Sea or Death: Bolivia's Fight For a Coast

The endless march of white sailor caps which barely rise from the ground is followed by the goosesteps of soldiers, similarly dressed in sailor uniforms. Every March 23^rd Bolivia celebrates the Day of the Sea, remembering the loss of the Litoral region at the hands Chile, a loss that ultimately landlocked the nation. The Pacific War and its outcomes come to the minds of thousands as parades of schoolchildren, soldiers, and patriotic images reaffirm Bolivia's unrelenting desire to once again reclaim its territory. This issue has become paramount to Bolivia's foreign relations with Chile, and to the point that Bolivia has started The War of the Pacific, which was fought between Chile and a Bolivian-Peruvian Alliance from 1879 to 1883, ended with Chile gaining control over such a sizable chunk of land that it completely landlocked Bolivia. In 1904, Bolivia and Chile signed a peace treaty where Chile compensated the loss of land to Bolivia by allowing it to access Chilean ports and building a railroad from the now Chilean city of Arica to the Bolivian capital of La Paz. The diplomatic

relations between the countries has since then been strained, and by 1978 diplomatic relations ceased. Despite this, much of Bolivian trade still passes through Chilean ports. Since assuming the presidency in 2005, Bolivian President Evo Morales has stated that the 1904 treaty is unfair, and wishes to regain sovereign control over the territory that once belonged to Bolivia. Chile, although willing to negotiate with Bolivia about port access, is steadfast in maintaining control over the disputed area.

On April 15 of 2014, President Morales formally presented the documents containing Bolivia's claim at the International Court of Justice. In the formal case, Bolivia argues that it wants sovereign access to the sea, not modified borders. Chilean President Michelle Bachelet responded by questioning the ICJ's authority over this case, since the treaty in question was signed in 1904, decades before the ICJ's creation. Chile's claim effectively postponed the case, and it was determined early in February that the first hearings over Chile's objections will be held on May 4^th for Chile and on the 6^th of the same month for Bolivia.

When it filed its claim with the ICJ, Bolivia was confident that the ICJ would work in its favor. Mere months before the formal claim, the ICJ had settled a case in favor of another victim of the Pacific War. In January of 2014, the ICJ ruled in favor of Peru against Chile in a maritime border dispute, awarding Peru some 50,000 sq km of ocean that formerly belonged to Chileans. Bolivia's change from demanding the territory to a more realistic claim of sovereign access to ports has certainly helped Bolivia's chances in this case. However, Chile remains confident that the legal paperwork is on their side.

Meanwhile, Bolivia and Chile are settling another dispute concerning the area in a different international setting. Bolivia has brought a case to Chile and the Latin American Integration Association (ALADI) claiming that Chile is restricting access to Bolivian truck drivers. In order to settle this dispute, Bolivia and Chile will hold bilateral meetings in March, at the ALADI headquarters in Montevideo, Uruguay.

While it is certain that this issue will not lead into armed conflict, there is no doubt that it has heated up tensions in the area. Although Bachelet and Morales, both socialist presidents, have gradually imroved relations between their countries, there is no sight of establishing diplomatic relations, especially after the rocky relationship between Morales and former Chilean president Sebastian Piñera. Peru has also become a player in this dispute. Recently, Peruvian Minister of Foreign Affairs Gonzalo Gutierrez weighed into the dispute between Chile and Bolivia, stating that Bolivia's claim has nothing to do with the 1904 peace treaty. Chile accused the Peruvian minister of interfering with the case, however the Peruvian president, Ollanta Humala, has stated that Peru is not taking sides in this dispute.

While the dream of reclaiming the land that once belonged to it remains just a dream, Bolivia confident that it will gain a faster access to the sea that used to raise Bolivian flags. Maybe, some March 23, Bolivia will celebrate its Day of the Sea next to the sound of crashing waves. Until then, however, the dream lies in the hands of The Hague.