Meeting of President Daniel Ortega and Vice President Rosario Murillo with President of Honduras Juan Orlando Hernández
October 27th 2021
Remarks by Daniel
Good afternoon, Nicaraguan brothers and sisters, Nicaraguan families, who are watching and listening to us from all parts of our country. Likewise, some of this broadcast will also reach the Sister Republic of Honduras, our Brother People.
And we have a surprise, a good surprise, and it is that we are meeting the Delegation of the Brother People and Government of Honduras, Delegation headed by its President, Brother Juan Orlando Hernandez Alvarado. We welcome him, naturally, to our Nation.
Brigadier General Tulio Armando Romero Palacios, Chief of the Presidential General Staff; Brother Freddy Santiago Díaz Zelaya, Minister of Defense; Brother Tito Livio Moreno Coello, Chief of the Joint Chiefs of Staff; Brother Ebal Jaír Díaz Lupian, Presidential Advisor; Brother Ricardo Leonel Cardona López, Private Secretary and Chief of the Presidential Cabinet; Brother Lisandro Rosales, Chancellor of the Republic; Brother Guillermo Pérez Cadalso, former Chancellor of the Republic; Brother Roberto Flores Bermúdez, former Chancellor of the Republic; our Dear Sister María Dolores Agüero, former Chancellor of the Republic; the Expert in International Law, former Chancellor of the Republic, Brother Carlos López Contreras; Brother Julián Pacheco Tinoco, Minister of Security.
Brother Luis Alonso Discua Elvir, former Chief of the Joint Chiefs of Staff of the Honduran Army, Armed Forces of Honduras; Brother Orlando Ponce Fonseca, former Chief of the Joint Chiefs of Staff; Brother Mario Raúl Hung Pacheco, former Chief of the Joint Chiefs of Staff; Brother Roberto Espinoza Rosales, former Chief of the Joint Chiefs of Staff; Brother Rolando González Flores, former Chief of the Joint Chiefs of Staff; Brother Juan Pablo Rodríguez, former Chief of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
The Board of Commanders of the Armed Forces: Tito Livio Moreno, Chief of the Armed Forces; Brigadier General Brother Manuel Aguilera, Commander of the Army; General René Javier Barrientos, Commander of the Armed Forces, and Rear Admiral Jorge Fortín, Commander of the Armed Forces.
Their Delegation and President Juan Orlando will tell us what this Sign of Unity, of Cohesion represents, given what is the historic step we are taking this afternoon via the signing of these Decrees, whereby Nicaragua and Honduras, complying with the Resolutions, the Judgments, of the International Court of Justice of The Hague, which issued Rulings on border issues: A Ruling on November 18, 1960, another on September 11, 1992, and on October 8, 2007. So we are talking about a transcendental step that has to do with the border delimitation in the Northern Zone of our country with Honduras, from the Caribbean Coast to the Pacific Coast in the Gulf of Fonseca.
This afternoon we are accompanied, presiding here, in fact, President Juan Orlando Hernandez; the Minister of Defense of the Republic of Honduras, Freddy Santiago Diaz; the Chief of the Joint Chiefs of Staff of the Armed Forces of Honduras, Tito Livio Moreno; the Minister Presidential Advisor, Ebal Jair Diaz Lupian; Brigadier General Manuel Aguilera, Commander of the Army of Honduras, and Rear Admiral Jorge Fortin, of the Naval Force of Honduras. Well, he did not come, but our greetings to him anyway, the person is in charge of the Honduran navy.
Compañera Rosario, Vice President of the Republic of Nicaragua; Army General Julio César Avilés Castillo, Commander in Chief of the Nicaraguan Army; Major General Bayardo Rodríguez, Chief of Staff of the Nicaraguan Army; Major General Marvin Elías Corrales Rodríguez, Inspector General of the Nicaraguan Army, and Doctor Carlos Argüello, Representative of the Government and People of Nicaragua before the International Court of Justice. And we have here fellow ministers and brothers from the Command of the Nicaraguan Army.
I was telling you that this is a historic step we are taking, because it is a matter of compliance, that is to say, the Judgments were issued, the Sentences, but the Judgments order our countries to agree to comply with the Judgment; that is to say, they pass the responsibility on to us. The Court issues the Judgment and passes the responsibility to us, so that we comply.
But, in fact, this has been postponed, postponed and postponed.... We even took a historic step when we signed the Agreement, Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua, to develop the Gulf Zone, to turn it into an Economic and Social Zone, and a Territory of Peace. But it has been difficult to make progress in that direction, because although with Honduras we have managed to unite our wills, there have been difficulties with the Salvadoran brothers, with the Government of El Salvador.
We of course invite the Government of El Salvador to join this effort, because El Salvador is also obliged to reach an agreement, in this case with Honduras, to delimit.
The three countries have access to the Gulf and the three of us have access to the sea, and this must be delimited in order to put an end to conflicts and comply with the mandate of the International Court of Justice. That is to say, this is a step in which we are contributing to the strengthening of that Court, which is the instrument that the world's Nations have to resort to and there resolve their conflicts. And this is a contribution for Peace, and this will facilitate, of course, advances in the Programs, in the Projects, in the Gulf of Fonseca.
Here we have the Documents, then we are going to sign them. First, we are going to listen to the words of President Juan Orlando Hernandez.
Remarks by President Juan Orlando Hernández
Thank you very much, President Daniel Ortega. Nicaraguan brothers and sisters, without a doubt this is an extraordinary step for Peace, Coexistence and Development of our Peoples, and I emphasize in a Zone that has so much potential, such as the Gulf of Fonseca Zone, where since 2014, we have talked about this here in Managua, as you remembered, with the then President of El Salvador, out of duty, we said: Instead of the Gulf being a zone of conflicts, of problems, let us work to make it a Zone of Peace, of Development, that gives opportunities and employment to our people.
Today the Brotherly Peoples of Honduras and Nicaragua are making History, History by building Integration, based on Dialogue, on the Bonds of Friendship, to promote Peace and Development in the Region.
The Integrationist Dream of our General Francisco Morazán is getting closer and closer. This step is being taken, leaving behind conflicts of many years, and a path of opportunities for our people is beginning.
With much Joy, President, Vice President, and Commanders, Mr. Argüello, with much Joy and Hope, today, the Governments of Honduras and Nicaragua have signed this Integrationist Treaty within the framework of the Bicentennial Year, as you know, which has as its main objective tracing a Path of Peace, Prosperity, for our Peoples.
By signing this Document, Honduras and Nicaragua recognize our Border in the Gulf of Fonseca, ratifying what was already stated in the Judgment issued in 1992 by the International Court of Justice in The Hague. Here we are, as President Ortega said, executing what the Judgments say, and Honduras and Nicaragua send a Message to our Central American Peoples and to the World, that we respect those Judgments.
This Document reaffirms National Sovereignty and recognizes the maritime spaces that correspond to Honduras. That is how we Hondurans see it. That is why you will have seen, President, this delegation of men and women who have been working on this issue for decades.
I am honored to have them here, both leaders at the time, from the Armed Forces, from the Honduran Navy, from the Foreign Ministry, former Foreign Ministers, Technical Teams? In short, they have been promoting this, and for me it was important for them to be present, because they did their part and here is the generation that has made it possible for Honduras to reach this Agreement.
That is why I would like to thank the Minister of Defense, Freddy Díaz, who at the time was also Chief of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and also initiated these talks. General Alvarez, who has also been part of the talks, is not with us today. General Ponce Fonseca is here with us, thank you. And then it was the turn of General Tito Livio Moreno Coello, and likewise Attorney Ebal Diaz, who has been a permanent liaison between the two Presidencies.
So this allows us Hondurans, and I want to say it from Nicaragua, to make concrete the Logistics Strategy that Honduras has been developing to face the future in a competitive manner, and a Logistics System that is not only for Hondurans; we want it to be for Central Americans, for the Americas.
And I want to say it today from Nicaragua, if the Salvadoran brothers or the Nicaraguan brothers who are in the southern part want to move their products to the Atlantic through Puerto Cortes, or any other place, our highways, our ports, are for that. And it is proven that when there is Interregional Trade among the Central American Countries, the more the Central American Countries grow, and isn't this what we want for our people, jobs and opportunities? That's it! That is what it is all about.
I want to emphasize the Gulf of Fonseca because we believe that it can be a Zone of Peace, of Economic Development, of Prosperity, for hundreds of Communities that depend on all that wealth that the three Countries have there. And I believe that we are going to send a Message to the World, that from a place of Poverty, of difficult situations, of conflicts, it is going to be a Zone of Peace and Prosperity. I am sure of that, and that is why we have fought so hard for this day to come.
I would also like to recall that the Summit we held here in Managua resulted in a request to the Central American Bank, and the Central American Bank has prepared the Master Plan, by means of which, as President Ortega said, each country defined the priority projects to start with.
We propose our Dry Canal, it is practically finished up to San Lorenzo, the Henecán Port, but we believe that the Port of Amapala, which the Hague Judgment recognizes for Honduras, there in Amapala we have deeper waters and we can build that Dry Canal that will be for the development not only of Honduras, but of the Americas.
I would also like to take this opportunity to say that we are at this moment, President, waiting for a Resolution from the Board of Directors of the Central American Bank, which is going to approve a loan for the design and construction of the bridge that connects Amapala with the mainland. So I hope that this news that we are giving today to the Honduran and Nicaraguan people and to the entire international community, will be complemented by this other news from the Central American Bank.
You also defined your Projects there, and as President Ortega said very well, Honduras and Nicaragua continue working tirelessly since we made our commitment, and we have made significant progress. So we want to emphasize once again, and I am going to take the opportunity to use a popular saying from my hometown, which goes: "People understand each other by talking," and as my grandmother remarked, "the People," she used to say to me. And this Dialogue today has produced this extraordinary result.
You can be sure that the Honduran people are the brothers of the Nicaraguan people, and that is how we feel. I am about to finish my service as President of the Republic, and fortunately God has given me the opportunity to fight for Christian Principles and Values in which we believe, but also in that Solidarity, in that Brotherhood that has us here today.
I cannot finish without reiterating our Recognition to the Team, to whom we gave this Mission: Minister Freddy Diaz, thank you; to General Tito Livio Moreno, likewise, he is not with us today; General Videa who is also here, thank you General, and to Attorney Ebal Diaz.
I would also like to highlight Chancellor Lisandro Rosales with the Chancellery Team that provided support, Doctor López Contreras, Mr. Julio Rendón; Engineer Miguel Tosta is not with us; the Sovereignty and Borders Team, and all the men and women who have worked for years on this.
So, President, I am happy, honored on behalf of Honduras to be here. Let's sign!
Daniel's words
We are Brother Peoples and we recognize the efforts of the Honduran and Nicaraguan Working Groups. General Avilés with the Brothers and Sisters of the Army, Doctor Carlos Argüello with all his experience and wisdom, the Brothers of INETER contributing with the details, because it is not an easy task, and as you can see, that is why so many years passed.... Decades passed!
So, I am going to read here what we are signing:
"TREATY OF LIMITS BETWEEN THE REPUBLIC OF NICARAGUA AND THE REPUBLIC OF HONDURAS IN THE CARIBBEAN SEA AND WATERS OFF THE GULF OF FONSECA
That the Governments of the Republic of Nicaragua and the Republic of Honduras recognize the authority of the International Court of Justice and its contribution to the determination of their boundary limits particularly through the judgments of November 18, 1960, September 11, 1992 and October 8, 2007;
That with the same Central American Spirit that subscribed the Declaration of Managua of October 4, 2007 that establishes the Gulf of Fonseca as a Zone of Peace, Sustainable Development and Security, the Joint Declaration of the Trinational Meeting on the Gulf of Fonseca of August 25, 2014, the Joint Declaration of the Presidents of the Republics of El Salvador, Honduras and Nicaragua on April 11, 2019, as well as the Declaration of the Central American Integration System to advance in the integration of the region to constitute it as a Zone of Peace, Freedom, Democracy and Development;
That under the aegis of the values and aspirations of Generals Augusto Calderón Sandino and Francisco Morazán to promote Peace and Sovereign Respect of each one of our Nations, have agreed as follows:
FIRST: The parties recognize, accept and abide by the judgment of the International Court of Justice of October 8, 2007 which established the maritime boundary in the Caribbean Sea between both Countries and also fixed the starting point of the coordinates..." (and here the number of the coordinates). "Also, it urged the parties to negotiate in good faith the line of delimitation of the portion of territorial sea remaining between the point of the land boundary established by the Award of the King of Spain in 1906 and the point of the maritime boundary established by the Court."
(Imagine, since 1906 they are there pending to be resolved!)
"SECOND: The parties agree to use for the purposes of the present treaty as the final point of the land boundary, the point located at the coordinates..." (and here the number of the coordinates), "as recorded by the Honduras-Nicaragua Technical Commission in 2011 during the mapping processes at the mouth of the Rio Coco."
(That is, 10 years ago work was being done there.)
"THIRD: The parties agree that the final point of the land border established by the Award of the King of Spain of 1906, and that currently for the purposes of this treaty is the one reflected in the coordinates..." (and here the number of the coordinates), "is subject to periodic changes given the geographical circumstances of the area. Therefore, it is hereby established that the exact location of this point shall be subject to revision every ten years from this date by a Joint Commission to be appointed for this purpose. The Joint Commission may decide to anticipate the date of any revision if it considers that the circumstances so warrant.
FOURTH: The parties recall that the Judgment of the International Court of Justice of September 11, 1992 recognizes the existence of a tripartite presence in the waters in the central portion of the closing line of the Gulf of Fonseca and in the waters outside the same until a delimitation of the same was carried out.
FIFTH: The closing line of the Gulf extends from Punta Amapala to Punta Cosigüina, and for the purpose of achieving an equitable delimitation between the Contracting Parties, they agree to delimit the portion of the line located between the center point of said line at the coordinates..." (and here the number of the coordinates) "and Punta Cosigüina".
From that line to be delimited, Honduras is recognized as having sovereignty over a portion of three point one hundred and sixty-eight (3.168) miles between the point on that line with coordinates..." (and here the number of the coordinates) "and the midpoint of the closing line with coordinates...". The remainder of the closure line located between the coordinate..." (and here the number of the coordinates) "and Punta Cosigüina is recognized under the sovereignty of Nicaragua".
SIXTH: (Waters outside the Gulf) that is, already entering the open sea. "The rights over the maritime areas outside the Gulf generated by the closing line shall extend in the Pacific Ocean following an azimuth of 231° and shall be divided in the proportion resulting from the rights of each Party over the closing line. For greater clarity an illustrative map of the closure line and its projection into the Pacific Ocean is annexed to this Treaty". Here is the map.
SEVENTH: (Waters within the Gulf). The Gulf of Fonseca and its internal waters up to the closing line shall continue to be recognized as a historic bay and the rights of the riparian States to its use, including navigation, shall continue to be respected.
With this in mind the Contracting Parties agree to invite the Sister Republic of El Salvador to continue with the efforts to maintain the Gulf of Fonseca as a Zone of Peace, Sustainable Development and Security and to expand the ties of cooperation.
EIGHTH: The present treaty shall be subject to ratification by the National Assembly of the Republic of Nicaragua and the National Congress of the Republic of Honduras in accordance with the provisions of their national legislation; and shall enter into force on the date of the exchange of the instruments of ratification, and shall be registered with the General Secretariat of the United Nations Organization.
In witness whereof we have signed, acting in accordance with the powers and competencies that the national legislation provide us and the legal representative status of our Governments, we have subscribed the present Treaty in the city of Managua, Republic of Nicaragua, on the 27th day of the month of October of the year 2021.
For the Government of the Republic of Honduras, President Juan Orlando Hernández Alvarado, and the undersigned, for Nicaragua.