Colombia Withdraws from Bogota Treaty’s ICJ Compulsory Jurisdiction Provision

Still smarting from the ICJ’s judgment last week awarding rights to Nicaragua over territorial waters claimed by Colombia, President Juan Manuel Santos announced that Colombia is withdrawing from the 1948 Bogota treaty granting jurisdiction to the ICJ to resolve disputes between signatories.   Since Colombia was obviously the host to the treaty’s creation and (until now) had made no limitations on its obligations under that treaty, it seems like a pretty big deal.  Colombia has also not accepted the compulsory jurisdiction of the ICJ under the ICJ Statute.  So this is a blow (albeit a non-retroactive one) to the ICJ’s reach and authority in Latin America.