One of the world’s most sought-after, fought over and valuable shipwrecks has been discovered off the coast of Colombia, President Juan Manuel Santos confirmed Saturday.
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Santos didn’t mention any salvage company’s claim during his presentation but the government said that the ship had been found November 27 in a never-before referenced location through the use of new meteorological and underwater mapping studies. The British sought to capture them as a way to cut off Spain’s war finances.
The company and the government agreed to split any proceeds, but the government later said all treasure would belong to Colombia, a view that was backed by a USA court in 2011.
The ship was sunk in 1708 in the Caribbean Sea close to the walled port city of Cartagena during heavy fighting with the British.
Colombia’s Supreme Court has ordered recovery of the treasure before the worldwide dispute can be settled.
But Colombia broke an 1984 agreement to give the US salvagers 35% of the treasure and prevent the Americans from salvaging the shipwreck at the bottom of the sea, the USA firm contended.
Silver coins recovered from the San Jose.
The galleon was the main ship in a treasure fleet carrying gold, silver and other valuable items from Spain’s American colonies to King Philip V.
“In the armada of 1708, the value of the cargo on the flagship alone exceeded Spain’s annual national income from all sources”.
“The galleons were lumbering bank vaults”, according to SSA’s historical account.
Pedro Mendoza/AP Ernesto Montenegro, Director of the Colombian Institute of Anthropology and History of Colombia, talks to the media while he shows a picture of remains of the Galleon San Jose. “This is the work of many years, a lot of work at that and a collaborative effort that has finally come to light, and there’ll be much work ahead of us, but this was a huge triumph”.
“I am very pleased, as head of state, to inform you that, without a doubt, we have found, 307 years after its sinking, the galleon San Jose“, Santos said at a press conference. In the footage English-speaking crew members aboard a Colombian naval ship can be seen launching the underwater vehicle into the ocean.
“The Colombian government will continue its investigative process of exploring, of protecting submerged cultural patrimony”.
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Santos said many details about the discovery need to remain confidential and that the presidency was the only institution authorised to provide information about the find.
