Actually you’re wrong when you generalize as to the treatment that the Sea Search Armada received from Colombia’s judicial system, particularly from its Supreme Court in its most recent ruling. They won at the initial court level, they won at the appeals court and they won at the Supreme Court. Basically after they filed their claim to the San Jose, (though they don’t specifically name the wreck) Congress passed a law giving the discoverer a 5% “fee” for its efforts. Sea Search filed suit arguing that they could not change the rules in the middle of the game as the governing law under which their permit was issued was a 50-50 split. The Supreme Court ruled in favor of Sea Search Armada as all logic would make one agree with. The problem has arisen when the ½ mile by one mile discovery area where they stated the wreck lies was later surveyed in 1994 by Tommy Thompson under contract by the Colombian government and it was proved that there was no wreck at the declared site. The future for this lawsuit is somewhat uncertain as one is given the impression that Sea Search wants to be allowed to continue their search into other areas outside their filed claims. One is given the clear impression in reading the Supreme Court sentence that if SSA wanted to go recover whatever was or is in their area, first they would be allowed to and second they would receive 50% of whatever is there. Sadly there is nothing there; after their long ordeal nothing would be more just than to be rewarded with the recovery of this great wreck. Once it’s all secured and recovered one only wonders how long until Spain shows up claiming all the gold and silver as theirs…
Panfilo