Colombia recalls ambassador to Nicaragua over maritime dispute

Colombia has recalled its ambassador to Nicaragua for consultations over an ongoing territorial dispute that a ruling by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in favor of the Central American country has failed to resolve, Foreign Minister Maria Angela Holguin said Wednesday. "We have decided to call our ambassador, Luz Stella Jara, who should be arriving tomorrow, so she can report on why it is impossible to have a dialogue with Nicaragua," Holguin told a press conference. The ICJ affirmed last year that a series of islands strategic for fishing, the San Andres archipelago, belong to Colombia, but at the same time extended Nicaragua's jurisdiction in the Caribbean waters, angering the South American country. Colombia has refused to abide by the decision, saying its borders must be set by treaties and not by court verdicts, leading Nicaragua to present a new lawsuit at the ICJ Tuesday. Nicaragua's most recent suit demands Colombia respect the initial ICJ ruling, which gives it rights over 75,000 square kilometers of formerly Colombian waters. "We have said our legal framework impedes us from implementing the verdict and we are awaiting the pronouncement of the ICJ. The court is still within the time period to decide on the claim submitted by the president (Juan Manuel Santos), that will make clear which path we must follow," she added. Holguin said Nicaragua should have communicated with Colombia before filing a new suit. "We have not received any notes of protest or calls (from Nicaragua) ... Countries that do not want to get into a conflict don't do that," said Holguin. On Nov. 27, 2012, Colombia withdrew from the American Treaty on Pacific Settlement (Pact of Bogota), under which it recognized the jurisdiction of the international court. However, its withdrawal didn't go into effect until Wednesday.