‘It’s complicated. The Nicaraguans and the Hondurans fish there, they overexploit the biosphere reserve, they don’t respect the closed season.’ I like that he mentions the Seaflower. ‘If we see something, we report it right away, and the Navy elements have to launch an interception from the base in Albuquerque or from the nearest ship.’

‘I’m on holiday here, a long holiday – there’s all sorts of things I’m only learning now, although I read everything I can find about Nicaragua. I don’t see an easy end to it.’

The captain clears his throat and suggests I read about the interoceanic canal the Chinese want to build; it’ll damage the largest lake in Central America. A journalist recently interviewed him for his take. The piece will be published this weekend, he says.

‘I’ve heard about the canal, but it doesn’t sound viable. What’s the point of another one, if they’ve just widened the locks of the Panama Canal?’

It must be a front for military operations – but also for mining. The light changes on Cinco Esquinas and I let him know he won’t be able to advance any further; the centre is blocked by a group of Raizals. ‘Well, no one’s better suited to protect what’s theirs, right?’ I’m surprised by his reaction. ‘But the real danger’s way out there.’ I thank him. ‘Good luck, neighbour!’ he says as I get out.

I walk towards the blockade, passing tourists, residents riding motorcycles up onto the pavements, plump women shopkeepers peeking out onto the street, their hips slung over one leg, arms crossed. I thought it would be more crowded. There must be thirty protesters at most.

‘So what’s all this?’ As I soon as I lift the yellow caution tape around the occupied area, I find Juleen, standing cross-armed, too. ‘What’s the blockade for?’

She greets me with a kiss on the cheek, looking serious, aloof from the men shouting into the megaphone.

‘The water situation was never settled, as you know, and now the organisation’s demanding solutions to the population crisis.’

The daily birth rate is out of control and the hospital is overwhelmed. To top things off, the company that runs it has declared bankruptcy and won’t be renewing the contract. Any mothers who can manage it get up and leave, they go out and give birth outside – ‘So what kind of future is there for the Raizal people?’ Juleen wonders aloud, and I’m ashamed to have no answers. No one has been born on Providencia for some time. That will slowly start to happen here too, except for the irregular workers, who have no choice but to take the risk and give birth here.

‘We don’t want any more tourists! No more!’ yells a skinny old man clutching a microphone. His t-shirt says S.O.S.