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 The ship named San Jose, thought by historians
to be carrying one of the largest unsalvaged maritime treasures,
sank in 1708 near the historical Caribbean port of Cartagena,
and its wreckage was located in 2015.
"The discovery of this ship - one of the most important that
navigated in our seas during colonial times - begins a new
chapter in the cultural and scientific history, not only of
Colombia, but of the entire world," Santos said on national
television from Cartagena.
"Questions about navigation, world trade, about colonial costs,
will be answered."
The government will accept further offers to recover the ship
and its treasure, Santos said. A museum will be built to
showcase artifacts found in the wreckage.
Santos did not disclose the investor behind the first proposal
or its terms.
Sonar images have so far revealed bronze cannons made
specifically for the ship, arms, ceramics and other artifacts.
Archaeological excavation and scientific tests on the wreck will
continue to ensure it can be properly preserved, Santos said.
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The San Jose was part of the fleet of King Philip V, who fought the
English during the War of Spanish Succession. Some 600 people died
in the shipwreck when an English fleet engaged the galleon in a gun
fight.
A team of international experts, the Colombian navy and the
country's archaeology institute discovered the wreck in 2015.
The San Jose was the subject of a legal dispute between Colombia and
Sea Search Armada, a U.S.-based salvage company, which said in 1981
it had located the area where the ship sank.
The company and the government agreed to split any proceeds from the
wreckage, but the government later said all treasure would belong to
Colombia, a view that was backed by a U.S. court in 2011.
(Reporting by Helen Murphy; Editing by Cynthia Osterman)
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