Colombia threatens to redraw Caribbean maritime border with Nicaragua

Colombian President Abelardo de la Espriella has threatened to unilaterally redraw his country's maritime border with Nicaragua in order to expand Colombia's territory. The warning, made on Monday, reopens a long-running dispute over sovereignty in the western Caribbean.

Key facts

• Colombian President Abelardo de la Espriella issued the threat on Monday, a day before 20 October 2026
• He said he would redraw the maritime border unilaterally to expand Colombia's territory
• He said he would use force to defend the waters
• A 2012 International Court of Justice ruling affirmed Colombia's sovereignty over an archipelago off the Nicaraguan coast
• Under that ruling, Bogotá lost thousands of square miles of maritime territory

What is changing?

De la Espriella said the waters in question belong to Colombia and that he would use force to defend them. He did not set out in the source how or when any redrawing of the maritime border would take place.

What is the background?

A 2012 ruling by the International Court of Justice — the UN court that settles disputes between states — confirmed Colombia's sovereignty over an archipelago off Nicaragua's coast. At the same time, the ruling cost Colombia thousands of square miles of maritime territory.

Who is the Colombian president?

Abelardo de la Espriella is described as a right-wing populist who won the presidency earlier this year. Maritime sovereignty in the western Caribbean is not historically a prominent issue in Colombian politics.

What this means for travellers

The source describes a diplomatic and territorial dispute only. It announces no changes to visas, passports, entry rules or travel documents for Colombia or Nicaragua, and gives no guidance for travel in the region.

No timetable for any unilateral action has been announced, and the source states no further steps to come.