Costa Rica: Central American Court ordered to suspend road construction

Costa Rica violated regional agreements for the conservation of biodiversity and protection of priority wildlife areas in Central America.

By building a road "of high risk and environmental danger" the Central American Court of Justice, ordered Costa Rica suspend construction of 160 Km.

The work is done in the San Juan River of Nicaraguan sovereignty, which also affects the biological corridor in the region, wild biodiversity, flora and fauna.

The decision considers that it punished Costa Rica for "have incurred in irresponsibility for ecological and related damages in the San Juan River of Nicaragua, as well as the shared ecosystem" on the common border. Also because it was "a work of high risk and environmental harmfulness built" without making studies of impact or consult with neighbouring Nicaragua, as laid down in Community law.

Despite such condemnation, the Court not determined the economic cost of the damage "due to lack of necessary elements to quantify the damage".

However, the Costa Rican President, Laura Chinchilla, reacted to the pronouncement of this Court and pointed out that it is acting illegally against the interests of Costa Rica.

The Court also sentenced Costa Rica for violating existing regional conventions "for the conservation of biodiversity and protection of priority wildlife areas in Central America".

The work, in which the Costa Rican Government invested $ 40 million, ran through an emergency decree, which allowed to circumvent requirements such as environmental impact studies.