Nicaragua plans $30 billion interoceanic canal in Río San Juan

MANAGUA – Six countries are interested in funding a $30 billion canal in Nicaragua that would link the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, said project coordinator and former Contra commander Edén Pastora.

“We’ve had talks with Japan, China, Russia, Venezuela, Brazil and South Korea and everyone is interested” in contributing to the $30 billion mega-project, Pastora stated Wednesday.

On Tuesday, Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega submitted a draft of a bill to the National Assembly that details six possible routes for the proposed waterway, one of which would pass through the San Juan River that forms the border with Costa Rica.

In a press release, Costa Rica’s Foreign Ministry asked for an explanations from Nicaragua on the possible effects that the project could have on “Costa Rican rights.”

“It is clear that the realization of infrastructure projects by Nicaragua in its own territory is the prerogative of that country, but Managua must comply with the provisions of the 1858 Treaty of Limits and the Cleveland Arbitration Award of 1888. Therefore, Nicaragua cannot purport to build an interoceanic canal without asking and hearing Costa Rica’s opinion, because our opinion is binding if our rights may be violated,” the statement said.