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Ortega:
Nicaragua
Will
Not
Beat
The
Drums
of
War
Against
Costa
Rica
Nicaragua's
president
and
candidate
for
re-election,
Daniel
Ortega,
said
on
Saturday
that
his
country
will
not
beat
the
"drums
of
war"
against
Costa
Rica
in
the
dispute
between
the
two
nations
over
the
Isla
Calero
and
called
on
is
counterpart,
Laura
Chinchilla,
to
resolve
their
difference
through
dialogue.
"I
want
to
tell
my
Costa
Rican
brothers
that
we
are
sister
nations,
close
villages
and
that
there
is
no
reason
for
beating
the
drums
of
war",
Ortega
said
at a
political
event
in
the
southern
province
of
San
Juan
River
that
borders
with
Costa
Rica.
The
Nicaraguan
president,
who
is
facing
reelection
in
the
presidential
elections
of
November
6,
insisted
that
the
territorial
dispute
"from
any
point
of
view"
should
not
be
resolved
with
the
use
of
force.
"We
do
not
consider
playing
the
drums
for
war,
never,
never
again
will
war
be
in
our
region.
Never
will
Nicaragua
be
involved
in
any
war",
the
Sandinista
leader
said.
Both
countries
are
locked
in a
territorial
dispute
since
October
2010
when
Costa
Rica
accused
Nicaragua
of a
civilian
and
military
invasion
and
causing
damage
to
the
wetlands
of
Isla
Calero
(Harbor
Head
called
in
Nicaragua).
Nicaragua
has
denied
any
invasion
and
the
case
is
before
the
International
Court
of
Justice
in
The
Hague
(ICJ)
who
in
March
ordered
both
countries
to
refrain
from
sending
in
military
and
civilian
personnel
in
the
area
of
dispute
and
to
co-ordinate
their
actions
against
fighting
drug
trafficking
and
organized
crime
at
the
border.
Ortega
on
Monday
ordered
his
officials
to
"continue"
dredging
the
river
San
Juan,
"because
it
is
our
right
to
recover
the
flow
of
the
river
San
Juan
and
we
are
recovering
it"
to
make
it
navigable
all
year
round.
He
also
noted
that
members
of
the
Sandinista
Youth
who
stay
at
Harbor
Head
are
there
to
"build,
not
destroy".
The
Costa
Rican
government
protested
to
Nicaragua
last
August
by
the
presence
of
members
of
the
Sandinista
Youth
in
violation
of
the
orders
of
the
ICJ.
Ortega,
in
his
speech,
invited
Costa
Rica's
youth
groups
to
join
the
Sandinista
youths
to
reforest
the
wetlands.
He
argued
that
"the
wetland
has
been
recovering
thanks
to
young
Sandinista
who
have
come
to
the
area
in
groups
of
100
at a
time
to
build,
not
destroy".
Ortega
also
said
that
his
government
is
working
on a
proposal
that
will
be
sent
to
Costa
Rica
shortly
to
coordinate
the
presence
of a
Latin
American
environment
group
to
reforest
part
of
the
wetlands
in
dispute,
which
according
to
Ortega
has
been
"invaded
and
destroyed"
by
farms.
In
his
speech
the
Nicaraguan
president
on
three
occasions
stressed
the
ICJ
said
the
"San
Juan
river
belongs
to
Nicaragua".
That
question
of
the
ownership
of
the
river
has
never
been
in
dispute,
Costa
Rica
has
clearly
said
it
recognizes
the
river
belongs
to
the
neighbour,
but
has
objected
to
the
incursion
of
the
south
banks
of
the
river,
where
the
Isla
Calero
is
located
which
according
to
treaty,
belongs
to
Costa
Rica.
Reiterating
a
remark
made
months
ago,
Ortega
told
his
audience,
"In
now
way
is
Nicaragua
looking
to
claim
part
of
Costa
Rica",
like
Costa
Rica
did
with
Guanacaste,
an
area
which
is
"full
of
Nicaraguans
and
part
of
the
territory"
of
Nicaragua
and
by
way
of
the
decision
of
its
inhabitants
was
annexed
to
Costa
Rica
on
July
25,
1824.
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