Treaty of Cuba

Treaty of Cuba

Treaty concluded by Captain Loch, on the part of Great Britan, with the Commissioners of the State of Nicaragua.
Signed	March 7, 1848
Location	Island of Cuba, Lake Nicaragua
Ratified	March 8, 1848

The Treaty of Cuba, signed on 7 March 1848, was a bilateral agreement between Great Britain and the State of Nicaragua, negotiated on a small island called Cuba in Lake Nicaragua. The treaty resolved an armed confrontation between the Royal Navy and Nicaraguan forces that had taken place in February of that year over Mosquitian-British diplomatic and commercial interests, and the status of the Kingdom of Mosquitia—a British-protected indigenous polity on the Central American Caribbean coast.

Background

In early 1848, escalating tensions between Great Britain and the Republic of Nicaragua culminated in open conflict. The Kingdom of Mosquitia, under British protection, claimed the Caribbean port town of Grey Town (also known as San Juan del Norte), which Nicaragua viewed as part of its national territory. These competing claims sparked a series of incidents, most notably the detention of two British subjects, Captain Charles Little and Major G. Hodgson, by Nicaraguan authorities on 9 January 1848.

In response, the British Consul-General in Bluefields, Patrick Walker, appealed to Rear Admiral Charles Austen, Commander-in-Chief of the Royal Navy’s West Indies Station, for military intervention. Admiral Austen dispatched H.M.S. Alarm under Captain Granville G. Loch and H.M.S. Vixen under Commander Ryder to Mosquitia.

The Royal Navy launched a military expedition up the San Juan River, culminating in the Capture of Fort Serapaquí on 21 February 1848. After a grueling 72-hour ascent against river rapids and heavy resistance, British forces stormed and occupied the fort, defeating Nicaraguan troops and dismantling their defenses. This show of force pressured the Nicaraguan government to enter negotiations.

Negotiation and Signing

Negotiations took place on 7 March 1848 aboard British naval vessels anchored at Isla de Cuba, a small island in Lake Nicaragua. Representing Nicaragua were three government commissioners: Francisco Castellón, Juan José Zavala, and José María Estrada. Captain Granville G. Loch, acting on behalf of the British government, served as plenipotentiary.

The Treaty of Cuba consisted of six articles addressing the immediate causes of the conflict and reaffirming Britain’s protection over the Kingdom of Mosquitia. Notably, it avoided definitive resolution of the territorial question, instead deferring it to future diplomatic negotiation.

Key Provisions

1. Release of British Prisoners: Nicaragua agreed to surrender Captain Little and Major Hodgson, who had been seized at Grey Town, within twelve hours of the treaty’s ratification.
2. Restitution and Apology: Nicaragua was to return a Mosquitian flag and other items taken during the January incident and provide a formal explanation for what Britain considered an affront to its national honor. The Nicaraguan government expressed ignorance that disrespecting the Mosquitian flag—flying under British protection—would be viewed as an insult to the British flag itself.
3. Non-Aggression Clause: Nicaragua pledged not to interfere with the peaceful population of Grey Town, with any such disturbance to be interpreted by Britain as an act of war.
4. Customs and Tariff Enforcement: The Mosquitian-established tariff in effect since 1 January 1848 was reaffirmed, and Nicaragua agreed not to establish competing customs posts near Grey Town.
5. Withdrawal of British Troops: British forces agreed to withdraw from Fort San Carlos and return to Grey Town upon Nicaragua’s fulfillment of treaty obligations, including the release of prisoners and delivery of reparations.
6. Future Diplomatic Resolution: Both parties agreed that Nicaragua could seek a final resolution of the dispute through a diplomatic envoy to the British government.

Ratification

The treaty was ratified the following day, 8 March 1848, by the Constituted Assembly of the State of Nicaragua. In its formal decree, the assembly confirmed Nicaragua’s acceptance of the treaty “for the term necessary to decide definitively” the Mosquito question through formal diplomacy. The Director of State, Sebastián Salinas, conveyed this ratification to Captain Loch and expressed Nicaragua’s desire for renewed friendship with Great Britain.

Aftermath

In a letter dated 14 March 1848, Captain Loch informed George Augustus Frederic, the King of Mosquitia, of the treaty’s conclusion and congratulated him on the preservation of his rights over Grey Town. Loch appointed Captain Charles Little as port captain and customs collector for Grey Town and instructed him to report to Bluefields and the Governor of Jamaica. However, he also recommended that Major Hodgson be excluded from future service due to his conduct under Nicaraguan interrogation.

Loch advised the king to consult with Dr. Green, a resident in Bluefields, regarding future administrative matters following the death of Consul-General Walker. The treaty thus marked both a temporary cessation of hostilities and a reassertion of British protection over Mosquitia, setting the stage for further diplomatic and political negotiations.

Signatories

On behalf of Great Britain:

• Captain Granville Gower Loch, R.N., commander of H.M.S. Alarm

On behalf of the State of Nicaragua:

• Francisco Castellón, Minister of Finance
• Juan José Zavala
• José María Estrada

Legacy

The Treaty of Cuba was a turning point in the protracted struggle between Nicaragua and Britain over the control of Grey Town, and Mosquitia as a whole. While it reaffirmed British protection in the short term, the deeper territorial and legal disputes remained unresolved, contributing to continuing diplomatic tensions throughout the mid-19th century.