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“We trust China’s word”: Foreign Minister says China’s involvement in Nicaragua Canal protects Costa Rica

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Foreign Minister, Enrique Castillo (Archive)

Foreign Minister, Enrique Castillo (Archive)

June 21st, 2013 (InsideCostaRica.com) Foreign Minister Enrique Castillo believes that China’s involvement in the proposed Nicaragua Canal – a project that would dwarf the Panama Canal – is advantageous to Costa Rica.

 

“China has assured us they will do nothing to harm Costa Rica,” Castillo said.

 

According to Castillo, Costa Rica’s relationship with China is a “guarantee” that the project would not cause harm to Costa Rica, and as a result it would be premature to take action against Nicaragua over the Canal, as Costa Rican environmentalists have called for.

 

“We trust China’s word […] China’s involvement is a guarantee, because it ensures us to some extent that necessary care will be taken so that Costa Rica will not be affected,” Castillo said.

 

Castillo said some concerns that surround the project, which would involve Lake Nicaragua, would be changes to the flow of the Rio San Juan, as Costa Rica maintains navigation rights on the river, as well as effects on the flow of the Rio Colorado.  Castillo said that Costa Rica would seek information once a route has been officially announced.

 

Environmentalists say that the use of Lake Nicaragua as part of the Canal project would affect river basins and cut off water flows into the Rio San Juan, causing a “serious impact,” and potentially causing irreversible damage to forest ecosystems that are supplied water from the rivers.

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  • georgechapogas

    hahahahaha. china always keeps it’s word and never breaks the law. someday the book, “i slept with scorpions and they killed me” will be written.

  • disgusted

    Trust has to be EARNED! Foreign Minister Enrique Castillo, Right? Like tainted medication, food, toys with lead base, Dog food that killed our animals. Their water supply most all of it contaminated. Constant cyber war and hacking data . Well every country doing that. Taking the worlds natural resources and killing a shark just for the fins. Somethings just do not add up Enrique Castillo.. Are you their “‘paid consultant”. TRUST the Communist Chinese. Costarricense like sheep to the slaughter.

  • Ken Morris

    I guess the Chinchilla administration (I assume Castillo spoke with presidential approval) can’t resist any opportunity to take a xenophobic jab at Nicaragua while swooning over CR’s new Chinese suitor. Actually, China’s government isn’t involved in the canal project. The company that is happens to be 100% privately owned and located in the Cayman Islands. Sure, the owner is from Hong Kong, but this doesn’t make it a Chinese initiative. Since Castillo surely knows this, his remarks can only be construed as a pathetic attempt to insult Nicaragua and curry more favors from China while masking CR’s disgrace over having blown the deal of the century.

    • georgechapogas

      you know ken, it is really kinda silly to assert the government of china has no control over a company in china. sure, it is not a GOE, but no company operates in china without the coordination with the state. ask Google. that is the definition of a state run economy is it not? the deal would not have been made without government approval, particularly since it is with another government. to not see it as Chino power projection is naive. China has actively been buying support for them vs.Taiwan specifically for that reason and to exert further presence in the world court, and economic access. there is nothing benign about any countries similar maneuvers. why would you consider this action benign? Certainly you would have to agree that USA policy in the Americas has been pathetic. right or left. asserting power projection in and of itself is not good or bad. it can do great good or great harm. how do you think this movie ends for the region? not good in my eyes. you can dislike USA policies, and i do. however, do you really believe without the USA problems would disappear? things would be better? look at what costa rica lost with the isle de calero. i was here saying CR should react with force the first day and was ridiculed. looking back that was not a ridiculous opinion at all. certainly you dislike the west’s history of exploitation and colonialism. do you think China will be nicer? things shift, causing other things to shift. to isolate these moves is to deny reality.

  • Leucadlover

    Just say “NO” to China! So sad if this happens.

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