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Free Tibet! Free Costa Rica!

When all this finish, Costa Rica will have another turist attraction: "Google Island Amusement Park"

I, too, would like to see this issue resolved peacefully.

Nicaragua resolved the issue peacefully by taking it to the International Court of Justice where it won.

Now Costa Rica is trying to reopen the issue with this "ad campaign" of misinformation. Taking this to OAS, which is totally influenced by the US, is just an attempt to divert attention from the fact that Costa Rica has no valid complaint.

Everytime Tico Times reports on this story, the number of military police rushed to the area shrinks. First it was 100, then it was 90, then it was 60, now it is "dozens". Everytime they also repeat the bogus claim that CR has no "army", inferring that Costa Rica is somehow a victim, possibly in need of rescue by the US in the near future. Call it what you like but armed personnel with machine guns and M-16s are not "police".

To characterize a dispute over an island in a river that the International Court of Justice has found to be owned by Nicaragua as an "invasion of Tico soil" is a blatant attempt to inflame public opinion against Nicaragua.

Why?

Follow the money. It's either to try to keep Nicaragua from developing tourism in the area, tourism that Tico Times has called "Costa Rica's tourism", or it's an attempt to protect the drug trade that flourishes on the CR side of the river in that area.

The island that is being called "Tico soil" has never been Costa Rica's. That some squatter started his "ranch" there doesn't make it Costa Rican just because he says so. Apparently, Tico Times is cooperating in this ad campaign to make this into a "heated issue" despite the fact that there is nothing to be heated about unless losing their case in the International Court of Justice is a reason. What was initially reported as trees being "knocked down" by the dredging operation is now being reported as trees being "cut down".

In real life, here on planet Earth, when anybody dredges a river to remove sediment that has clogged the river, they put it back on the banks where it came from. Costa Rica did this when they dredged other rivers in the area. So, the question is, why is Costa Rica trying to make some sand and rocks poured onto an island in the middle of a river owned by Nicaragua into an international incident?

I agree this should be resolved peacefully at the earliest possible time but in this case Costa Rica is disobeying the law and acting on false data.

The "farm owner" in Isla Calero who reported the "illegal" incursion of the Nicaraguan army was Marco Reyes, the army has actually been in that area for 5 years now investigating wanted drug lord Agustin Reyes Aragon who basically refuged himself on the Costa Rican side of the border.

If you look at the Canas-Jerez Treaty of 1858 and the Laudo Cleveland of 1888, it clearly states that Isla Calero is on Nicaraguan territory but neither country has really bothered to mark the border clearly for a while now and now Costa Rica wants to change history with a media storm of misinformation since Nicaragua is defining the border as it tries to revert ecological damage that was done in the 1970's when Costa Rica dredged the Colorado River effectively reducing the water flow in the San Juan river and blockading some of the passages which are now being re-opened.

Let's get informed before jumping the gun and taking sides, the law is clear here and both countries must abide by it instead of trying to take advantage of the situation.

Dear Tico Times,

Based on what I have be reading about over the last few weeks about this situation has allowed me to form a few opinions about this:

The use of the Nicaraguan military in the region. Why is the Nicaraguan Army involved with this unless they are trying to stir up trouble. I believe that part of the reason that Ortega is doing this is to generate "jingoistic" feelings amongst the Nicaraguan people since an election is coming up soon and this is the perfect way to distract the Nicaraguan voters. The Sandanistas like to create their own rules and blame their opponents. I agree with Mr. Baker's comments that this needs to be handled quickly and forcefully. Pay close attention to the other ALBA bloc leaders to see if they try to slander Costa Rica, a very peaceful country in this area of the world.

Kudos to the Tico Times in covering this story and keep up the good work! Hopefully, someone will get more of this story on Video and Pictures to prove to the world that the Sandanistas are up to no good. God Bless the peaceful people of Costa Rica!

Looking at Costa Rica from the US and going there in February, this small inscursion into your sovereign territory must be handled quickly and resolution. The National Police must inforce your laws in the area involved. History being my favorite subject teaches that " those that do not learn from history will repeat itself". Before WWII there was Italy, Japan, Germany,and Russia all doing their part in taking small areas of a country to test the reactions of the nation but most important the reaction of the fellow nations to see if they would react to this small land grab. A lot of war issues could have been resolved by a united front not only in the country being offended but by other nations offering to help that nation to turn back the intruding force. Hopefully your Central and Southern American neighbors stand shoulder to shoulder with your country at this time that could be the tipping of the scale. Nicaragua is now nearing the process of evolving into a dictatorship, and to switch attention of what they are doing in their country they have these small inscursions based upon "saving their country" from drug trafficing or any other excuse. Do not forget Hitler invaded Poland by falsely broadcasting the news that Poland invaded Germany. Wish you the very best in resolving this issue peacefully with Costa Rica retrieving their land and preventing further such incidents