Colombia is racing against time to recover an estimated $20 billion worth of sunken treasure from the historic shipwreck of the Spanish galleon San José.
The urgency stems from a legal battle with a U.S. company that claims half of the treasure, sparking a high-stakes race to reclaim the Holy Grail of shipwrecks.
Colombia’s Quest for the San José’s Legacy
The San José, a 62-gun Spanish galleon, met its fateful end on June 8, 1708, when it was sunk while attempting to elude British warships off the coast of Colombia.
Laden with a treasure trove of gold, silver, and emeralds owned by private Peruvian and European merchants, the ship now rests approximately 700 feet below the Caribbean Sea’s surface, not far from the historic port of Cartagena.
The exact value of the treasure has been a subject of debate for decades, with estimates ranging from $4 billion to an astounding $20 billion. Ownership of this priceless treasure has also become a contentious issue.
Read more: California CalFresh Benefits For Students: What’s The Maximum Food Stamp Amount?
Historical Ownership Claims Complicate the Recovery
Colombian President Gustavo Petro, whose term ends in 2026, has made the recovery of the San José treasure a top priority. Minister of Culture Juan David Correa emphasized Petro’s commitment to expedite the process.
Declaring that the president has told us to pick up the pace, Correa reaffirmed the government’s resolve to retrieve this priceless piece of historical artifact.
However, a legal dispute complicates the effort. Glocca Morra, now operating under the name Sea Search Armada, contends that the San José wreck discovered by the Colombian Navy in 2015 is part of the same debris field found in 1981.
As a result, they are suing the Colombian government for an astounding $10 billion, equivalent to half the estimated worth of the treasure.
The fate of San José’s treasure remains uncertain, as Colombia navigates the complexities of historical ownership claims and legal battles while working diligently to unearth this iconic piece of maritime history from the depths of the Caribbean Sea.
Read more: Trump Faces Crucial Testimony In New York Fraud Case Involving His Business
