por Dan Molinski
BOGOTA — The International Court of Justice begins hearing arguments Monday in a long-running dispute between Colombia and Nicaragua over a Caribbean archipelago and the maritime borders surrounding the islands, which some say hold massive deposits of oil.
The case has been going on for over a decade and in 2007 the Hague-based court ruled Colombia has sovereignty over the San Andres archipelago’s three main islands–San Andres, Providencia and Santa Catalina–based on a 1928 treaty between Colombia and Nicaragua.
The new hearings by the court, which will run for two weeks, are to settle ownership of other, smaller islands in the archipelago not covered in the 1928 treaty, and to also settle the nations’ maritime borders in the area.
The islands are 140 miles east of Nicaragua and 480 miles northwest of Colombia.
Even after the 2007 ruling by the court, the United Nations’ highest judicial body, Nicaragua President Daniel Ortega continues to affirm Nicaragua is the rightful owner of the islands. Managua says the 1928 treaty that ceded the islands to Colombia is invalid because it was signed while the U.S. occupied Nicaragua.
In 2010, Colombia awarded national oil company Ecopetrol (ECOPETROL.BO, EC) and Spain’s Repsol YPF SA the rights to explore for oil in the vicinity of the San Andres islands, hoping it would allow Colombia to become an offshore oil driller for the first time and boost overall production.
San Andres marches in support of Colombia’s claim to disputed island
by Brandon Barrett
Colombia Reports
Residents of San Andres organized a march supporting Colombia’s sovereignty of the archipelago after the International Court of Justice (ICJ) began hearing Nicaragua’s claim to the territory Monday.
Colombia has maintained control over the territory, which includes the islands of San Andres, Providencia and Santa Catalina, since the 1928 Esguerra-Barcenas Treaty. Nicaragua has long disputed the treaty which was put into effect while the country was under U.S. military occupation.
The Hague-based court ruled in favor of Colombia’s sovereignty over the archipelago in 2007. The new hearings, which are expected to run for months, seek to determine the ownership of several smaller islands not included in the original treaty, as well as settle maritime borders in the area.
The two groupings of islands are thought to be rich in oil. Colombia’s state-owned oil company Ecopetrol began drilling on the island in 2010 before President Juan Manuel Santos suspended operations due to environmental concerns, although analysts think the move was made to avoid a political spat with the Central American country.
Spain cuts medical services to undocumented immigrants
by Prensa Latina
Spain´s Socialist Workers Party (PSOE) called xenophobic the conservative PP government decision to cancel free medical services to illegal immigrants.
PSOE General Secretary Alfredo Perez Rubalcaba exposed the conservative government of Mariano Rajoy defense of education and health fund ammendments in Congress hearing of the 2012 general budget.
They are feeding sinister rumors on the immigrants´ health care “abuse” which is false and xenophobic, stressed the leader of the main opposition force.
