SAN JOSE – The Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Costa Rica has issued an official communication to the Embassy of Nicaragua complaining of an invasion by security forces to Isla Calero, a continental isle located in the northeastern border region. Such military incursions were prohibited by a March 2011 resolution of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague.

The provisions in the ICJ resolution were issued following an invasion by Nicaraguan security forces led by former revolutionary Eden Pastora in October of 2010, a case that became internationally known as the Google Maps Invasion.

The communiqué issued by Minister Enrique Castillo mentions that news outlets in Nicaragua advised of a new contingent sent to Isla Calero.  The Minister added that individuals involved in dragging operations of the San Juan river, which belongs to Nicaragua, are causing environmental damage. The ICJ resolved that Costa Rica has an obligation to protect the ecosystems of the island. According to the Minister, the contingent sent to Isla Calero is formed by Nicaraguan youth who are incited by the Daniel Ortega administration to cross into Costa Rican territory.

According to an article filed by Carlos Salazar Fernandez of digital newspaper El Pais, the latest invasion by Nicaragua involves army recruits. Writing from Isla Calero, Mr. Salazar indicates that legislator Claudio Monge Pereira traveled to the island yesterday and confirmed that the dragging operations were being conducted by young recruits, and that the murky waters are evidence of the active dragging. Mr. Monge claims that the government of Costa Rica has neglected to point out that the Nicaraguan invaders are military personnel, and he questions the reasons why such information has been left out.

Mr. Monge, who represents the Accion Ciudadana (Civil Action) opposition party, recently called on the government to not extradite Sea Shepherd founder Paul Watson to Costa Rica. Mr. Watson is currently in German custody, awaiting extradition proceedings for his alleged involvement in a vessel ramming incident in 2002.