Colombian president plans to sign decree on San Andrés maritime boundaries — Anadolu Agency
Colombian President Abelardo de la Espriella announced his intention to sign a decree that will formally establish the baselines and maritime boundaries of the San Andrés, Providencia and Santa Catalina archipelago in the Caribbean Sea. As Anadolu Agency reports, the document is scheduled to be signed on November 30, the day of the commemoration of Saint Andrew, the patron saint of San Andrés Island.
Coordinates to be added to nautical charts
Speaking from a naval vessel near San Andrés, de la Espriella said that the geographical coordinates would be added to Colombia’s official nautical charts. According to him, this is intended to settle an issue related to Law No. 10 of August 4, 1978, which provided for the establishment of technical baselines.
The coordinates for mainland Colombia were determined in 1984; however, similar technical baseline determinations were not applied to the island territory. The president said the decision would make it possible to calculate the country’s territorial sea and exclusive economic zone more accurately. He also stressed that Colombia would not allow unauthorized economic, scientific or exploratory activity in waters it claims.
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Dispute with Nicaragua
The announcement came amid Colombia’s long-running maritime dispute with Nicaragua at the International Court of Justice. In 2012, the court confirmed Colombia’s sovereignty over the islands of San Andrés, Providencia and Santa Catalina, as well as adjacent key islets, while revising the maritime boundaries in favor of expanding Nicaragua’s economic zone.
In 2023, the court rejected Nicaragua’s claims to an extended continental shelf that overlapped with Colombia’s 200-mile maritime zone. Colombian authorities say that publishing the coordinates in navigational documents is intended to strengthen security, commercial shipping and the rights of local fishers.
At the same time, Colombia’s government appealed to higher oversight bodies with a request to jointly examine possible violations in local public procurement on the archipelago. The initiative concerns suspicions of political networks interfering in public contracts and the possible misuse of public funds.
