Costa
Rica
Obtains
Support
From OAS
But No
Changes
Expected
As
Nicaragua
Is Again
Ordered
Out Of
Isla
Calero
Costa
Rica on
Tuesday
obtained
the
support
of 24
member
nations
at the
special
meeting
of
Foreign
Ministers
of the
Organization
of
American
States
(OAS) in
Washington,
to
sanction
Nicaragua
for the
invasion
of the
Isla
calero.
Photo courtesy OAS |
Two
countries
did not
support
the
Costa
Rica
request,
among
them and
not
surprisingly,
was
Venezuela
and
Bolivia.
Another
five
abstaining
from
voting
were San
Vicente,
Antigua,
Dominica,
Ecuador
and
Guyana.
What is
important
to note
is that
only
Costa
Rica and
Guyana
(chairing
the
meeting)
has
Foreign
ministers
present,
the rest
of the
countries
had
representatives
taking
part in
the
special
session.
The
reason
given
for the
lack of
attendance
of the
Foreign
Ministers
is the
majority
are
taking
part in
the
United
Nations
Climate
Change
Conference
ongoing
in
Cancun,
Mexico.
This is
the
second
time the
OAS has
ordered
Nicaragua
to
remove
its
troops
from the
area of
conflict,
the
first
time
being on
November
12, an
order
that
Nicaragua's
president,
Daniel
Ortega,
has
refused.
By way
of a
video
conference,
Costa
Rica's
Foreign
Minister,
Rene
Castro,
said to
be happy
at the
resolution
but
would
have
like to
have
seen
more
Foreign
Ministers
take
part in
the
session.
"Proven
was the
damage
done to
a small
part of
our
territory
and the
efforts
being
made to
not
expand
to other
areas,
like the
Colorado
river",
said
Castro
Costa Rica's Foreign Minister,
Rene Castro and Costa Rica's
ambassador to the OAS, Enrique
Castillo (right, sitting) during
yesterday's hearings in
Washington. |
Castro
would
not
comment
on the
sanctions
that are
in store
for
Nicaragua,
as
negotiations
are
still
underway.
On
Monday
Costa
Rica
warned
that it
would
leave
the OAS
if
positive
results
are not
obtained
from the
Ministers
meeting.
Castro,
when
asked of
that
possibility,
said he
has not
yet
considered
that
eventuality.
José
Miguel
Insulza,
the
Secretary
General
of the
OAS, in
his
second
report
on the
Costa
Rica -
Nicaragua
conflict,
acknowledged
the
increased
environmental
damage
to the
border
area.
The
Ministers
were
shown
photos
of a
flyover
of the
area
made on
November
26,
where
the
construction
of a
canal is
evident,
military
tents
and four
uniformed
men,
heavily
armed.
"It is a
slow and
complicated
process
that
will
time.
Costa
Rica has
agreement
of the
Permanent
Council
of
November
12 on
its
side,
where
the
demilitarization
of the
area by
Nicaragua
is
called
for",
explained
Castro.
Following
the
meeting
Castro
was more
realistic
than
hopeful,
looking
ahead at
the
dates of
January
11, 12
and 13,
2011,
when the
International
Court of
Justice
at The
Hague
will be
holding
a
hearing
for
Costa
Rica's
petition
of an
injunction
against
Nicaragua's
presence
and
damaging
the
environment.
Although
ICJ will
meet to
hear the
Costa
Rica
proposal
in
January,
it will
be years
before a
trial to
resolve
the
issue
will
take
place.
|
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