The majestic ARC Gloria, a sailing school for officer candidates in the Colombian Navy, made a friendly visit to the port of Limon over the weekend. According to newspaper La Prensa Libre, the frigate’s mission in Limon was to strengthen ties between the Costa Rica and Colombia, the closest South American neighbor -geographically speaking.

The Gloria’s home port is Cartagena de Indias. She not only serves as the officer candidate seagoing school; she is also the flagship of Republic of Colombia.

The new training regime of the Colombian naval officers is not limited to maritime warfare. Colombian midshipmen are now required to learn a great deal of history, culture, and even biodiversity -one of the reasons they docked in Limon.

The spokeswoman for the ARC Gloria and the Colombian Navy, Eliana Patricia Tolosa Rincón, explained that the 160 crew members and midshipmen are in a diplomatic mission.

Opposition to Military Vessels in Costa Rica

Ticos are generally opposed to the docking of warships in Costa Rica. The country’s abolishment of its military more than sixty years ago has shaped the thought of many Ticos who are often suspicious of the intentions that foreign navy ships may bring along.

American warships constantly request permission to enter Costa Rican waters, and are often denied. Just like any other vessel from a foreign navy, the ARC Gloria has to ask for permission to enter the maritime sovereign jurisdiction of Costa Rica, but her mission is radically different.

The fundamental opposition to the sailing of U.S. Navy ships in our waters is based on the Ley 7929 – Acuerdo de Patrullaje Conjunto (Mutual Patrol Agreement) of 1999. The agreement invites vessels from the U.S. Coast Guard to patrol alongside our vessels in search and rescue, law enforcement and drug interdiction missions. The U.S. has been trying to send its Navy vessels to our region for years, and it has often been rebuked by the National Assembly. Amphibious assault ships from the U.S. have docked in our shores in recent years -to conduct humanitarian missions.

The National Assembly has come to expect requests from the U.S. to send Navy ships for patrols following a humanitarian mission. According to La Nacion, President Laura Chinchilla urged the National Assembly last week to allow U.S. Navy vessels in our shores, lest Washington begin to doubt our country’s commitment to fight drug trafficking. The insistence of the U.S. has left many legislators wondering why Washington does not want to send Navy ships to other Central American nations.