Naval History Forums

Nicaragua "owns" the San Juan river, which is the natural border between this country and Costa Rica. The Treaty that made this clear also gives free navigation of Costa Rican nationals on the river and, the Delta Island of Calero is of Costa Rican property.

THe Sandinista goverment of Daniel Ortega (the 80ies dictator of Nicaragua which Ronald Reagan kicked out of goverment) anounced time ago that they had the intention to dredge (sweep the bottom) of the river nearby Calero for navigational purposes. No problem. The job was given to one of the figures of Sandinista Revolution, Eden Pastora (Commander Zero).

Inmediately after they started with the job Nicaraguan troops landed in Isla Calero and took control of it. The Nicaraguans claim the land as their own and their flag now rises over Costa Rican soil.

Our good for nothing goverment, leaded by our first female president, Laura Chinchilla, a social democrat, has done a perfect job telling the world that Costa Rica will nor fight for our land (that's political incorrect) and will seek the solution using the ASO (American States Organization) or by international pressure. Of course, the ASO is very Hugo Chavez-keen (at least it's leader, Insulza, is) and nothing has happened. Incredible as it sounds our "patriotic" president gave a 48 hour ultimatum to the nicaraguans to leave our territory forgetting that any ultimatum needs consequences at the end of it. Her ultimatum has no consequences, so the Nicaraguans sit down, smoke their cigarretes and laughed.

Humilliating as it is, it shows to the international comunity the value of diplomacy and international law. If there is no military force, if there is no will to fight and succeed thenany "diplomatic effort" is worthless. Law means nothing without a force to make it prevail.

When Caesar was about to leave to Egipt to hunt down Pompey he sent Marc Anthoy to Rome to speak and act for him. He told Anthony: "take the legions with you and have them near you, they make the Law "legal".

It seems the nowaday "social democrat" goverments, as the one of Costa Rica, never understood what is required in the art of international conflict resolution. Weakness invite attack. Costa Rica is that example.

http://www.nacion.com/2010-11-12/ElPais ... 87140.aspx

Best regards,

Hi Karl. Costa Rica has no armed forces of any kind? I know that you have no army, but don´t you have a heavily armed border patrol force? Isn´t your security guaranteed by the US?

Off the top of my head, Nicaragua isnt one of the worlds richer countries so I dont believe they would want the expense of an invasion and possible international sanctions adding to their burdens.
And yes, isnt Costa Rica's security guaranteed or at least heavily supported by the US?

Marcelo and Gary,

Costa Rica has no army and relies in it's defense in international law (as stupid as it may sound it's what our politicans believe). In many cases we have relied also in US forces but not with the actual US goverment which is weak and leftist oriented (just see the US position during the Honduras coup against Zelaya).

Costa Rica do not have a border patrol force, but I think the goverment must finance it now after what's happening.

The OEA (American States Organization) voted on Friday against Nicaragua but, as every international law stuff, do not have the means to see the invaders abandon their positions. This is not going to end good.

Here's the strategy pages analysis of what happened.
http://www.strategypage.com/htmw/htecm/ ... 01115.aspx

...a Nicaraguan commander ordered his troops to occupy an island in the river separating the two countries, after he noted that Google Maps had the area marked as Nicaraguan territory. ....

Lee:

Here's the strategy pages analysis of what happened.
http://www.strategypage.com/htmw/htecm/ ... 01115.aspx
...a Nicaraguan commander ordered his troops to occupy an island in the river separating the two countries, after he noted that Google Maps had the area marked as Nicaraguan territory. ....

Google Maps issued a correction and an apology for the mistake. It came as a misinterpretation of the Canas'-Jerez Border Treaty. The island is in Costa Rican territory.

From the same link you posted:

Google eventually admitted the error, saying their map was created from U.S. government electronic maps that had been created using software, and not double checked against official maps.

Karl Heidenreich wrote:[

Costa Rica has no army

It evidently needs one. So if Costa Rica is a democracy - and the people want their land back - where is the Costa Rican equivalent of the BNP? And the voters to put them in government and get their army?

I KNOW we need an army. At least a border defense organization. The people are crying load for it and this goverment is going to suffer for their indesicion and weakness. But I do not see that politicians will take the responsability of creating armed forces. You see: we have lived so much under sissy social democrats that a big group of educated people and intelectuals equate "army" with "dictatorship" or "murderers"

But with a small group of volunteers and good equipment we can kick that scum out of our country.

Then is it not time to kick the ''sissy social democrats'' out of office?

Karl Heidenreich wrote:......that a big group of educated people and intelectuals equate "army" with "dictatorship" or "murderers"

This is an unfortunate image of Central America - one of military dictatorships and corruption on a grand scale, of which Nicaragua is but one example.

What needs to be learned is that the armed forces are there to defend the country and not run the country.

And always remember the dictum that a country that doesn't respect its own army will learn to respect someone else's.

RF:

Then is it not time to kick the ''sissy social democrats'' out of office?

They have been just elected in January this year! For the next polls we have to wait 4 more years: as the American people with Obama we are trapped with these bozos four years! (Of course I didn't vote for them, I voted right wing party as usual).

Karl Heidenreich wrote: Costa Rica has no army and relies in it's defense in international law

they have to acquire one. it's really stupid of them to rely just on the laws, even if it its international

Lotuspec:

they have to acquire one. it's really stupid of them to rely just on the laws, even if it its international

International Law is rubish and just a social democrat expectation on how countries "could" behave, it is a missed by product of the allied victory on WWII and as such no worth the paper it is written. Many in Costa Rica have been asking for a return to the old ways, but our goverment is very Obama Like in many ways: just morons.

It has been argued on other forums that "international law" is not really law in the sense that national and local laws are as there is no mechanism for compelling adherence. Various pressures can obviously be applied but it creates a situation where the stronger you are the more likely you are to get the result you want. Of course one way of being "strong" is to have powerful allies but few nations can be sure that their priorities will always be alligned with those of a much more powerful ally.

So far Costa Rica has done relativly well without a military and at considerable savings to their national wealth. Japan and Germany did so for a period after WWII but both soon decided something was required. It would seem to me that Costa Rica is essentially gambleing on the world or at least their corner of it staying relativly peaceful and civilized. Of course all nations are doing the same thing others just hedge their bets a bit more. It's in manly ways a noble experiment but if I were in thier place I'm not sure I would have the courage or optimism to try it.

lwd wrote:It has been argued on other forums that "international law" is not really law in the sense that national and local laws are as there is no mechanism for compelling adherence.

Whilst not disagreeing with the context of this comment I think it is worth making an observation that International Law is enforced if the USA and the UN (pushed by the USA) decide to do so. I am thinking here of the war crimes commited in the former Yugoslavia and eleswhere, where international courts of law deal with the allegations.