Chile and Bolivia work to resume diplomatic relations after decades-long hiatus

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – Chile and Bolivia, which have had no formal diplomatic relations since 1978, resumed the dialogue suspended in 2010 and agreed to implement a road map, which does not include the Bolivian maritime demand, Chilean Foreign Minister Andres Allamand said Friday, May 7th.

“In order to restore bilateral relations between Bolivia and Chile, on Friday, April 30th, delegations from the Plurinational State of Bolivia and the Republic of Chile met in La Paz,” Allamand said at a press conference in the government’s seat of La Moneda Palace, in Santiago.

However, the Minister pointed out that the two representations agreed to proceed with a road map that does not include Bolivia’s demand for an outlet to the sea.

Bolivia lost its coasts after a war with Chile at the end of the 19th century. This is the heart of the dispute that has maintained the two countries apart since 1978.

During the meetings in La Paz “the Chilean delegation reiterated to its counterpart that for Chile the Bolivian maritime aspiration has been definitively resolved,” said Allamand, who clarified that this new dialogue does not entail the resumption of diplomatic relations.

After decades of failed attempts to resolve the matter, in 2013 Bolivia brought a lawsuit before the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague to force Chile to negotiate an outlet to the ocean.

In October 2018, the ICJ dismissed the Bolivian lawsuit by arguing that Chile had no obligation to negotiate sovereign access to the sea with Bolivia.

Source: DW