{"id":650,"date":"2025-12-04T15:51:51","date_gmt":"2025-12-04T15:51:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/aguasamargas.com\/historical-documents\/"},"modified":"2025-12-20T09:59:21","modified_gmt":"2025-12-20T09:59:21","slug":"historical-documents","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/aguasamargas.com\/en\/historical-documents\/","title":{"rendered":"Historical Documents"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\n

INTRODUCTION<\/highlight> \u2014 Historical Documents Section<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The history of the San Juan River\u2014and its influence on the identity, sovereignty, and geopolitics of Costa Rica\u2014cannot be understood without directly consulting the documents that shaped its destiny. From binational treaties to arbitral awards, passing through constitutions, official maps, military diaries, and government records, this collection reveals how the legal and political memory surrounding the most disputed river border in Central America was constructed (and in many cases, how it was distorted). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This section brings together primary sources and essential documents<\/strong>, accompanied by contextual notes that facilitate their reading. Its purpose is twofold: <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n
  1. To offer researchers, students, and readers a reliable consultation space<\/strong>, and<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  2. to highlight historical omissions<\/strong>\u2014among them the systematic absence of references to the Transit Campaign and Major M\u00e1ximo Blanco Rodr\u00edguez in subsequent legal processes, from the 19th century to the litigation in The Hague in the 21st century.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    This living archive will grow with new incorporations, transcriptions, maps, and analyses as the trilogy Las Aguas del Olvido<\/em> progresses. Included here is what is essential to understand how the San Juan was negotiated, how its sovereignty was interpreted, and how national memory was shaped by silences, conveniences, and far-reaching geopolitical decisions<\/strong>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n\n\n\n

    <\/highlight>RECOMMENDED LIST OF HISTORICAL DOCUMENTS<\/strong><\/h1>\n\n\n\n

    (Organized by categories + space for expansion)<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n\n\n\n

    I. Bilateral Treaties and Agreements (19th\u201321st Centuries)<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    Documents that defined the border, navigation, and legal status of the San Juan River.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      \n
    1. <\/highlight>Ca\u00f1as\u2013Jerez Treaty (1858)<\/a><\/strong>\u2013 Fundamental legal basis for the limits between Costa Rica and Nica<\/highlight>ragua.\u2013 Defines navigation, sovereignty, and Costa Rican access.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    2. <\/highlight>Arbitral Award of President Cleveland (1888)<\/a><\/highlight><\/highlight><\/strong>\u2013 Arbitration by U.S. President G<\/highlight>rover Cleveland that interprets ambiguous points<\/highlight> of the Ca\u00f1as\u2013Jerez Treaty.\u2013 Profound impact on the concept of \u201cnavigation for commercial purposes\u201d.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    3. <\/highlight>Alexander Agreement (1897)<\/a><\/strong>\u2013 Complementary regulation derived from the Cleveland Award.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    4. <\/highlight>Treaty on Aquatic and Insular Boundaries (1914)<\/highlight><\/a><\/strong>\u2013 Related to the Caribbean de<\/highlight>bouchement.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    5. <\/highlight>Judgment of the International Court of Justice \u2013 Isla Portillos \/ Isla Calero case (2015)<\/a><\/strong>\u2013 Contemporary resolution on territorial and environmental rights.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    6. <\/highlight>The Hague Judgment – Costa Rican Navigation in the San Juan River (2009)<\/a><\/strong>– International determination of the right of free navigation with restrictions.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n
      \n

      <\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

      \n\n\n\n

      <\/highlight>II. Constitutions and National Legal Framework <\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
        \n
      1. <\/highlight><\/a><\/highlight>Political Constitution <\/highlight>of C<\/highlight><\/highlight><\/highlight><\/highlight>osta Rica of 18<\/highlight>59<\/a><\/highlight><\/highlight><\/strong>\u2013 Contains the legal framework in force dura<\/highlight>nte the post-filibuster war and the period immediately following the historical silence.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
      2. Political Constitution of Costa Rica of 1871<\/strong>\u2013 Reorganizes the vision of the State and the role of the army in national memory.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
      3. Constitutional reforms related to sovereignty, navigation, and limits<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n
        \n\n\n\n

        III. Official Maps and Historical Cartography <\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
          \n
        1. Official map of the San Juan River \u2013 British Admiralty (1856\u20131858)<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n
        2. Costa Rican cartography of the 19th century<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n
        3. Military sketches of La Trinidad, Castillo Viejo, and Sarapiqu\u00ed<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n
        4. Diplomatic boundary maps (1858\u20131888)<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n
        5. Cartography of the litigation in The Hague (2009\u20132015)<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n
          \n

          <\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

          \n\n\n\n

          IV. Military Archives and Campaign Diaries <\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
            \n
          1. Diary of Major M\u00e1ximo Blanco Rodr\u00edguez (1856\u20131857)<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n
          2. Diary of Presbyter Rafael Brenes<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n
          3. Diary of the Anonymous Army Officer (National Archive)<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n
          4. Memoirs of the Ministry of War (1857)<\/strong>\u2013 Includes reports on the capture of steamboats and river operations.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
          5. Military reports of the Transit Campaign<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n
          6. Correspondence of Spencer, Barillier, and other officers<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n
            \n\n\n\n

            V. Government Records and Political Documents<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
              \n
            1. Minutes of the Government Council (August 1860)<\/strong>\u2013 \u201cIt is agreed to offer citizen Mora a life annuity if he lays down his arms.\u201d<\/li>\n\n\n\n
            2. Minutes of Congress on recognition of veterans from 1856\u201357<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n
            3. Decrees related to the Transit Route and Vanderbilt<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n
            4. Diplomatic correspondence between Costa Rica, Nicaragua, and the United States (1856\u20131890)<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n
              \n\n\n\n

              VI. Relevant International Sources <\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
                \n
              1. Documents of the Transit Company of Cornelius Vanderbilt<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n
              2. U.S. government archives on William Walker<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n
              3. Chronicles from the New York Herald and other foreign newspapers<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n
              4. Records of the Arbitration Tribunal (Cleveland Arbitration)<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n
              5. Resolutions of the International Court of Justice (2009\u20132015)<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n
                \n\n\n\n

                VII. Spaces for Future Incorporations <\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

                Documents contributed by readers and researchers<\/highlight><\/highlight><\/p>\n\n\n\n

                Annotated transcriptions<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                Comparative analyses<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                Facsimiles and engravings<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                Critical bibliography<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                Material for Aguas Silenciadas<\/em> and La Frontera del Agua<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

                INTRODUCTION \u2014 Historical Documents Section The history of the San Juan River\u2014and its influence on the identity, sovereignty, and geopolitics of Costa Rica\u2014cannot be understood without directly consulting the documents that shaped…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":651,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-650","page","type-page","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"yoast_head":"\nHistorical Documents - Las Aguas Amargas del San Juan<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/aguasamargas.com\/en\/historical-documents\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"es_ES\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Historical Documents\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"INTRODUCTION \u2014 Historical Documents Section The history of the San Juan River\u2014and its influence on the identity, sovereignty, and geopolitics of Costa Rica\u2014cannot be understood without directly consulting the documents that shaped...\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/aguasamargas.com\/en\/historical-documents\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Las Aguas Amargas del San Juan\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-12-20T09:59:21+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/aguasamargas.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/DOCUMENTOS-TRATADOS.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1350\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"611\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Tiempo de lectura\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"3 minutos\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/aguasamargas.com\\\/en\\\/historical-documents\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/aguasamargas.com\\\/en\\\/historical-documents\\\/\",\"name\":\"Historical Documents - 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