Earlier this week, President Daniel Ortega in Nicaragua introduced a legislative proposal that would authorize the construction of a canal that would allow ship transit from the Caribbean to the Atlantic, according to a news report from the Agence France-Presse (AFP) published on Yahoo News. Officials in Costa Rica reacted to the news by demanding an explanation from Nicaragua over concerns that such a project may once again impinge upon sovereignty issues.

The AFP report indicates that the legislative proposal tendered by President Daniel Ortega introduces six different inter-oceanic routes for a shipping canal. One of the proposed routes coincides with the dredging operations on the San Juan River supervised by the aging former guerrilla commander Eden Pastora in 2010. That particular round of dredging ended up in a military incursion by Nicaraguan soldiers into Costa Rica. That incident would infamously become known as the Google Maps invasion due to declarations given to the press by Mr. Pastora.

Mr. Pastora, who in the past has sought asylum in Costa Rica and established a headquarters for different business concerns, is the current project leader for the proposed canal. Estimates on the cost of the assessments and construction of the project have been announced: $350 million for the initial study and $30 billion for actually building it.

The demands for an explanation by Costa Rica focus on the diplomatic dispute over the Google Maps invasion, which is currently being tried at the International Court of Justice in The Hague. President Ortega has already issued a short answer to the demands. According to the AFP, President Ortega stated that:

“No one can forbid the option of constructing the canal in the San Juan River and Lake Nicaragua.”