TCRN STAFF: San Jose, Costa Rica – More police with special training are being sent to the disputed area on the border where Nicaraguan soldiers have set up a post, Costa Rican President Laura Chinchilla said Wednesday.
Ironically, Chinchilla’s made her statement at the ceremony marking the 62nd anniversary of the disbanding of the Costa Rican army.
While Costa Rica has “no army” it does have specially trained police officers for issues beyond standard security and public order. The special police will be based close to the spot on the San Juan border river where Nicaragua stationed troops last month, igniting the dispute Chinchilla said.
Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega denies the Nicaraguan troops are on Costa Rican territory and says the soldiers are there to stop drug smuggling.
TCRN polled 100 Costa Ricans on whether they thought sending more Costa Rica police to the area was a good move on Chinchilla’s part. These were the results:
Good move – 92%
Bad move – 5 %
Don’t care – 3%
For nearly two centuries the San Juan river has been a source of disputes. The International Court of Justice set travel rules for the San Juan just last year, ensuring the freedom for Costa Rican craft to navigate the waterway and at the same time ensuring Nicaragua’s rights to traffic regulation.
Costa Rica objected to the Nicaraguan river dredging project plan when announced last year.
The International Court of Justice, is set to hold a hearing on the case in January. As well a meeting of foreign ministers at the Organization of American States is set for next week.
