On Thursday, the International Court of Justice of The Hague announced that from July 3rd to 13th oral hearings will be held on the lawsuit filed by Costa Rica against Nicaragua for its refusal to pay compensation for the environmental damage caused on Isla Portillos years ago.
In addition, the country asked to define the maritime boundaries between both countries, so that they can present evidence of the presence of a Nicaraguan military camp in Costa Rican soil, which the neighboring country claims as its own.
President Luis Guillermo Solís said that the instructions given to the authorities that lead the process with the International Court will be the same he has given since the beginning of dispute with the neighboring country.
The cases date back to February 25th, 2014 to determine the maritime boundaries with Nicaragua in both the Caribbean Sea and the Pacific Ocean, and also on January 16th of this year, after Nicaragua moved a military camp from the sand bar that separates the Laguna Los Portillos, which has been recognized as Nicaraguan, to a sector of the beach of Isla Portillos, which was declared as Costa Rican territory by the International Court of Justice in 2015.
The Court decided to merge the two cases on February 2nd, welcoming the country’s petition. Costa Rica will hold its oral hearings on July 3rd, 4th and 10th.