Google Maps Error Justifies Invasion

Based upon an error in Google Maps, it's claimed that Nicaraguan troops have invaded Costa Rica by crossing the San Juan River and setting up camp. The recognized border is the river.

As justification, Nicaraguan commander Eden Pastora, a former Sandinista, pointed to Google Maps, "See the satellite photo on Google, and here you see the frontier. In the last 3,000 meters both sides are Nicaraguan. From there to El Castillo the border itself is the right bank, clearly."

Costa Rican President Laura Chinchilla asked for international intervention since her nation has no army.

"Costa Rica is seeing its dignity smeared and there is a sense of great national urgency," Chinchilla said Saturday after a meeting with the Organization of American States Secretary General Jose Manuel Insulza…."

Google has promised to correct the map error as soon as possible even though Nicaragua asked that they don't.

"I officially request that (the border marking) not be modified," Foreign Minister Samuel Santos asked Google representative Jeffrey Hardy, AFP reports.

The nearly 200-year-old border dispute reignited in mid-October after Nicaragua started dredging the San Juan to restore its route to what it was a century and a half ago, according to news reports.

Pastora claimed the territory in question is a frontier because the river has changed its course since the borders were first drawn up, according to La Nacion.

Google's acknowledgement of responsibility is published in an entry on the Google Lat Long Blog.

We became aware of a dispute that referenced the border between Costa Rica and Nicaragua as depicted on Google Maps. This morning, after a discussion with the data supplier for this particular border (the U.S. Department of State), we determined that there was indeed an error in the compilation of the source data, by up to 2.7 kilometers.

The U.S. Department of State has provided a corrected version and we are now working to update our maps.

One must wonder if nations other than banana republics would ever use Google Maps as justification for invading a neighbor country. Let's hope not.

Companion post at TJR.