Daniel Ortega, president of Nicaragua

"We will wait to see what the Court says. We have always been respectful of what the court orders and we will be respectful of their decision", said Ortega in a public event to mark the beginning of his fifth and final year in office.

The ICJ is holding a hearing beginning today on the case of the lawsuit filed by Costa Rica against Nicaragua for the alleged "military invasion" and environmental damage to the area.

The hearing is open to the public, but will be closed tomorrow and Thursday.

Costa Rica is looking for preventive measures from the court to order Nicaragua the removal of its troops and stop the environmental damage that it is allegedly  causing.

Costa Rica's foreign minister, Rene Castro, who leads the team of experts, expects a positive results within the coming weeks, though a full trial and resolution could be four or fives away.

A number of reports making the news wires calls Costa Rica's action as predatory, accusing of trying to expand its territory over and over again, referring to the July 2009 ICJ resolution of the almost decade long dispute between the two countries, again over the San Juan river.

The truth, however, is that Costa Rica is defending its sovereign right given it by a more than a century old agreement that clearly states the San Juan river is Nicaragua's, but everything south of the river's banks is Costa Rica's.

The current dispute began at the end of October when Nicaraguan troops set up camp and hoisted a flag on the Isla Calero, a piece of land on the south side of the San Juan river, at the start of dredging operations of the river, which Nicaragua has the full right to do and without consent from Costa Rica.

In fact, on Monday it was announced that the operations would be stepped up, that three new dredgers would be added, bringing the total number of dredges to four, completing the operation in one year instead of four.

Costa Rica made a claim before the Organization of American States (OAS), who on two separate occasions ordered Nicaragua to remove its troops and sit down to dialogue.

Ortega refused both orders, saying that he is willing to dialogue with his counterpart, Costa Rica's presidenta, Laura Chinchilla, but without any conditions. Chinchilla, on her part, said she would not meet with Ortega while the troops are on the island.

To smooth the waters, so to speak, both Mexico and Guatemala offered to help in negotiating the conflict, at a meeting that is scheduled for later this month on January 17 in Quereatro, Mexico, though there is no clear indication that either side will be present or agree to dialogue.

Ortega on Monday confirmed that the dredging operations would continue and that Nicaragua would ask Cuba and Venezuela to join Mexico and Guatemala and would take part in the process if "only and when Costa Rica is willing to talk".

 

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