Costa Rica on Wednesday asked the Organization of American States to investigate its allegation that troops from neighboring Nicaragua had unlawfully entered its territory.
Some OAS member nations reacted cautiously to the request, and a special session called to discuss the issue was suspended until the evening so that ambassadors could consult their governments.
Costa Rican Foreign Minister Rene Castro asked the regional organization "to intervene so that Nicaragua withdraws its troops from Costa Rican soil."
The diplomat asked the OAS to form a commission to visit the San Juan River border area, where Costa Rica charges that Nicaraguan troops have occupied part of its territory in recent days.
Nicaragua, for its part, has denied that its troops have crossed the border and its representative to the OAS rejected the proposed visit, calling it "totally out of line."
Costa Rican President Laura Chinchilla later charged that Nicaraguan troops were occupying Calero Island in Limon province, where they have set up tents, raised the Nicaraguan flag, "destroyed" a protected forest and dumped sediment causing "serious environmental damage."
She called on her people to face this provocation "with caution and reason."
"We'll continue standing our ground and fighting for justice. This is our strength, the strength of reason and not the strength of arms," she added. "Our weapons are dialogue and international rights, we're working with that."
Costa Rica, which has no army, has sent heavily armed police to the border.
The dispute arose over Nicaragua's dredging of a river that separates the two countries, which Managua claims is within its rights under bilateral agreements.
Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega had earlier rejected the OAS as a forum for airing the dispute, and said he would take the case to the International Court of Justice in the Hague.
Mexico, the United States and Guatemala said they favored forming an OAS commission to mediate the dispute, while Venezuela has warned against any third party intervention in bilateral disputes.
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