, the ambassador of Costa Rica to China, Marco Vinicio Ruiz also admitted to local newspaper La Nacion, they held a meeting with the president of the Chinese company HK Nicaragua Canal Development Investment Co. Ltd, Jing Wang and Ambassador Ruiz explained that the San Juan River area is the subject of a dispute between Costa Rica and Nicaragua to the International Court of Justice, for alleged invasion of Nicaraguan military personnel to the Isla Calero in 2010.
The Costa Rica News (TCRN)
San Jose Costa Rica
