The Nicaragua Canal: Will it Ever be Built?

The Nicaragua Canal: Will It Ever be Built?canal.
Everyone knows about the Panama Canal, and how itThe Nicaragua Canal proposals ultimately lost to the
connects the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. However,Panama Canal proponents when a Nicaraguan stamp
not everyone knows that the United States originallydepicting the Momotombo volcano was printed.
wanted to build this canal through Nicaragua,Lobbyists led by William Nelson Cromwell made use of
information on which can be found in It was onlythe stamp to argue that the Nicaragua canal was
through the efforts of a few lobbyists and the Frenchexposed to the threat of volcanic activity, although
intention to sell their interests on the Panama Canalsuch claims were unfounded as Momotombo was
that this plan was diverted.significantly distant from the proposed Nicaragua canal.
Early ProposalsHowever, the die was cast. Panama Canal was
Like the Panama Canal, ideas for the construction ofchosen over the Nicaragua canal and the efforts of
trans-oceanic canal through Nicaragua had beenCromwell - who was under the employ of the French
proposed by Spanish colonial administrations. As forCanal Syndicate - paid off. In 1902, majority of the U.S.
Nicaragua, the Federal Republic of Central America -senators voted for Panama, driven by the stamps and
composed of El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras,a volcanic eruption in Saint-Pierre, Martinique.
Nicaragua, and Costa Rica - made the proposal inAfter failing in getting the United States to build the
1825 to the United States.canal, President Santos Zelaya turned to Germany
In line with its proposal, the Republic made surveys,and Japan for financial support. However, the United
which showed that the canal would be 278 kilometersStates opposed the construction, because it would
long. The canal's route would be parallel the San Juanpose competition for the high successful Panama
River and enter Lake Nicaragua, after which locks andcanal.
tunnels would be built in order to link the lake to thePresent Proposals
Pacific Ocean.The idea of building a Nicaragua canal has once again
Washington, D.C. was impressed with the proposedbeen revived in 2004. The Nicaraguan government
canal, which prompted a presentation to the U.S.made pitches to build a canal which could be large
Congress by Secretary of State Henry Clay.enough to accommodate modern ships whose
However, the Congress rejected it because of thecapacities made them unable to traverse the Panama
poverty and political instability of the Nicaragua area.Canal.
The British's presence in British Honduras and theThe proposals met again fierce opposition. This time
Mosquito Coast also played a part in the rejection ofthe opposition came from the environmental sector,
the proposed canal.who argued that the canal would most likely damage
The Nicaraguan government turned to other means,Nicaragua's rivers and jungles.
by entering into a contract with Cornelius VanderbiltDespite oppositions, Nicaraguan President Enrique
which enabled his company the exclusive right to buildBolanos announced intentions to push through with the
a canal for 12 years. Vanderbilt's company, theNicaragua Canal plans. According to the official, the
Accessory Transit Co., would also solely administrateNicaragua canal would work well with the Panama
the temporary overland trade route through the RivasCanal - an expansion of which is also being proposed
isthmus. However, the canal was not completedto answer the new ship capacities - because there is
because of the Nicaraguan Civil War and Williamdemand to have two trans-oceanic canals to exist in
Walker's invasion of the region.the Central American isthmus.
The Panama Canal is BuiltOne of the advantages being cited by Bolanos is that
Two more proposals were pitched forward for thethe canal, which is estimated to cost around US$18
construction of the Nicaragua Canal. The first was inbillion, can shorten sea travel to and from California and
1897 by the U.S. Nicaraguan Canal Commission, andNew York by a day. Compared to the Panama
another one in 1899 by the Isthmian Canal Commission.Canal's capacity to accommodate ships having a
It should also be noted that the second commissiondisplacement of only 65,000 tons, the proposed
gave the U.S. the second option of continuing theNicaragua canal can accommodate up to 250,000
French construction of the Panama Canal, which wastons.
failing due to inhospitable conditions and high mortalityAside from the Nicaragua canal, there were also
rate among the workers.proposals to build an overland link made by two
The Nicaragua canal faced yet again severalcompanies: the Intermodal System for Global
oppositions, although several key figures supported theTransport and the Inter-Ocean Canal of Nicaragua. SIT
idea like the Nicaraguan minister in Washington LuisGlobal's proposals also call for a combination of oil
Felipe Corea. The U.S. government even entered intopipeline and fibre optic cable in addition in addition to a
talks with Nicaraguan president Jose Santos Zelayarailway.
for a lease in preparation for the construction of this