SAEDNEWS: The President of Colombia has ordered the retrieval of the largest treasure from the floor of the Caribbean Sea. Next, we delve into the details of the discovery of history’s greatest treasure.
According to the Saed News society section, citing Gadget News, Colombian President Gustavo Petro has ordered the recovery of the San José galleon from the seabed of the Caribbean—a ship rumored to carry treasure worth around $20 billion, often described as the largest treasure in the world. Here’s a closer look at the story behind the discovery of the San José galleon’s treasure.
Juan David Correa, Colombia’s Minister of Culture, stated that the president intends to fully recover the San José galleon before the end of his term in 2026. Plans to extract the ship are currently progressing at a rapid pace.
The San José galleon anchored off Barú Island, near Cartagena, on June 8, 1708, in the midst of the War of Spanish Succession. Shortly after, it engaged in a naval battle with four British warships and ultimately sank due to severe damage from enemy cannon fire. Of the 600 crew members on board, 589 perished, while only 11 survived.
At the time, the San José was transporting resources from newly discovered territories back to Spain. During the War of Spanish Succession, it shuttled between Peru and Spain, carrying jewels and precious metals. Numerous stories recount the ship’s final voyage, with most estimates suggesting it carried at least 200 tons of gold, silver, and emeralds mined in Bolivia.
For nearly 300 years, the sinking of the San José was considered more legend than fact, as the ship’s exact location remained unknown. In 1981, an American company, Glocca Mora, claimed to have pinpointed the location of the world’s largest treasure. Colombia agreed to award the company half of the treasure’s value once it was recovered.
Three decades later, in 2015, then-President Juan Manuel Santos announced that the Colombian Navy had discovered the San José wreck in a location different from that reported by Glocca Mora. While the new coordinates have not been publicly released, Glocca Mora maintains that the ship was found at the same location it identified 34 years earlier.
Who Owns the San José?
Due to the immense value of its cargo, the San José has been called the “Holy Grail of sunken ships.” Although the ship has not yet been recovered, legal battles over ownership are ongoing.
Colombia asserts that the ship’s contents belong to the country, as the wreck was found in its territorial waters. Meanwhile, Glocca Mora, which first located the ship and submitted the coordinates to Colombia, claims a share of the treasure and has filed a lawsuit under the U.S.-Colombia Trade Promotion Agreement seeking $10 billion.
Spain also continues to claim a portion of the treasure, arguing that it was en route to Spanish ports. Additionally, the indigenous Qara Qara community asserts that the metals aboard the ship were originally mined by their ancestors and should be returned to them.
Recently, the Colombian military released footage of an exploratory mission on the San José wreck, revealing gold coins, glass bottles, ceramic and porcelain vessels, and numerous cannons. Officials confirmed that, so far, there has been no human interference with the ship’s remains.
