Countries share $20 billion worth of sunken treasure (12 photos + 1 video)

The depths of the World Ocean still hold many secrets and treasures. Soon, one of these trophies, nicknamed the “Holy Grail of sunken ships,” will be raised from the bottom of the Caribbean Sea by order of the Colombian government.





Treasures worth an estimated $20 billion will be recovered from the seabed.



It is believed that the Spanish galleon San Jose, which sank more than three centuries ago, contained about 200 tons of wealth - gold, silver and emeralds.

Colombian President Gustavo Petro ordered the administration to extract treasures from the bottom of the Caribbean Sea as soon as possible.

Culture Minister Juan David Correa told Bloomberg: "The president told us to step up the pace."





However, three states lay claim to the San Jose treasure. Spain and Bolivia's indigenous Khara Khara people claim these values were taken from their ancestors.

In addition, the company that originally discovered the wreck in 1981 has made a claim.

Spain, Colombia and the indigenous population of Bolivia lay claim to the treasure



In 2015, the Colombian navy stumbled upon a Spanish flagship near the port of Cartagena.

Then Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos said that this was “the most valuable treasure found in the entire history of mankind.”

Experts believe that the San Jose galleon carried a cargo of 200 tons of gold, silver and emeralds



The San Jose has been called the "Holy Grail of Shipwrecks" because of the historical value of its artifacts, which can shed light on the political, social and economic environment of the early 1700s.

The British fleet sank a 60-gun galleon on June 8, 1708, during the War of the Spanish Succession. Subsequently, for almost three centuries its whereabouts remained unknown.

Colombian President Gustavo Petro said he wants to raise the ship before his term expires in 2026.



There were about 11 million gold and silver coins on board







Footage from the shipwreck shows gold coins, dishes and surviving weapons



Over the past few years, there has been controversy surrounding the theft of African art from Western colonial times.

In August 2022, London's Horniman Museum agreed to hand over 72 artifacts to the Nigerian government, including brass plates known as the "Benin Bronzes" that British soldiers removed from Benin City in 1897.



According to National Geographic, the 5,000 Benin bronzes created between the 13th and 16th centuries come not from modern Benin, but from the former kingdom of Benin, located nearby.