Colombia Catalogues Over 1,100 Artefacts from Spanish Galleon San José

Colombian President Gustavo Petro presented the latest advancements in the archaeological investigation of the Spanish galleon San José on Monday, which has so far catalogued a total of 1,138 artefacts. "The scientific expedition has explored approximately 461,000 m2, confirming the presence of elements of great historical value for the country's cultural and archaeological heritage," his administration highlighted in an official statement.

Petro welcomed representatives from the Ministry of Cultures, Arts and Knowledge, the Colombian Institute of Anthropology and History, and the General Maritime Directorate at the government headquarters in Bogotá. They explained "the achievements" of the programme named 'Towards the Heart of the San José Galleon'. It is "the first Protected Archaeological Area in Colombian maritime waters and one of the few in deep waters worldwide," the statement also emphasised.

Colombia is investigating the remains of the Spanish galleon while the legal dispute continues at the Permanent Court of Arbitration following the lawsuit filed in 2022 by the American company Sea Search Armada, reports Europa Press. The company hopes to claim part of the treasure found in the ship after locating the wreck.

The process is valued at approximately 8.5 billion euros, a sum demanded by the company, claiming it had already discovered the assets in the 1980s and asserting it is a case of expropriation by the Colombian Government.

Meanwhile, the government led by Pedro Sánchez also maintains legal differences with the Colombian administration's actions, reiterating that it is "a state-owned vessel of Spanish ownership". However, the Ministry of Culture, headed by Ernest Urtasun, has indicated that negotiations with Petro's Cabinet continue for the study and preservation of the ship's remains and the artefacts it housed.