(QCOSTARICA) Costa Rica, the plaintiff, and Nicaragua, the defendant, have rested their cases before the International Court of Justice at The Hague and nothing remains but to await the decision of the judges in the 2010 alleged invasion of Costa Rican territory.
Costa Rican Foreign Minister Manuel Gonzalez tried to avoid premature expressions of triumph but was upbeat about the resolution when it comes, calling the Costa Rican case a solid one. But he, and the country, will have to wait until the end of this year or the beginning of 2016 for the verdict.
The oral part of the action took three weeks and included a counter complaint against this country by Nicaragua of damage to the environment caused by the construction of the so called trocha or road paralleling the San Juan River. The route was built to avoid forcing residents to use the river for contact with the outside.
Costa Rica’s case made heavy use of such new technology as satellite photos and GPS positioning. Aerial photos also surprised Nicaraguan troops on the river island of Calero in October, 2010. The oral presentation of evidence took from April 14 to May 1.
The World Court admits no appeals after rendering its verdict and Gonzalez promised no criticism. The Court has issued preliminary decisions halting Nicaraguan dredging operations that this country alleged violated Costa Rican territorial integrity.
But Gonzalez felt it was not in the cards for the Court to allow Nicaragua to continue the dredging that caused the whole difference of opinion to blow up in the first place. The case has been costly, however, litigation costing more than $4 million.
Article by iNews.co.cr, with editing by the Q
