A piece of history seems to be replaying in the images broadcast by the Colombian army.
In crystal clear water, a piece of bow emerges, transporting us through time to three centuries ago.
The terrible battle of Baru… June 1798. The cannons shake the waters of the Caribbean Sea.
The English naval force faces the terrible Spanish armada.
But at that time, Hispanics weren't so scary anymore.
And they are no longer the masters of the seas of the globe.
The San Jose, a magnificent 70-gun galleon, one of the largest in the Spanish crown, sank.
The ship was carrying in its holds an invaluable treasure… 200 tons of gold, silver and emeralds.
A value of several billion dollars with current currencies.
A legend is born.
In 2015, Colombia announced that it had found the boat, lying 950 m deep.
"It's the most precious treasure ever discovered in the history of humanity", launches the Colombian president at the time, Juan Manuel Santos, putting an end to the hopes of treasure hunters around the world.
The Colombian army has since carried out several missions to ensure the condition of the wreck and its treasures.
“This important discovery, this level of precision that we have reached, guarantees the protection of the San Jose galleon while advancing in a future extraction process, keeping it intact as a heritage of humanity, obviously under the sovereign custody of our country", explained the current Colombian President, Iván Duque.
Spain and native Bolivians claim ownership of the galleon that was carrying wealth from the Viceroyalty of Peru.
But Colombia maintains that the remains of the boat and its precious cargo are its “entire” property.
