Iran, Venezuela plan to build rival to Panama Canal
Sources tell Haaretz that the recent Nicaragua-Costa Rica border incident was a trial balloon by the creators of a plan to build a new canal in Latin America.
By Shlomo Papirblat Tags: Iran Venezuela Hugo ChavezThe recent border dispute between Costa Rica and Nicaragua is a sign of an ambitious plan by Venezuela, Iran and Nicaragua to create a "Nicaragua Canal" linking the Atlantic and Pacific oceans that would rival the existing Panama Canal.
Costa Rica says that last week Nicaraguan troops entered its territory along the San Juan River – the border between the two nations. Nicaragua had been conducting channel deepening work on the river when the incident occurred.
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Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and Hugo Chavez, October 2010 |
| Photo by: AP Photo / Vahid Salemi |
Sources in Latin America have told Haaretz that the border incident and the military pressure on Costa Rica, a country without an army, are the first step in a plan formulated by Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez and Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega, with funding and assistance from Iran, to create a substitute for the strategically and economically important Panama Canal.
The plan has aroused concern in Washington, and the U.S. has started behind the scenes efforts to foil it.
Panama is a country with a distinctly pro-American orientation. Since its construction was completed in 1914, the Panama Canal has served as an irreplaceable link between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. More than 14,000 ships pass through the canal annually and recently the one millionth ship passed the canal since its opening.
In recent years, the amount goods passing through the canal in each direction totaled about 190 million tons. The transit fees paid by the ships and other canal-related activities account for 75 percent of the annual revenues of Panama's economy. The Panamanian economy and Panamanian stability would be in real danger of collapse if another canal took away its monopoly on shipping between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans.
In recent years, the government of Ortega, a former Sandinista underground member, has tried to gain control of the San Juan River, which lies on the Nicaragua-Costa Rica border. Costa Rica brought the issue before the international court in The Hague, which after careful examination of historic maps, past agreements and terrain features, determined in July 2009 that the river belonged to Nicaragua, and that the border is located on the southern bank of the river. The court also ruled that Costa Rica had the right of free passage on the river.
However, the results of this ruling are not enough to allow for the implementation of the plan formulated by Venezuela and Nicaragua. In order to build a new canal linking the two oceans, they would also need to control the southern bank of the river and the point where the river meets the Atlantic Ocean.
Several weeks ago, Nicaraguan foreign ministry official informed Costa Rica of Nicaragua's plans to do work to deepen the channel of the San Juan River in order to improve shipping on the waterway. Costa Rica did not oppose the plans, on the condition that the work did not harm the river or the bank on the Costa Rican side of the river.
The apparent engineering project was surprisingly placed under the supervision of Eden Pastora, better known as "Commandante Cero", a hero of the former Sandinista underground. This was a hint that the work had more than a simple engineering purpose.
Two weeks ago, Pastora went to a farm of a Costa Rican citizen in the Calero Island area and told the farm owner that the area belonged to Nicaragua. The farm owner objected and subsequently farm workers were allegedly beaten and farm animals were allegedly killed. The farm owner called Costa Rican police who arrived and reported to their commanders that Nicaraguan troops had entered Costa Rican territory and raised a Nicaraguan flag.
Costa Rican President Laura Chinchilla last week called for a special session of the Organization of American States, located in Washington, but, after a day of talks, no resolution was reached. During the talks, Venezuela supported Nicaragua's position while Panama strongly opposed it.
Chincilla announced on Wednesday that she plans to raise the issue before the United Nations Security Council and again demanded that Nicaraguan soldiers withdraw from Costa Rican territory.
Sources in Latin America consider these events, and the power demonstrated by Nicaragua, as a trial balloon by the creators of the "New Canal Plan" – Venezuela, Iran and Nicaragua. Western intelligence agencies are closely following the path of heavy machinery equipment to Nicaragua as well as the activities of Iranians in the Nicaraguan capital Managua.
A U.S. State Department official told Haaretz's Washington correspondent Natasha Mozgovaya on Wednesday that the U.S. is not aware of any plans to build a new canal in Latin America.
In 2007, Chavez announced a plan to build a $350 million road connecting the two oceans and the Iranians have expressed an interest in constructing a port on the Atlantic Ocean. The U.S. did not express concern about either of those initiatives.
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So what's wrong with a little free trade? They start to build a canal. The world has an economic collapse. They've wasted money better spent elsewhere. Sometimes an investment can go sour.
reading through most of the comments here has left me w/o hope. ONE wild, unsourced, often factually wrong, goofy report is enough to set off the nuttiest speculation, calls for u.s. intervention and a new CR army, invocation of the "monroe doctrine" (dude, iran is not in europe), and generally a disposition for intercontinental war. good thinking folks: let's just turn any idiotic rumor into more war, and we can enjoy the smell of napalm --and charred flesh--in the morning.
those unnamed sources have been smoking something, or just planting disinformation. there was a "hint"? next you'll report that the nicas plan to use atomic bombs from iran to blast open a canal.
Ok
How are they going to fix those gaping holes in the canal lock gates? http://robustwanderlust.blogspot.com/2010/11/panama-canal-rival.html
Of course is invasion, but Nicaragua presents it as border dispute
Good! The Communist Chinese already own one canal. The new one will be a Commie-Islamo canal! Let them spend their money in something constructive for a change.
WAKE UP AMERICA. Take care of business the old fasioned way.
"The U.S. did not express concern about either of those initiatives" We sure as hell better be concerned. It shouldn't take a war to stop this but if it does so be it. How much are we supposed to take from these corrupt dictators. Obama needs to get a backbone and stop this fiasco NOW.
Camillus, all the money we ´d spend on an army if we had one, we had instead spent it on education, health care,social wellness ,only to mention a few: this has brought us up among one of the most advanced countries in the region, regarding life quality for our people.The economic and social impact that would have creating an army from completely nothing, would set back the country to very low sub-development social levels that unfortunatelly countries with high-spend on armies (like Nicaragua) deal with. We cannot fight against an army that has decades of experience in guerrilla warfare and tons of military equipment (brand new tanks, helicopters, machine guns, anti air missiles ,etc). Our best resources in the fight against national enemies are books,anti-corrupcy laws and law enforcement, high schools, hospitals, universities and diplomacy. Here in Costa Rica we don't have the financial resources to afford a brand-new-army-creation,even if the whole country wanted and agreed to go into war; not without putting the country in starvation and creating illiterate gettos, state which already happens in our neighbor country. The war for both countries would be astronomically more expensive than diplomacy, either carried out through the Organization of American States or UN, or any other necessary means. Camillus, your have read the position of an average Costa Rican resident and citizen, one who is watching and felling in his own bones the infamous military occupancy of an neglecting pseudo-president-people's dream robber called Ortega and his well fed army, while his people flees to other countries (to Costa Rica , for example, in which territory lives one million of nicaraguans) looking for job and food, as they dont find any on his own land. I dont want any of those scenarios to happen in Costa Rica, nor i think you rather read so in the news tomorrow morning I only hope some day our nicaraguan brothers open their eyes and elect a real and honest president, and all this crap created around the border conflict comes to an pacific end for the sake of both countries. BTW, i 'd love you to publish this comment in your office too, as it reflects the thought of many ,if not most, costaricans. Any question or comment , message me. Regards from da green land!
Ticos and Ticas are peaceloving, but Nicaragua likes to start trouble. History would say they looked at building the canal there before and it didn't work for a reason.
Sure - let's start another war over nothing. What a bunch of morons in government - let's send the house and senate as the first troops down to SA for this one.
"A U.S. State Department official told Haaretz's Washington correspondent Natasha Mozgovaya on Wednesday that the U.S. is not aware of any plans to build a new canal in Latin America." Now THAT is a demonstration of just how poor our intelligence is. As a matter of fact it borders on felonious incompetence. Of course this administration has NEVER met a communist it didn't adore. Obama probably sleeps in Che PJ's.
As Islam continues it's grip on South and Central America.....the people of South/Central America will begin to lose their own identity. Chavez is allowing, abetting, two forms of extreme fascism to grow and flourish. When will the real freedom fighters of South/Central America take a stand against these cancers upon their lives, souls, and destiny.
If you do not want something to end up big it is best to keep it from becoming even small.
We need to wait until Hugo and company have spent billions and built this new canal. Then we should involk the Monroe Doctrine. Take it. Thank you Hugo, Daniel and Mahmoud for your financial contributions.
You misspelled her name and failed to identify who she is.
If true, the site of the next war.
Tell me why US forces have not landed yet and turfed the Nics out of Cotsa Rica. Those are pretty ballsy move ortega is making and he assumes the US under Obama is weak and will do nothing. well he is probably right Obama is weak and will try to appease more so if Iran is involved.
These monkeys could not build a ditch, just to funny!!!
Obviously this is a project with military implications. I suppose they will eventually just annex Costa Rica.
The US has consistantly under estimated the potential of Venezuela as a serious threat. Now that Iran has joined with Venezuela in many areas including transfer of nuclear technology and now the building of this new canal, the failure of US actions at an earlier date is now pronounced. Venezuela has every right to build this canal as there is no law that Panama has the exclusive right for a transit between the Atlantic and the Pacific oceans. Soon the US will face a rising nuclear rival in South America which most likely will share this technology with Cuba thereby boxing in a fading US power. This is just one of many bad mistakes of the US state departments foreign policies.
You underestimate the desire of most North, Central and South American countries to live without nuclear weapons. Nukes in Cuba, Venezuela or Nicaragua will never happen as the citizens of these and neighboring countries would not allow such weapons of mass destruction to proliferate. Hugo Chavez is sleeping with the devil in his dealings with Iran while neglecting his own people and breaking his promises to the masses that he promised to uplift. Venezuela is worse off now than it has ever been under his leadership. As far as Nicaragua goes, well it is pretty laughable that they could even defeat the Costa Rica police forces while Cuba is poised to embrace a free market economy for its failed state. You can always keep dreaming and sharing your thoughts just to keep us entertained!
iran and venezuela could not accomplish building a canal in 1,000 years of effort, both lack the skill, experience, and aptitude for this task. Let them try and waste their money.
Yeah, right. A project of this magnitude would overtax the economies of Venezuela, Iran and Nicaragua and possibly bankrupt them. All three of these countries have economic problems. They just floated this balloon to mess with Obama's head and with the rest of the world. Look at the players and the ideologies that are involved, Socialism and Shia Islam, a match made in heaven....Yeah, right. Just give them time and they will find a reason to be at each others throats.
Nix, Nien, no way would this bankrupt 2 countries with lots of oil and lots of Moxie. Venuzuela and Iran. This project would rejuvenate, hyper ventilate and stimulate these two countries as well as Nicaraqua and the entire region..Can't you see Man/ Just as the dam building did in the USA in tyhe 30"s..Joing projscts are were its at to jump start the world..How about my plan for a High speed rail through Baja done with co-efforts of Ireland and Mexico. a winner
For one thing this is not the thirties, economic realities are very different, even though Iran and Venezuela have all that oil it isn't going to keep them in the black, if they go and underwrite a project of such magnitude. Both countries mismanage their economies and oil industries, both countries are attempting to influence the regions around them and to a certain extent the rest of the world, by giving money away to extremist factions and terrorist organizations in other countries, at further cost to economic stability at home. Ahmadinejad owes his job to the good graces of the ayatollahs, Ali Khamenei in particular, who is elderly and, at best, in questionable health. He also has to deal with growing political and economic dissatisfaction from a large and growing segment of the population, let's not forget the election that he stole to remain in power. Chavez has similar problems, although he doesn't owe his job to a bunch of clerics, he does owe it in large part to the peasant class. Both leaders use repressive tactics to stay in power. Like I said in my original comment, they are doing this just to try and mess with the U.S, Obama in particular, and also with the rest of the western world.
It should be noted that the original canal had been planned in Nicaragua but Washington decided on Panama after Frech lobbying.
Why not? We need the entertainment.
As someone who spent much of the 80's working to stop the reds in the region, I believe today's Iranian involvement is even more dangerous. Look for a repub prez and congress to refocus on a stronger US role supporting our allies publicly and covertly. When the Islamists turn on their dumb hosts they will again turn to the US to clean up. Ortega should understand the notion of useful idiots. This is about more than economics to the mullahs.
"Crusade" is not a bad word
The US and others examined the idea of just such a canal over a century ago. Latin America called it “imperialism” as Latin America always does. The idea has sat on the shelf since then. I think it is the perfect money wasting, animosity generating boondoggle for Chavez and his little friend. Hugo is quickly running out of other people’s money and Ahmadinejad needs something to screw with now that he had devastated his homeland. The neighboring countries will just love to have somebody new to demonize. With any luck, they’ll both be deposed while distracted by a problem that is many levels above their competence.
Haaretz has succeeded in making it on Fark. The internet site which publishes links to really idiotic 'news' has posted this Haaretz article today. The Fark description: "Iran, Venezuela and Nicaragua plant to build a rival to the Panama Canal. Teddy Rooseveld is not impressed and would like to pick up a stick. http://www.fark.com/cgi/go.pl?i=5756825&l=http://www.haaretz.com/news/international/iran-venezuela-plan-to-build-rival-to-panama-canal-1.324173 Congratulations Haaretz. You have allowed Shlomo Papirblat to make you a world-wide laughing stock.
Venezuela & Iran are more likely to dig their graves rather than attempting to build a new 'Panama Canal.'.... The bloated egos of 2 clowns !
USA will on second thoughts finance the project of digging a second canal. USA will benefit enormously . That is my considered opinion. Iran and Venezuela are empty nations i.e. they talk and talk but have no wherewithal to provide funds and expertise which only can be given by USA. The international public at large will not invest a single dollar when Iran and Venezuela project any project whatsoever.
USA will on second thoughts finance the project of digging a second canal. USA will benefit enormously . That is my considered opinion. Iran and Venezuela are empty nations i.e. they talk and talk but have no wherewithal to provide funds and expertise which only can be given by USA. The international public at large will not invest a single dollar when Iran and Venezuela project any project whatsoever.
stop spreading lies about Nicaragua. Nicaragua has been trying to build a canal on its soil since the 19th century, when Herzl was just a baby, long before there was a Chavez or an Ahmadinejad,
There are no lies here; the only lie comes from the Nicaraguan, President Daniel Ortega who just wants to stay in the presidency against the Nicaraguan laws and constitution. Nicaraguan politicians use Costa Rica every time they need to distract their population, sorry Ramon, but you are either one of the engañados (fooled) or part of the corruption, you decide.
Good luck to Iran and Venezuela trying to compete with China - the owners of the Panama Canal.
Two neighbor countries. Two very different countries. Sounds familiar? While Costa Rica has been a pure democracy that banned the army in 1948 and devoted those resources to build one of the best health and education systems in America,, Nicaragua has been jumping between dictatorships and wars, devoting their scarce resources in building armies, hence becoming the poorest country in Latin America. While the Costaricans strive for education, health and prosperity, the empowered Nicaraguans have been forced to migrate to Costa Rica in search of jobs, opportunities and specially, health care. In this scenario, we have a "democratic" dictator wannabe, Daniel Ortega, a filibuster named Eden Pastora known as "Comandante Nothing" and a "democratic elected" Venezuelan dictator Hugo Chaves, trying to fulfill Iran´s ambitions of having their own free pass for the uranium from Bolivia between the Pacific and the Atlantic oceans. These are the antecedents for Nicaragua´s aggression to an unarmed, peaceful country that only wants to live in peace and their sovereignty be respected. We have to stand behind Costa Rica, show them our support, and tell Ortega , Chaves, and their choruses of useful fools, that the democratic world can not and will not tolerate this invasion.
This is the same web site that said Cost Rica Krav Maga was training commandos and that Costa Rica was the bad guys .... Wake up people! Costa Rica has done nothing to ask for this. And there are no commandos training in a country without an army an army...duhhhh
One day Nicaragua, Iran and Venezuela will get their war with the US. This will be a just war for the US and we will send Iranians home in many, many body bags.
i am CostaRican born and raised. I would not like to see nicaraguan bodies in piles. Here in Costa Rica, we live in peace and little disturb with nicaraguan refugees,they are our brothers. I rather see an pacific outcome for this stupid border issue. Ortega is to blame, he directed people to fight against dictator Somoza calling for liberation and won his war , and yet he feeds his army and denies his people prosperity and peace. He is the one to blame, not the nicaraguan refugees, not the Iranian people. They are robbed by the ones who promissed them dreams and never came real.
the bloody canal was NOT built at the Costa Rican- Nicaraguan border due to volcanos in the westerly end of the border. read your history!
All these TIN HORN Dictators are not afraid of the jerk in the White House BUT WAIT a U.S REPUBLICAN PRESIDENT will stop these Tin Horns in 2012 - have your two years of fun it will all end when we elect a strong Republican in two years -Run for the hills you TIN HORNS- the US Military will put you in your place!!!!!
Hahahahahahaha, NO.
All these TIN HORN Dictators are not afraid of the jerk in the White House BUT WAIT a U.S REPUBLICAN PRESIDENT will stop these Tin Horns in 2012 - have your two years of fun it will all end when we elect a strong Republican in two years -Run for the hills you TIN HORNS- the US Military will put you in your place!!!!!
the panama canal alone is a mere 3 to 6% of the panama gross domestic product. we happens to have a very active free zone, a great banking center, a lot of tourism and one of the most active hubs for airplanes linking south and north america, not to mention the comms center for all the optical fiber linking all the continent...
Nicaraguan commander Eden Pastora aka Commandante Zero, perennial pain in everone's back, saw that Google Maps showed that a small area which had long been in Costa Rica was in Nicaragua. He proceeded to 'occupy' that region, taking down a Costa Rican flag and kicked off an international crisis. Pastora has admitted he used Google Maps as his inspiration, Google Maps has admitted it's error. Iran and Venezuela had NOTHING to do with the incident and the story in Haaretz is 100% Bull Stuffings.
http://www.nydailynews.com/news/2010/11/07/2010-11-07_google_agrees_to_correct_mistake_after_nicuaragua_blames_map_for_invading_costa_.html Interesting how people gave a thumbs down to Mark
Venezuela, Nicaragua with financing of Iran will build a canal to rival the Panama Canal? My opinion of Mr. Ortega was fairly high - especially after he respected election results and left power several years ago. Chavez and Ahmadinejad loons - proven here. If Mr. Ortega doesn't get away from this... the only thing this plan will rival is one by Larry, Curly and Moe.
These people in "costa rica" are ridiculous. They claim it is not a border limits dispute but they say we are "invading" their territory. That doesn't make any sense. The fact is that there is no such invasion and to top it off we have Oscar FRAUD Arias, a recipient of Nobel Peace Prize which he did not deserve, calling for UN soldiers. osta rican armed forces heading to the border with 60 caliber weapons, helicopters etc. and they say there is no military. These people are violent and dangerous who are trying to deceive the world into believing that they are victims of an invasion. International treaties state that the disputed area belongs to Nicaragua. "costa rica" is now a deceiving narco-state who's economy is heavily dependant on organized crime including the sexual exploitation of minor children. No wonder they were named the happiest country in the worls.
Denis Alberto, stop saying stuppid things, you're so wrong!!!
Don Dennis le recuerdo que el rio San Juan es territorio completamente Nicaraguense, esso esta claro, solo escuche, si usted se toma la molestia de estudiar las estadisticas internacionales del narcotrafico, por le rio San Juan entran la mayoria de lanchas tipo "eduardoño" que son fabricadas por las grandes redes narco, y misteriosamente nunca son capturadas, eso si el rio es completamente Nicaraguense, evidencia quien es el que esta cultivando y beneficiandose del narcotrafico internacional de drogas, deberia de estudiar antes de opinar, la explotacion sexual de menores es un tema que desgraciadamente acompaña las estadisticas sociales de todos los paises del mundo y esta demostrado que los paises con menor indice de alfabetizacion la tasa es mayor, como pasa con Nicaragua, y del nobel de PAZ en Centroamerica se diop un cese al fuego de guerras sin sentido entre hermanos del mismo pais por ideologias y no respeto al pensamiento ajeno, me parce quye en vez no topdo es bueno en COSTA RICA pero si nos hemos esforzado para que lo malo sea lo menos y poder seguir siendo un ejemplo del mundo de que se puede vivir en paz, en Lationamerica se gastan millones de dolares en armamento el cual podria sacar de la pobreza a todo el mundo si por un momento logramos vivir y pensar en PAZ
Your ignorance on the facts are incredible, you try to change the name of the situation , this is an invasion, Ortega army has sent to territory of Costa Rica and it has acted in a vulgar and deceitful way, resting on not official information to sustain his infamy. Unfortunately to Ortega and to some few ones as you , the success of a Costa Rican like Mr. Arias hurts and displeases, inclusive when it has achieved something that benefit to your country. We don't have an army, because we believe in peace, if it was not like that, we would have accepted the help of Canada that offered his army to us, but we even believe that the diplomacy can prove our reason and therefore we will exhaust these routes. That's why I recommend to you, to take a little of “ubicatex” before speaking.
After being comatose for over a day, this story is back. Are there any lessons which may be learned from this fiasco? First anyone who takes Google Maps as the ultimate arbiter of international boundaries is a fool. Second, that unscrupulous authors will spin fantastic tales devoid of reality and intended to whip up credulous persons too feeble minded to check facts will usually achieve the intended results. Third, even Haaretz can fall for a scam. Fourth, P.T. Barnum was right. There's a sucker born every minute. This absurd article shares the Humbug Award for this month along with Michele Bachmann's '$200 billion dollar a day" Obama trip. P.T. Barnum was right, except now days there is a sucker born every second.
Please, these cretins can't even contain their sewage much less build a canal. Bwaaaa ha ha ha Don't give it second thought. Saber rattling by tortilla head Chavez.
I thought it WAS for their sewage.
They eat arepas, ( a corn-starchy english muffin looking thing) not tortillas. Anyway, you should call him a "huevon" which is much more insulting and locally recognized in Venezuela. It means -approximately- "big testicle";-)
Strange that the US would not know about it.I learned of it 4 years ago while visiting Costa Rica.Several US investors were looking at purchasing property on the pacific side.And what does foggy bottom know anyway
Iran and Venezuela want to build a canal? Those two scumbag primitive countries couldn't build a pond. Ha! Ha!
I am ashamed to say but our current government in the USA is letting all it's friends down. Our President is more in tune with enjoying the spoils of the White House than actually working. We don't trust him so why should anyone else... he hasn't come to the aid of any countries needs unless he can have time on his teleprompter.
Managua, Nicaragua is a wonderful spot. There's coffee and bananas and a tempature hot. So take a trip and on a ship go sailing away, across the agua to Managua, Nicaragua olay.
IHere we go. Our back yard is in peril. This must be stopped immediately. By the way we should declair WAR on Islam. After all Ahmajdenajad is most outspoken about the jihad. He's only using the power hungary commie Chavez as his vessel!
The Pacific ocean has very agressive sea snakes and the Caribbean has none. If they open a sea level canal, they will be remembered much more for the sea snakes than for socialism!
The Somozas wanted a canal too thinking it would seal their grip on Nicaragua and give them international credibility. Problem is it will require Costa Rica's approval and Fidel Castro has a better shot at getting the approval of the Miami Cubans than this new Canal would get from any Costa Rican government. Also Ortega's grip on power is shaky.
you are out of your mind!. Nicaragua owns the San Juan River. Any canal route will go through Lake Nicaragua which Costa Rica covets!
To dig a canal she will require both sides and then some. If Nic troops are on teh south shore telling farmers it is Nic land, then the war has started as Nicaragua has already begun teh invasion. Time to flame the Nics asses
Iran and Venezuela? both joker countries, can't even build their own loser nations, how can they accomplish a task that they both have no money for? Ayatollah can't even get out of bed to greet his people, he can't do it. Good luck, I wanna see this, it's all talk, that's all they do.
It says something that I have to read this story in a foreign media about something happening in the US's back yard. Someone once wrote that democracies behave like dinosaurs - they never set out to quelch impending danger but only react when the danger is full blown and alive. (See 1933-1939)
Not a bad idea. Before the present-day Panama Canal was built the isthmus and surrounding areas were surveyed. There are four other possible good trans-oceanic canal sites. One in southern Mexico at the Isthmus of Tehuanepec, two in Nicaragua, and one in northern Venezuela, actually technically on the mainland of South America.
"four other possible good trans-oceanic canal sites. ... and one in northern Venezuela, actually technically on the mainland of South America." Is it possible you were referring to Northern Colombia's Darrien Pass region. No other geographic location in Northern South America would connect the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.
For decades friends of mine in South America have remarked often how wonderful it was that Costa Rica had no Army. I always remember telling them this most likely meant they had nothing any neighbor wanted worth stealing; sorry. But now we see that this threshold has been breached and perhaps Costa Rica should start looking for an Army. It appears they finally have something, someone else wants. And when that someone else is Hugo Chavez (Fidelito as I call him) then they better move fast. Amazing story...am now working on the enlargement to the present canal. Will print this article out for the office tomorrow.
Yet oddly enough their police force includes branches that are Airborne qualified and there are Artillery units as well. No Army, but a rather well armed "Police" force.
and where did Costa rican send its "police" to get trained????
The military of Nicaragua has Invaded the Costarican Territory, we just want they out of our country, we dont care if they want to build a new canal, any way they have had the same plan for more than 40 years... We are a pacefull country and we dont want militaries ...
Enter into a treaty with Panama (if we don't already have one) and send troops to protect Panama's border. Problem solved.
Sounds like a roach motel to me, ships check in, then they get nationalized and they don't ck out.
a MAP would have helped here...
furthermore, the United States is not worried about another Panama Canal running through Nicaragua. That's all smoke screen for Daniel Ortega's end run to get elected to an unconstitutional 3rd term as El Presidente.
Although the United States doesn't seem worry or at least the U.S. government hasn't commented on the issue, they should be deeply concern. First, it will disrupt the Panamanian economy and that will create chaos which will follow by political unrest. Second, the United States will have the Iranian next door. Last, we would see an influx of Iranian agents along with Hamas, Hezbollah, Al Aqsa and others terrorist organization infiltrating Nicaragua and reaching U.S. territory.
The US is very concerned...for the reasons that you listed. The Contras will come back and no...Costa Rica will not get involved nor will they allow use of it's territory. History will repeat itself. The first article pointed out Costa Rica Krav Maga - funny,,,they have nothing to do with anything. He is gringo.
This is Capitalism 101, competition will lower prices, because the Panama Canal is essentially a monopoly. Besides, it's going to take a long time to build it, and Iran and it's leader are slightly unstable, so they'll be dumping money into the ocean, instead of using it in Iran to improve the lives of people, which will lead to more unrest, and the destabilization of that country will exist for as long as it takes to build it (30 years? 40 years?).
competition is good within a national economy. Not inside your own backyard. If that's the case, then the best analogy for this situation would be someone else building a driveway to their house...through your backyard. Costa Rica's national sovereignty has been completely spit upon by Nicaragua, Venezuela, and Iran. They are blunt aggressors, and they will not stop at building a canal. Read Central America's history. It is one of conquest and unrespected borders.
Obviously competition is good. But this isn't about capitalism. This is a whole new game: Security threat. It is a game that you have no idea of the consequences. It is a front to influx the western hemisphere by Hezbollah, Hamas, Al aqsa and other terrorist organization via Iran as engineers.
The fact that this report has no valid evidence makes me believe that it is false. It is sad that such a professional newspaper like this one reports something false with no evidence just to create more controversy and profit.
Try reading the news and educate yourself before making statements with no basis grounded in reality.
I say this because there is no evidence. Haaretz says that "some sources" are the ones that say that iran and venezuela are behind this. It is not professional to make statements like the ones made by Haaretz in this report if you don't have solid evidence to back it up.
Again...use the Internet as a source to inform and educate yourself. Haaretz reported on this story just as many other news agencies have. Here is one example unless you believe Reuters fabricates journalism! http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE6AD00C20101114
Amazing the things these peoples will do to give the appearance that they are taking over the world. Pinky and the Brain full moon wheel effect, no doubt.
This will never happen. Venezuela is nearly bankrupt under Chavez and Iran cannot provide them with much more than empty words.
Actually Venezuela has one of the highest per capita incomes in Latin America (higher than Brazil, and China too), one of the best indices of human devlopment, and one of the lowest poverty indices. What
Venezuela is just a satellite state of Iran, they don't do or say anything that hasn't first been sanctioned by Tehran.
the US is upset with Venezuela because they no longer kowtow to our oil giants (remember they fueled the US during WWII). Israelis are upset with Venezuela because they dare criticize massive zionist crimes against humanity.
everyone fueled us as they needed or war machine to protect them as the were defenseless..all FREE countries are upset with Venezuela because of Chavez's insane world outlook and sense of power.
As Costarrican I will be glad that Nicaragua find a way to activate it's economy and if they want to create a Nicaraguan Canal that is a grat idea. What we are really cunsorned is the nicaraguan army are invading Costarrican territory and they are creating a huge bioiversity debastation. If they want to start a process to clarify were the border is they can go to the international cort and demostrate that the official cartografhy it's worng and not invading a contry that does not have militar defence. That is unaceptable. What the international comunity has to do it's to demand nicaraguan army to windraw their militars then start a process to to demostrate wich contry the isla calero belongs to. Vivan siempre el trabajo y la Paz.
First, Nicaragua is taking back their territory that Costa Rica stole and took advantage during the Nicaraguan civil war. Second, The Hague concluded that "Rio San Juan is Nicaragua's" and the border is "south" of the river bank. Last,
Costa Rica never stole nothing to Nicaragua; we never try to say Rio San Juan belongs to Costa Rica, like you said the South margin its our border, just that... but you army its now in the south side of the river... what are talking about, Nicagua its inva?.... connect your brain whith your tongue, Nicaragua is invading Costa Rica, that's the only true
These two and Cuba are also in bed with Ahmadinejad's IRGC and Iranians are everywhere busy meddling. In Ecuador's Napo region, they are making oil drilling, devastating the rainforest; the same in Bolivia's Beni and the eastern provinces. But behind the business façade, they have installed Hezbolá Venezuela (in that country) and are replicating the same in Nicaragua, Ecuador and Bolivia. They are finiancing huge mosque projects, playing superpower in Latin America. Just as Gaza was taken over by Iran to molest Israel forever, so Latin America is the area chosen from which to molest the USA forever. It may sound funny to some, but it's not.
I am very disapointed about this situation here I am a costa rican person and I think that this situation the ONU must intervene in this issue due to the OEA failed shamefully in the problem with hondura Inzulsa could not do anything either here, Nicaragua bothers a lot Costa rica with this , it knows that we do not have an army and I am vey thankful with the goverment of canada to offer its help but we want to fix this in the better way to avoid a confrontation with this country and I can not belive that they can build a canal like in Panama OMG this is rediculus Please ONU you must have to act in this
wake up .. who help Ortega's Sandinista Revolution? Today they are returning the favor.
This is the result of "not having an army"--somebody do something!... Your country has the primary responsibility for it's security. Yor government is failing you for allowing your present state of defenselessness. This is almost a joke---a platoon of 80's Sandanista holdovers plant a flag on your soil, and the country is in a quandry of what to do!!!! Here is a plan:1. Contact the US, Russis, or most likely the Chinese (they would likely sell the quickest, maybe North Korea even) and buy rifles, grenades, mortars, and some RPGs. A few relic eastern bloc APC's for visual effect 2. Arm a goup of your citizens that possess national pride. 3.Chase those damn Nic's out of your country! 4. Stop expecting someone else to solve your problems.
LA COSA SE ESTÁ PONIENDO FUTUTA!
It´s not true... the things said in this article are totally false people, just take a look around about the real problems in this "Costa Rica Vs Nicaragua Battle" Just Chek the Newspaper from both countries: Nicaragua / La Prena : http://www.laprensa.com.ni Costa R. / La Nacion: http://www.nacion.com Theres´s the real info about it, Venezuela and Iran ar far from this problem.
"The Panamanian economy and Panamanian stability would be in real danger of collapse if another canal took away its monopoly on shipping between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans." Why would my country be against this? If they offer a better product more power to them!
Competitiveness is definitely a good thing. However in this case it is irrelevant. Just look up Nicaragua's record of earthquakes and volcanic eruptions - do you really think ship owners are going to flock to a canal which could be destroyed by earthquake or volcanic eruption? Then there is the whole other issue of corruption. Nicaragua is not exactly a model of the rule of law - are shippers going to have to pay bribes to make sure their goods get through safely?
So, it is alright to slice a chunk off of Costa Rica in order to do it? Would you approve of the United States grabbing off Northern Mexico to alleviate its border problems?
ok... i live in Costa Rica and i am also jewish... Nacaragua invaded MY country! and now they are basing all their case on the fact that GOOGLE MAPS had the isla calero island marked as belonging to Nicaragua and has oficialy apologized and admited it to be a mistake. So thanks to god this news is being spread throughout the world becaos costa rica has NO army and our bigest means of defense are DOGS! so im thankful haaretz published tis news and the fact that it is wanted to build a canal between Nicaragua an C.R is a known fact so is that of Venezuelas and Irans involvement and EVERYTHING this news say has been log known in my country and is NO rumor... so please stop being so ignorant with your secalificational comments for Israel and learn a little more befor you open your internet mouth. THANKYO FOR YOUR SUPPORT TO C.R ITS GOOD TO KNOW ISRAEL HAS OUR BACK!
Couldn't understand what you are trying to say. You are all over the place. This is not about being Jewish or not. I'm also Jewish. This is about processing, analyzing and concluding. Obviously you didn't do any of that.
Costa Rica necesita en este momento ayuda Internacional para poner un orden en todo esto... por favor comunidad mundial ...denos su mano...
FUERA NICAS DE COSTA RICA, NO ENTIENDEN QUE LOS ODIAMOS
yes, but they didn't metion that the farmer is a drugs dealer that nicaraguan goberment hands up.soo he get mad and demand we, what that mean Costa Rica upole drugs dealer? Also that area of the farm it legaly nicaraguan territory because the international court say it. And they give us the right to cleaned the reaver.
Ortega leave Costa Rica, we want to live in peace, we don't want Nicaraguan soldiers stay in our territory
The 100% accuracy of the accont is questionable however, if there is some truth behind it, the USA will not allow its prize investment to be devalued by competition. Panama Canal is to the USA as the Suez Canal was the Britain in WWI, needless to say good luck
Don't be ignorant. Your president, Jimmy Carter, didn't renew the lease. It is now Panamanian and Chinese controlled.
Nicaragua y Venezuela se pueden ir para el carajo
The farm owner also has nicaragua citizenship. He has been involved in drug trafficking activities.
Just a little phrase, WORLD STINKS! Peace & Love from Costa Rica.
oh nicaragua, forgive your gobernants
In Costa Rica we have way more than half and a million nicas makinh a livin here. They have medical atention from our goverment, they children goes to our schools, because Nicaraguan government is corrupt and don not care about their citizens. These is a fact, a true, so who will you believe? They bite the hand that feeds them!!!
Don't be ignorant. During Somoza's era, Costa Rican lived among Nicaraguans in Nicaragua. Majority of the Costa Rican women would come over for prostitution and array of other crimes. During that era, Nicaragua enjoyed a period of stability and was the best country in Central America that you could lived in.
The only place in the world where this lunatic story is appearing is Israel. The press of Nicaragua and Costa Rica are covering the clash of claims in a small, remote area. Google Maps has already corrected the error which it admits started the whole tempest in a teapot. Haaretz is too cowardly to allow any talkback revelation of the utter falsehood of this article it published. I cannot blame Haaretz. Any highschool paper would have fact checked such an outrageous article about a massive international conspiracy. Haaretz did no bother to check anything. It just published a lunatic rant and then has prevented any refutation.
The good news is that Allah is in control over all affairs and His messenger Muhammad said that "there will always be a group among my umma on the haqq'
This has to be one of the most poorly written and resourced articles published in this paper. Apparently anonymous sources, intent on promulgating the riduidulous idea of an 'Axis Of Evil' demonizing Iran, Venezuela and Nicaragua are hard at work spreading fairy tales with no basis in fact. If you have ever been to Nicaragua you soon realize that, through the years, there has never been a viable land-based route from Managua, the capital city, and the Pacific Coast to the only major port on the Atlantic, Bluefields. The dredging of the river is an attempt, foolish and corrupt, to allow freight to be transported from Bluefields to Managua by boat. There are no rail lines in Nicaragua unlike Costa Rica which has a railroad connecting their Atlantic port, Limon, with their capital city. San Jose. All potential rail rights- of-way were disposed of by the Chamorro government, under the advice of 'experts' from the US, after the fall of Somoza. A canal through Nicaragua, with the competition of the already existing Panama Canal would be prohibitively expensive for the mountain range they would have to dig through is volcanic and subject to numerous earthquakes. Also, there is no viable port on the Pacific Side through which the canal would exit. This is a fairy tale meant for the ill-informed and it is a pity that Haaretz would stoop to publishing such a fantasy which has absolutely no basis in fact or reality. Unfounded propaganda works best when there is at least a kernel of fact involved in telling the story. Here, as should be evident, there is none.
The message of the article is that capitalism and competition is bad and monopoly is good. A very Republican strain of thought. When did Haaretz become a right wing outlet? How long did it take to build Panama? Do Iran and Venezuela and Nicaragua have the staying power? Will they actually pay all their bills for construction?
Nicaragua the puppet of the crazy thinking left
Paayandeh Baad IRAN.
Iran sucks
this isn't any "border" dispute. they're invading cr.
Haaretz first of all thank you very much for doing this report. Not a lot of people are aware of this. Costa Rica ...we don't have an army. Peaceful country, hopefully people will read this article and start thinking of wth is happening. Nicaragua just keeps on lying and lying. Thank you again for reporting this!
AUra mentirosa! costa rica already stole a sizable chunk of nicaragua, the province of Guanacaste. Nicaragua has never stolen anything from Costa Rica. T
That anyone should post links to regional newspapers which show that the whole dispute between Nicaragua is a tempest in a teapot, and that the whole thing was triggered by an error made by Google Maps. For if people understand those facts, then this article is revealed as total twaddle. Haaretz may censor the truth, as it almost certainly censor this post. But that will not change what Haaretz has become that it would publish this silly and paranoid article, or that it would censor the truth which is easily available to all.
I wonder if the environmentalists are going to get up in arms about this potential cluster. . . . Something tells me, because of the players, they won't.
I would actually favor such a canal. Panama could use some competition and, once the political scene in Nicaragua changes, the US would benefit as well. The problem is that a Nicaraguan canal would be incredibly expensive, on the order of tens of billions of dollars. I doubt it will be carried through to completion by these three nations. Venezuela and Iran have economies that are in the dumps, Nicaragua cannot afford it, and all three nations are lousy at completing big projects successfully and on budget.
let them try. Venezuela can't run a refinery, more or less dig a 50 mile canal
The article reports a border dispute outside the United States and a plan for business competition. The US may have some interest in the border dispute as war among countries in our hemisphere disrupts trade. Panama is doubling the size of its canal at present. Competition will reduce costs for some shippers. The current Panama canal is inadequate for supertankers and super-carriers. A canal will likely turn Nicaragua and Venezuela into good capitalist countries. What is the big deal?
The Costa Rican take: http://www.insidecostarica.com/dailynews/2010/november/11/costarica10111101.htm For the Nicaraguan side: http://www.ticotimes.net/News/Daily-News/BREAKING-NEWS-Nicaraguan-Lawmakers-Top-Military-Command-Visit-Disputed-Border-Territory_Thursday-November-11-2010 For the REAL story see: http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5gsZBBN97zCXC3sSElhRkh4_wG5lA?docId=CNG.b7b0e11361e7847889195c6db3707f9e.9f1 Venezuela and Iran have not noticed the dispute.
Islamic government is funding billions all around the world to gain support at the expense of Iranian people. We have to work hard to make &400 a month then Khamenei and Ahmadinejad spend money in Venezuela, Peru, Nicaragua, Bolivia, Lebonan, Syria, Armenia (recent train project), Afganistan, Iraq and some other country in the region
The author belongs in an asylum.
And who was the source of this fantastic story? Jack Lieberman, Costa Rica Vice President?
this is yankee paranoia reloaded! neither venezuela, nicaragua or iran have the money to afford building a canal like the panama's canal
Without a military, who else can Costa Rica possibly rely on for assistance?
Ortega is so gratefull of Costa Rica. when Coata Rica help the Sadinista Revolution. that now he will make sure that Costa Rica fallow his commands. are telling me that my children will die defending Cosata Rica ? X-USMC
Costa Rica can rely for assistance on no one. Nobody would come to the rescue. If diplomacy is exhaustive then here comes the stick for costa ricans. Nicaragua will take back their territory.
Its time to draw the line in the sand.Time to kick some Iranian and Nicaraguan ass !!!
It's incredible how people can support somebody like Chavez. Anybody who disagrees, I suggest they visit Venezuela (not on the goverment tab) and see for themselves this wonderfull "21st Century Socialism". Take a walk through Caracas - see if you come out alive... See if you can find an independent TV station if you get bored.
No costa rican army, they call it Police over here...with a nice budget of 94 MILLION U$ and armed to the teeth. Nicaragua army budget 32 MILLION U$.
Back when Panama was chosen as the #1 site for the canal, the #2 site was indeed the Nicaragua route. Politics at the time favored Panama and the Nicaragua plan was put on the shelf. Indeed, if you can find Nicaraguan paper money from the early 20th century there is a drawing of the proposed route using the river and Lake Nicaragua to access the Pacific. There is quite a mountain range in the way and a series of locks or serious nuke blasting would be needed today. to clear the final leg of the canal .The #3 route was through Mexico at the narrowest point. A plan to nuke that route is on the books and often brought up when Panama is in turmoil. ( Can you say Noriega ?)
Lets give the big corporations a real headache.,4 Canals: Panama, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, and Mexico!
Weak foreign policy. This is very serious - it has been going on a long time and nothing is preventing it. Chavez has instituted a dictatorship; stolen american assets, invited in given haven to Iran, hezbollah and farc. An interesting movie about Lebanon, "the Cedar Tree" last year about Lebanese kids getting involved with selling drugs for money and girls, involved Christians, Muslims and Israeli -- all about mafia, drugs, money, etc. I went out of my way to study Hezbollah - isn't it strange when muslims are against drugs, and yet they sell them for money, as long as the gavurs take them, right?
so why would this affect Obama's chances for re-election?
There is the thing called "free market capitalism" which states that whenever there is a demand there would be suppliers. Period. Yes.. we don't like perturbations to the existing order but demand creates supply. That is a matter of fact!!
Someone in the US state department ? saw a postage stamp form Nicaragua. This stamp had a picture of a volcano. The reaction was: we don´t build canals where there are volcanoes
Iran is a very rational and old country. Much more than Israel can ever be. As for Panama a small country created by colonial powers and its size was chosen to make it impotent forever so that it would never be able to take advantage of its strategic position. But Panama people are not pro-Americans as depicted in article. As every one remembers they wanted to live a sovereign and independent life but American troops invaded their country and made them sign a 50 year contract with US for peanuts. If Iran is able to free that region from American slavery then why not. Iran should be given a chance to finish off American colonialism forever in that region. Investment and competition should always be welcome. As for Israelis they should look at their own history of terrorism out which they made a country for themselves over the homes of indigenous population based on a religious claim which has no credibility under international law. If we had to take in Torah as international law then what about Hindu, Buddha, Islam, Christian, Pagan books of religion? Are we kidding ourselves here?
passed the only binding resolution on the territory known as the British Mandate. At the San Remo conference, it was decided to divide the territory - Jewish and Arab. Guess what? Jordan became the Arab part and the remaining 24% was to go to the Jews... So that's the basis of the territorial claim to the Israel, Judea, Samaria and the Golan. The Torah just adds a layer of craziness and antiquity, making a vast majority of Jews here realize that this is their eternal home and they aint going anywhere. Yes, the Iranians are really rational, beating their own citizens in the streets, sending guns to Hamas and Hizballah which will never lead to the defeat of Israel, but rather unimaginable suffering to the civilians in those areas... Also, putting their people through economic hell to build nuclear weapons. .. Oh yeah, I love hearing Ahmadinijad tell his tales of his discussiong with the Mahjdi *8 years old ghost?)...
I'm sorry, do you even know what you're talking about? I'm from Panama (born and still live). This country is currently the fastest-growing and most stable in Latin America, and people here do not hate Americans (or Jews like me). My wife is from Venezuela, a "non-colonial" country like you favor. I suggest going to Venezuela and walking around for a while to see if you come out alive.
Well said Daniel. You are spot on.
Thank you Daniel Wordok. Iran has a 3000+ years history and was the birthplace of one of the greatest civilization the world has ever seen. It is country which has not invaded any country for the last several hundred years. Why the so called modern and civilized world is against it - the only reason I can think of is It dose not bow to the likes of the world great powers - militarily great powers.
OK Daniel Wordok?
Did you said slavery???? come on.... I am from Costa Rica and Iran is coming here to eliminate the peace.... U people are like a bunch of blinds shooting to the ducks
You should ask the good, common people of Iran about slavery before you crown their Regime with the honored distinction of being able to bring freedom to others. Sounds like you've never been to Israel and know squat about its history.
Just another God-hating so-called Atheist Liberal So much hate so little time.
cit: "In order to build a new canal linking the two oceans, they (Venezuela and Nicaragua) would also need to control the southern bank of the river and the point where the river meets the Atlantic Ocean" This is plain wrong. San Juan River does never meet Atlantic Ocean. Quite to the opposite it is emptying into the Lake Nicaragua. San Juan River could be used as a part of such a canal, but all the rest to the Atlantic ocean would run on Nicaraguan territory, as this would be the shortest distance.
This is wrong. San Juan flows from the lake into the Caribbean, which is indeed part of the Atlantic Ocean.
you are right, and because San Juan River does not meet atlantic Ocean their are trying to steal a costarican territory, to make it easier
The San Juan River does not empty into Lake Nicaragua. It empties Lake Nicaragua into the Atlantic (Carribean) at 10 deg 47min N, 83 deg 35 min W, 11 miles south of the Nicaragua - Costa Rica border. You're welcome.
The river flows from the Lake of Nicaragua towards the Atlantic Ocean, it is the the Pacific Ocan which is not connected at all to the river or the lake...please revise your sources...
I live in Costa Rica and I know for a fact that the San Juan does meet the Atlantic in Punta Castilla
The San Juan river does empty into the Atlantic on a wide delta near Barra de Colorado. The water in Lake Nicaragua is fresh water, not brackish nor sea water.
Looks like the river belongs to Nicaragua and they like to build a canal so they can make some money, as Panama is doing. In order to do it they have asked Iran and Venezuela to help them to construct it. Why shouldn't they have the right to build what they want in their own country? What is wrong is this zio-con mentality, that the world belongs to Israel and no one can do anything without its permission.
Nicaragua doesn't control the mouth of the river on the Atlantic side... Hence, they sent troops over to try to lay claim to land which doesn't belong to them. And, whether it is fair or not, the World is a hostile place. Soon, with this canal in place, Russian and Chinese subs would have an easier time operating. America, nor the peace loving rest of the world, would be any better off. But hey, it's only your children's life at stake. Who cares, right? America bad! America's enemies good! That's the ticket!
Chinese companies do control now the Panama Canal as subcontractors for the Panamanian government....
They control the mouth of the river, what happens is that they want to use a pond that could help ships to cross straight to the ocean but that piece of land belongs to CR.
Ofcoz..i cant think of any country who is worst that US..What do u think?
The problem is that they need Costa Rican land for that, that's why we have been invaded here in Costa Rica, Nicaraguan troops have entered Costa Rica, read the news
"In order to build a new canal linking the two oceans, they would also need to control the southern bank of the river and the point where the river meets the Atlantic Ocean." and they are part of Costa Rica...
Costa Rica's complaint is that they have their army on Costa Rican land (isla calero) they don't have the right to do that, and they do have the right to build on the canal, Yesterday, 2 trucks from their army were found on Costa Rica (Limon) Nicaragua doesn't respect their neighbors.
like if your being sarcastic... hate if your not!
we need an urgent analisis in anthropology...and a real map...no google...besides nuking would produce major earthquakes...at both sides of the border ....Cocos plate will shake badly doom behinds!!!and who send a simio to deliver bananas!
It will be wonderfull if they want to build the canal. It will bring a lot of jobs and money to a lot of nicaraguan familys. The problem is they are going to take some costarrican territory and drop a lot of garbaje on it. According to te border trades we had the river belongs to Nicaragua and the can dispose of it without causing any damage to our territory. Regards.
Pure and simple....what does the "proposed" canal have to do with Israel, the Middle East, and the Peace Process?!?! Iran is playing a strategic game whose target is the US (in this case), and not Israel. Stop spreading meaningless propaganda Haaretz. Also one more thing: "The apparent engineering project was surprisingly placed under the supervision of Eden Pastora, better known as "Commandante Cero", a hero of the former Sandinista underground. This was a hint that the work had more than a simple engineering purpose". Where did you get that hint from?!!?!?! Now Sandinistas can't build canals anymore for engineering purposes? I'm no Sandinista by any measure but I find the bias revolting.
We have no idea who you are and we don't care who you are. Haaretz prints many articles about many subjects. Sorry for your sake they can't all be Israel-bashing.
The fact that they put a military commander in place of an engineering project is a hint of things to come. Can't an Israeli publication print a story about global events?
Nicaragua can build a canal with whoever they want in their land and face consequences of their actions to the global community. WHAT NICARAGUA CAN'T DO IS TO INVADE COSTA RICAN LAND as part of it.
Dear Friends, I am from Costa Rica, and I want to say that we are a paceful country and we are reacting to the military actions on Nicaragua Army in Isla Calera, that belongs to Costa Rica. We recognise the right of Nicaragua over the San Juan River, we are not discuting that, we want the respect for our sovereignty and idiosyncrasy.
Its not fair that Iran,venezuela, and Nicaragua try to affect the Costa Rica territory
THIS NICARAGUANS ARE INVADING OUR COUNTRY!!!!! GO AWAY SANDINISTAS!!! ISLA CALERO IS OURS!!
The article is based on conjecture and hearsay, with very little to back it and thin on the likelihood, cost, results, and ramifications of such a plan. There isn't even a map to illustrate a story that is geographically focused. It just comes across as fodder for those that are trying to build a case for regime change in Iran.
stop smoking crack! isla calero does not exist, ...kinda like the lies about Costa Rica not having an army! ha ha ha
And adding in the dig at Iran, just to complete the 'axis of evil' tone, makes this story a priceless example of hypocrisy.
This is merely a news article, but you have demonstrated that you have a double standard motivated by hate of Israel. Haaretz is actually consistent in that it opposes Israeli "occupation."
do not touch and throw stones if you have glass-roof..now the most important is that we are in the same side...unless you have a family or lover connection with Nicaragua......their problem is even if you have investment because life in the middle of the poverty thru the years is the national heritage that has to be change for good ....no more Somoza--little cacique genetic clone!!!!!!
Only after the quick money, speculation, horse dealing. They also don't like to work. And not to forget their immense need for drugs, what keeps the mafia gangs alive world wide.
No wonder you hail "enteprenorship" so much
IT'S A TERRORIST THREAT!!!!!
The Author said " the government of Ortega, a former Sandinista underground member" is incorrect!!!!!! He was the Leader of the Sandinista Bloody Revolution in 1979 and President of the Sandinista Communist Government. He got Aid and Military Support from both Cuba and Russia! I was in Honduras when he Invaded with Military troops in the NorthEast Border just east of La Ceiba; which forced US Military to "Operation Golden Pheasant" and does anyone remember the Iran-Contra Scam in ther 80's ??? Ortega is a Brutal Dictator behind the Scenes and don't let anyone tell you different!!!!
The only question is how much money Soros is investing in the scheme? He is a megalomaniac - by his own admission - believing he has been anointed to lead the world. Through his protege, Obama, he believes he is the win all. You can rest assured that while Soros' Obama is in office, the US will do nothing about the Nicaraguan terror threat. But then, hundreds of Americans are being massacred by Hezbollah (Soros?) funded narco-terrorists from Mexico and Obama does nothing there
Well... actually, Ortega became the democratically elect president of Nicaragua in 1984, and in 1979 he had just liberated the country from a cruel dictator dynasty, the Somozas, a US-backed cleptocracy that had ruined the country. The "invasion" of Honduras you talk about was an incursion to get to US-financed extreme-right militias, the infamous Contras that, as you point out, got their money from the Iran-Contra affair, where the US was funneling money from weapons-sales to Iran to those paramilitary groups. Ortega might not be perfect (and he has become much more corrupt with the years), but back at the time he was a sign of hope, and he faced a brutal dirty war from America.
The US and Panama are "capitalist" countries, right? Then they should welcome competition, instead of moan about it. It will benefit customers, won't it?
A capitalist country? The goal of every capitalist is monopoly! Benefiting customers is for the birds; greedy fingers in his pocket is everything
doesnt competition make service better and lower prices? wouldn't that be something good for those ships that pay tons of money to go through the panama canal? it would benefit the ships and the nicaraguan economy, win-win situation.
It is not a fair competition if you invade a country without army in order to follow your plans!!!
It does not mean that other countries (Nicaragua) have to invade other territories! Costa Rica is country of peace!
Nicaragua invade to Costa Rican territory. That land is of Costa Rica. Costa Rica don´t have army...so all the countries must understand that it is irracional accept that situation.
I agree. Plus les petits evil, Deutchsland and la France.
You should be thanking the axis for keeping your weak country free. Otherwise you would be speaking German or Russian. In fact without the axis your weak behind country would be over run by just about anyone who wanted to.
Denmark and all other members of the EU...thinking about it, why not Japan and...Canada as well? You guys know, Canada always been so hostile to everybody....
If you are in one of these countries, feel free to leave any time. One less of you is our gain.
For all of the misteps in history, one thing is clear. UK and US citizens have sacrificed $ and blood for the freedom of others. We have real elections too. What if the US/UK had not fought the Germans or the Sandinistas, or the Soviets? Would you be freely posting your opinions here today?
It's time to deal with Iran. The U.S. cannot have that kind of meddling in this hemisphere. If it were the EU working this 'new canal' plan, tha might be tolerable. But a sworn enemy of Israel and the U.S. must not be allowed to push this plan forward.
The Monroe Doctrine? What's good for the goose..... Panama was illegally formed by the take-over of Columbian territory. Remember J.P. Morgan, Rockefellar, J. Gould? Ever read "Open Veins of Latin America?" The 'eagle of the north' should mind its own business. Bring our boys home. God Bless President Obama. He's not an emperialist creep. Salaam/Shalom
then why does Hezbollah control the FARC and the Mexican narco-terrorists, and why has Iran been able to buy Venezuela?
can put their nose everywhere they want, even next door to Iran, in Irak, isn't it? No way, the world is changing and old empires are falling down, this is natural.
what a fool
its a project that would benefit a country as a whole, cant the US oversee what goes through there like it does with every other country that they fear would do something bad. competition is what makes business get better, we get better service and better prices. and as far as panama opposing it, its understandable because it doesnt benefit them.
So according to you,Nicaragua fights child exploitation in Costa Rica by building Panama II canal ?
is completely paranoid and anit-western. Recently Venezuela has stolen american business assets in Venezuela. The only sanction I know so far: don't buy gas from Citgo stations, which get their oil from Venezuela. I studied Hezbollah in a course on the world mafias and know that Islam is trying to spread its religion in South America. Also, the Hezbollah does a lot of drug trafficking to support itself. I suppose you could choke off Iran if you choked off their oil, but so far they are trying to get more of it from Iraq and Venezuela, and refineries??? These two nuts are no good for us. South America has a big headache. When a dictator gets control of oil and wealth, they can do a lot of evil.
Venezuela is the fifth largest supplier of oil to the U.S. Hugo Chavez increased oil production to us when President Obama needed support. It's true Chavez nationalized BP and others who exploited Venezuelan assets (just like the ME.) Castro nationalized sugar production in Cuba when the U.S. refused to pay the world markedt price. Goniffs deserve to have it stuck up their noses. Salaam/Shalom
Hizbollah has never sold a gram of drugs on the other hand CIA has been selling drugs for decades now. The opium and heroine production if Afghanistan are breaking records under the guidance of NATO. Before that British used to sell opium in China. So get your facts right. By the way do you know who is harvesting human organs?
...but they will face a catholic and protestand community that have no paralels in Europe. In fact, would be fun hearing they sayng to woman wear a shador in a place like here, Brazil. People would laught loud at something as that.
we see all the Iranians here all over our country!
... is what the government of Daniel Ortega allows them to know. Essentially a diet of propaganda and lies. Other than that, Nicaragua is a wonderful country. But the Nicaraguan Armed Forces better stay out of Costa Rica. Have a nice day.
Costa Rica has an army. It is called "Unidades Policiales Especializada", The trainning, the budget, the weapons, etc are of an Army.
I think an "army" involves tanks, airplanes, helicopters, bombs, etc. There is nothing of that sort here... A few hundred special police force can be hardly considered an army.
Specialized Police Units/ SWAT teams are not Military units and in no way comparable to army infantry. Nicaragua's army has 62 tanks, over 200 APCs, and over 200 artillery pieces; but thankfully no real Air Force. Costa Rica does have the Unidad Especial de Intervencion (UEI) or Special Intervention Unit, a special forces unit which has trained with Israel and other Western Special Forces. They also have a very small border patrol force which has training in counter-narcotics operations. Nothing here however justifies this attempt to intimidate and bully a weaker neighbor.
If having a larger military apparatus makes Nicaragua proud is their problem, we have a quite different objective for our country. THE ISSUE IS SIMPLE: IS THE LAND COSTA RICAN OR NICARAGUAN? Even their maps say is Costa Rica, La Haya says is Costa Rica only Ortega uses a GOOGLE MAP to claim the land is Nicaragua. For now Costa Rica wants demilitarize the area until is clear who owns it .......
you poor poor small brain Nicaraguan. You should know what an army is, as you have lived under its domain in your country. We need to have police, as every country, and more since a few years back, in order to control the rising number of thieves in Costa Rica's streets, and those are in the majority Nicaraguans!
This is the point! The land was, is and will be costarican! We (as costarican) have been INVADED! WE, set an example to the world, abolishing THE ARMY! WE DEPEND ON INTERNATIONAL INSTITUTIONS! You know what would scare me? THAT WE WOULD HAVE TO MAKE AN ARMY! Like Israel, USA, THE WORLD! I know Israel needs it! BUT DO WE? Just because Nicaragua is having an election, Chaves is backing ..... and OBAMA is not BUSH! WE DEPEND ON THE DEMOCRATIC COUNTRIES! LA HAYA, OAS, UN.... I HOPE WE DONT HAVE MAKE AN ARMY! WE COULD.... WITH COLOMBIA, CANADA, FRANCE AND ENGLAND! NO HAY PROBLEMA! Hope the EVEL.... WILL UNDERSTAND!
Costa Rica doesn't have an army!! It was abolished on December 1st of 1948. Costa Rica did have an army when we helped Nicaragua to take out William Walker and American troops that wanted to invade central America. After that it was abolished and that money destined for the army is since that time invested in education.
I have never seen "police" anywhere have weapons of an army, wear camouflage, carry heavy artillery but in costa rica, and they claim they dont have an army because they don't call it "army" they call it "unidades policiales especializada". It's just a cover up to make the world believe that they don't have an army. people look it up on youtube.
Would you compare a policeman with a soldier? You are just as ignorant as all the nicaraguans that believe in this pathetic Ortega campign. Costa Rica does not have an army, since 1948.
Es uste Nica, se nota que no conoce Costa Rica, si realmente tuvieramos un ejercito ya lo tendríamos de rodillas pidiendo perdón. Lamento que en 1856 luego de salvarles el pais nuestros sabios antepasados no se dejeran a cambio el río San Juan...
For your information Costa Rica has no army since 1949, and the name Unidades Policiales Especializada is wrong the real name is Unidad de Intervencion Policial and is the costarican version of the us swatt.
You cannot call an army to several not trained cops. if you check the video when the costarrican cops has arrived to Barra del colorado in the border. The only have an real old plain called el caribu and you know what it's really a danger to use it. Then they had just an old elicopter and they have to rent another one to bring the cops. Their weapons are real old and probably thei are not working anymore. As an example you can see a cop wearing tow bulets stripes who remembers the pancho villa's movies. That tells you they don't have any idea about weapon usage. The most close they have been to an army is when they watched the rambo mobies. You cannot call that an army. Tha's ridiculous.
Alberto - you've been sadly misinformed. Probably by Nica propaganda. There is no army here and hardly enough police to keep order. I live in CR. Ortega messes with the San Juan river border every time there is an election. If you live in Nicaragua you better be keeping an ey on what else is going on. If
It's an interesting story, so what is your problem with me reading it?
It is there because it involves land theft, something Israel has also suffered,
yesterday he was back home in Indo today he is back home "not knowing" anything?
The "farm" is actually in Nicaraguan territory. The "farm" owners have state issued id from Nicaragua. The farm owners are drug smugglers. "costa rica," now a heavily favored tourist destination for nympho maniacs seeking sexual satisfaction from minor children, does not have the right, or any other nation for that matter, to stop Nicaragua from building a canal in its own territory. "costa rica's" economy nowadays is heavily dependant on drug smugglers and organized crime including the exploitation of minors.
Denis Mena is completely wrong in his assessment. Isla Calero is Costa Rican territory. This is underlined by all certified maps. The Nicaraguan government clearly violated Costa Rica's sovereigny and will have to pay the price for its actions.
besides the nympho maniacs and drug lords that you think Costa RIca welcomes we also welcomed 20% of the Nicaragua population who was starving to death, we provided work, food , free education and health services. Just yesterday Nicaragua congress reduced the budget in education to increase military spending!! If you say it is Nicaragua territory because there are Nicaraguans living there then Los Angeles belongs to Mexico. Only Ortega uses Google to find Nicaragua border!!
The river is Nicaragua's, no objection, that was resolved 15 months ago. the fact is that the farm is in costarrican territory and the owners are farmers, not drug smugglers. I will suggest you to get your facts together before typing nonsense.
I read exactly that comment on the Economist report, you trolling bot of many names.
AGREEE!
being there twice back in the 90's after the re-democratization...my family lead the country in the late 70's cuz ortega and his so lovely "fredoom fighters" had turned the place into a shit hole. No surprise something like that is happening, marxists don't know any other way to do things insted of use violence.
It is true that a lot of nicaraguans migrated to costa rica looking for work, but you forgot to mention is that the work that nicaraguans are doing is work costa ricans dont want to do. Costa ricans talk a lot, stating that they don't do blue collar work in costa rica but yet they come to the US and clean toilets, "something they would never dare to do in their homeland". Very hypocritical and trash talking.
this "person" may be so smart as a "Nica" in order to reply with this answer. I am wondering why many NICAs want to live in Costa Rica instead of Nicaragua. Social Security ? Work ? Medical Support ?
I think the Nicargua's Governement has forgot the historican relations between our countries. In 1856, the "Costa Rican army" ( farmers, citizens hungry of freedom and some soldiers) were sent to Nicaragua to fight against the invasion of William Walker and the "Filibusteros" who had the intentions for created "slaves countries to the service of southern states of USA and build a canal to California. We fought against the invasors and our soldiers gave their lives to the service of freedom. The battles were won and the filibusteros ( )were expulsed of centroamerican territory. Our "army" walked back to home to take care of our "soldiers" and try to re-build a country decimated by the epidemic of cholera. We could be able to annex the nicaragua territory, the southern provinces of Nicaragua - but we did not, because our vocation is always in search of freedom and democracy, without expansions or military interests. We do not need army because we belive in the Internation Right, the democracy and the "Peaceful Conflicts Solution".
Denis Mena! Have you ever seen a map of our contry? Or is just the pleassure to see more army with more poverty? I have lived in CR for almost 5 years, we have a lot of thing to learn from them. They have gave me more positive thins that my own contry Nicaragua! Our owm maps are very cleared, Isla Calero does not belong to us!
That was before in the old maps. but with the now the international court give it back to we. so you will have to accept the reality and actualice the maps of costa rica country. all so we soo up set that the goberment of costa rica upole the drugs dealer, because nicaragua army find the drugs dealer in the island, soo they get mad and went to costa rica police to demand we but they get bitch because the territory is for we. ups that hurt.
Regardless of internal problems, San Juan river belongs to Nicaragua BUT Isla Calero is Costa Rican territory. Nicaragua has the right to build whatever they want, but they can't taking what is not theirs.
Look at the commenters talking about child exploitation and nympho maniacs. The biggest person who enjoys the company of minors in a sexual context is Ortega himself, if you do not believe me, ask his step daughter. Buying out the system and offering a few benefits to get more votes does not cover up a person's past... specally of a paidophile like Daniel Ortega
MR DENIS MENA, I AM COSTA RICAN, AND YOU DO NOT KNOW WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT!!!! PEOPLE FROM NICARAGUA CAME HERE AND HAVE CHILDS AND WE GAVE THEM FREE SOCIAL SECURITY FOR FREE!°!!! AND SOMETHING READ ABOUT HISTORY THE NICARAGUAN GOVERMENT HAS BEEN ALWAYS A PROBLEAM, READ HISTORY, AND ABOUT GUANACASTE PROVINCE, HOW THEY DECIDED TO BELONGS TO COSTA RICA NOT NICARAGUA AND THEY STILL THINKING BELONGS TO THEM... GET A GRIP!!
Just because you said that we just know that you are NICA REPRIMIDO, and maybe Ortega is your family!! Good Bless you and your inept politicians who doesn´t know how to use a computer and are based on google maps to claim a territory hahaha ironic
Poor Dennis, if only he knew that we are giving away free health insurance, housing, salaries, jobs, etc to more than 1 miilion Nicaraguans he would THINK what´s the real issue here. Unfortunately, Nicaraguans only know how to fight, but that´ok because we´ll still be the best country to live in Central America and you guys are just rottening with Ortega. Just a few minutes ago, the OEA voted 21 vrs 2 for Nicaragua to respect our land and send their troops back to Nicaragua... Now, those guys are smart... of course Venezuela was one of the countries to vote against the order. I just have a question, if Dennis says we are a Nympho-drug smugling country then why everyone wants to invest in Costa Rica and NOT in poor Nicaragua??? FYI: they have been trying to build the "Nicaraguan Canal" before they even built the Panama Canal so, keep waiting, maybe in 200 years you can see some speed boats passing by your beloved San Juan River.
Oh my God, the goberment of Nicaragua went to La Haya cout and over more than 11 yaers disscusion they concluded that the border is the san juan river belongs to NIcaragua, but the land over the south edge of the river belongs to Costa Rica. Thats clear. Why you are talking about drugs and sex when is clear it is an invasion of a military to an non military country.
Japanese also want to build an alternative channel.
Wtf?
The anti-Israel rants are getting so ridiculous and childish. Maybe it's all Zionist trick in itself!
What a nice idea for the Canal. My objective in writing this is as a bondholder of Venezuelan debt, which should be 5% or lower yield instead of 10% plus based on the country's fundamentals. I suggest Mr. Chavez start a program to sell forward 50% of forward oil sales at these high prices, so they are not susceptible to oil price crashes. He could buy forward several years (as many as 10), and roll it forward each year to lock in the country stability. I would stop selling forward at oil prices below $40 and definitely sell forward at oil prices above $60. I assume Venezuela's cost of production is under $20/barrel or so, depending on the costing method. Tarun Agrawal W'91, WG'98
Never seen a post this economically literate on here.
Tarun - Good luck holding that paper because it will be used for toilet paper when Chavez pulls a Correa and says 'screw you' to the world when he decides not to pay his debts. Venezuela is currently running at an inflation rate between 20% and 30% and has chronic shortages of electricity, not to mention certain foods (which is why it has nationalized pasta makers, many supermarkets, etc.). In addition, Venezuela is currently one of the most violent places in the world judging by murder per 100,000 citizens, but you won't see that in official statistics (hence the ban on newspapers depicting violent crimes on the front page). Venezuela does not produce light, sweet crude but it's brand of crude is heavier, costs more to produce and fetches less on the world market. Production has dipped after they took over many of the oil servicers and oil revenues are going to support many of his welfare projects (i.e. food to the poor, doctors from Cuba, etc.) Building a canal to rival the Panama Canal is not as easy as it sounds. Who will be in charge of building the locks? The Sandinista General? Where will they get the competencies to run the canal? Will shipping companies trust running their ships through potentially hostile territories, when the route through Panama is tried and tested? Will the new canal be able to run the Supermax vessels as Panama is investing in now and should be open in 2014? Where will the money come from to finance this project considering the burdens Venezuela and Iran both maintain (funding FARC, Hezbollah, Hamas and domestic socialist programs)? As I said before Tarun, good luck with the paper. My advice; sell it and invest in India (which I'm assuming is your home country). I trust the growth opportunities that 1 billion people provide over the promises of socialist pigs.
Daniel Ortega was acused by his step-daugther , ten a minor , of raping her . His brother was convicted in Costa Rica of murdering a police officer . The family of this public server never received a monetary compensation . The Ortegas stole several properies that had belonged to Anastasio Somoza and passed to be from "hungry death" to big sharks in Nicaragua , but they could not change their condition of ignorant peasants.This is Daniel Ortega the " President of Nicaragua" . Can we expect anything good from this guy?