Sunk more than 300 years ago at the bottom of Colombian waters, the San José took with it jewels and objects of great value. His treasure is estimated between 15 and 20 billion dollars. Today, several countries are competing for ownership of this wreck. Colombia, for its part, says it wants to make it a scientific mission.
In May, the Colombian government declared the site of the Spanish galleon San José a protected archaeological zone. This archaeological zone declaration “guarantees the protection of heritage through its long-term preservation and the development of research, conservation and valorization activities,” declared the Ministry of Culture.
The first phase of research entitled “Towards the heart of the galleon San José” is described as non-intrusive. It involves sending robots to a depth of 600 meters to film and photograph the ship. “A diagnosis will be carried out using remote-controlled sensors, so there will be no excavation or intervention,” explains Maria Victoria Uribe, director of the Colombian Institute of Anthropology and History, in the RTS show Tout un Monde on Wednesday.
“The objective is to understand how the ship has transformed over the last three centuries,” she explains. The institute also hopes to use this information to reconstruct the history of the ship, determining the origin of its materials and objects.
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Decolonization and cultural repair
Since the 18th century, the San José has rested in the Caribbean Sea between Cartagena and the Rosary Islands. The ship, which belonged to the Spanish crown, was sunk by English pirates. Its gold, silver coins and jewelry are estimated to be worth nearly $20 billion. A treasure that sows discord between several countries including Spain, Colombia and the United States, all of which claim its ownership.
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The indigenous nation of Qhara Qhara in Bolivia also lays claim to its riches, arguing that they came from their lands and were extracted by indigenous Bolivians under Spanish coercion.
Although this loot attracts many interests, Colombia insists that the mission must remain scientific. Since the wreck is in its territorial waters, Colombia declares that it is of national cultural interest and that all of its contents belong to it. “In order to share what we will discover, we invite all interested countries to participate in the project,” explains Adriana Molano.
According to her, Colombia therefore wants to share its knowledge, but also “to initiate different debates (…) and initiate an open dialogue with Spain on decolonization, as well as with Bolivia and the Qhara Qhara nation on historical reparation , spiritual and cultural,” she adds.
A museum for San José
The first concrete results of the scientific mission should be revealed at the end of the year. When the mission is launched, a dedicated website will be launched. “It will provide access to the information collected during the first research phase,” says Vice Admiral John Fabio Giraldo Gallo, in charge of the team.
According to the Ministry of Culture, all the objects, samples or materials that will be extracted from the galleon will be used to create a museum which will retrace the history of the ship and the period of Spanish colonization in Latin America.
No information has been released regarding the market value of the ship’s cargo. However, a lawsuit has been filed by the American company Sea Search Armada against the Colombian state since last February. The company claims 50% of the value of the goods, claiming to have been the first to discover the wreck in 1982.
Radio subject: Najet Benrabaa
Web adaptation: Miroslav Mares
