Rescue Mission Launched for Sinking Ship Carrying Billions in Gold
Colombian Government Begins Retrieval of 300-Year-Old Sunken Treasure Despite Controversy
The Colombian government has made the decision to remove the San Jose galleon, a shipwreck that sank 300 years ago, carrying jewels and gold. This move comes despite criticism from various parties. In a statement released by Colombian Minister of Culture Juan David Correa, it was announced that the retrieval operation has commenced and is expected to be completed within three years. The treasure, which is estimated to be worth between four and twenty billion dollars in gold, has been the subject of much speculation and intrigue.
The San Jose galleon met its demise at the hands of the British in the Caribbean on June 8, 1708, during the War of Spanish Succession. The ship, along with its crew of 600 people, sank to the depths of the ocean, resulting in the loss of the priceless cargo.
This is not the first time that attempts have been made to recover the San Jose galleon. In previous years, a US-based company known as Glocca Morra claimed to have located the shipwreck. A joint agreement was reached between Glocca Morra and the Colombian government, in which the company would receive half of the treasure, and the government would be granted access to a coordinate indicating the location of the wreck. However, in 2015, then-President Juan Manuel Santos announced that the Colombian Navy had discovered the shipwreck in a different region, which was kept classified as a “state secret.”
This development has sparked a lawsuit filed by Sea Search Armada, another company involved in the search for the San Jose galleon. According to Sea Search Armada, the coordinates provided to Colombia by Glocca Morra in 1981 were initially obtained by their organization. They are now demanding a sum of ten billion dollars from the Colombian government under the U.S.-Colombia Trade Promotion Agreement.
The retrieval of the San Jose galleon remains a significant undertaking, both in terms of historical importance and potential economic value. As the excavation process unfolds over the next few years, the world eagerly awaits the unveiling of this 300-year-old treasure trove.
