Bolivia's Ocean Access: A Complex Geopolitical Issue

Bolivia is a landlocked country in South America that has been seeking access to the ocean for over a century. The country lost its coastline to Chile after being defeated in the War of the Pacific in 1879-1883, resulting in the loss of 400 kilometres of coastline and 120,000 square kilometres of land. Bolivia has persistently pursued the restoration of its maritime access, leading to ongoing diplomatic tensions with Chile. Despite having access to ports in northern Chile, Bolivia has accused Chile of reneging on agreements granting access to additional ports. Bolivia's quest for ocean access has also led to a brief conflict with Paraguay and ongoing negotiations with Peru, which granted Bolivia access to a small stretch of its Pacific coast in 2010. The dispute between Bolivia and Chile reached a new level in 2013 when Bolivia took its case to the International Court of Justice, seeking to compel Chile to negotiate in good faith. The court ruled in 2018 that Chile was not obliged to negotiate, but Bolivia continues to pursue its aspiration for sovereign access to the ocean.

Bolivia lost access to the sea after the War of the Pacific with Chile

On the day of the auction, February 14, 1879, Chile sent a warship to the area and occupied the Bolivian port city of Antofagasta. War was declared between Bolivia and Chile on March 1, 1879, and between Chile and Peru on April 5, 1879. Chile easily occupied the Bolivian coastal region of Antofagasta and then took the offensive against Peru. Naval victories at Iquique on May 21, 1879, and Angamos on October 8, 1879, allowed Chile to control the sea approaches to Peru. A Chilean army then invaded Peru, and in January 1881, Chilean forces captured the Peruvian capital of Lima.

The war resulted in Chilean annexation of valuable disputed territory on the Pacific coast. Chile acquired the Peruvian territory of Tarapacá and the disputed Bolivian department of Litoral, turning Bolivia into a landlocked country. In 1884, Bolivia signed a truce that gave Chile control of its entire coast, and in 1904, the two countries signed the Treaty of Peace and Friendship, which made this arrangement permanent. Chile agreed to build a railroad connecting the Bolivian capital of La Paz with the port of Arica and guaranteed freedom of transit for Bolivian commerce through Chilean ports and territory. However, Bolivia has never given up its fight to regain some of the areas lost during the War of the Pacific and continues to pursue access to the sea.

Chile annexed 120,000 sq km of Bolivian land, leaving Bolivia landlocked

Bolivia is a landlocked country in South America. It does not have access to the ocean due to a centuries-long dispute with Chile, which resulted in the Chilean annexation of a significant portion of Bolivian land.

The conflict between Bolivia and Chile has its roots in the independence of these countries from Spain in the 19th century. When Simón Bolívar established Bolivia as a nation in 1825, he claimed access to the sea at the port of Cobija, disregarding Chile's overlapping claims. This disagreement over territorial boundaries, specifically the Atacama border, set the stage for the strained relations between the two countries.

The dispute intensified during the War of the Pacific (1879-1883), which was sparked by a row over taxation of the nitrate industry, a significant source of income for Chileans working in what was then Bolivian territory. Chile emerged victorious and annexed approximately 120,000 square kilometres of Bolivian land, an area comparable in size to Greece. Bolivia's coastline of 400 kilometres was lost as a direct consequence, rendering the country landlocked.

The War of the Pacific concluded with the signing of a peace treaty in 1904. Chile agreed to compensate Bolivia for the loss of land and granted access to Chilean ports, along with the construction of a railway connecting the Bolivian capital of La Paz to the port of Arica. However, the Bolivian government, led by President Evo Morales, has persistently challenged this treaty, arguing that it was imposed under coercive circumstances. Bolivia seeks to regain sovereignty over the land it once possessed and has not relinquished its efforts to reclaim portions of the Atacama Desert.

In 1975, a potential resolution emerged when Chile offered Bolivia a 10-kilometre corridor to the Pacific Ocean in exchange for a land swap and freshwater access. However, this proposal was never realised, and the reasons remain unclear. The dispute escalated further, leading Bolivia to take the case to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in 2013. Despite ongoing negotiations and attempts at rapprochement, relations between Bolivia and Chile remain tense, with both countries firmly asserting their claims.

Bolivia has never given up its fight to regain access to the sea

Bolivia has been landlocked since the end of the 19th century, when it lost access to the sea after being defeated by Chile in the War of the Pacific. The conflict, which lasted from 1879 to 1883, resulted in Chile annexing 120,000 sq km of Bolivian land, including 400km of coastline. Since then, Bolivia has never given up its fight to regain access to the sea.

The origins of the dispute between Bolivia and Chile can be traced back to the borders established by the Spanish Empire. Both countries had different views on whether the territory of Charcas, originally part of the Viceroyalty of Peru and later of Bolivia, included access to the sea. When Simón Bolívar established Bolivia as a nation in 1825, he claimed access to the sea, disregarding overlapping claims by Chile, which had gained independence seven years earlier.

During the War of the Pacific, Chile invaded the Antofagasta port city on its northern border with Bolivia due to a dispute over taxes. Within four years, Chile had taken control of almost 50,000 square miles of Bolivian territory, including its 250-mile coastline. In 1884, Bolivia signed a truce that gave control of its entire coast to Chile, and in 1904, the two countries signed the Treaty of Peace and Friendship, which made this arrangement permanent.

Despite the treaty, Bolivia has continued to seek sovereign access to the Pacific Ocean. In 1920, Chilean representatives said they were "willing to seek that Bolivia acquire its own access to the sea" during a meeting in La Paz. In 1950, the two nations agreed to enter into formal negotiations, but instead discussed improvements to the current arrangement. In the 1970s, Chile and Bolivia agreed to a territorial swap, known as the Charaña Accords, but this proposal was ultimately rejected by Peru, which had a stake in the territory involved.

In recent years, Bolivia has continued to pursue its claim to access the sea. In 2013, Bolivian President Evo Morales filed a lawsuit at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to force Chile to negotiate the handover of some of its land. Bolivia framed the suit as an economic matter, arguing that its GDP growth would be 20% higher if it had access to international waters. However, in 2018, the ICJ ruled that Chile was not obligated to negotiate with Bolivia on granting access to the sea.

Despite the ICJ's ruling, Bolivia has not given up on its pursuit of access to the Pacific Ocean. Bolivian President Luis Arce has offered a nine-point plan to establish diplomatic negotiations with Chile to resolve the dispute. While Chile has expressed a willingness to engage in dialogue, it maintains that the issue has already been settled by the ICJ. The dispute between Bolivia and Chile over access to the sea remains unresolved, and Bolivia continues to fight for its sovereign route to the sea.

Chile's 1975 offer to Bolivia for sea access in exchange for a land swap was never acted upon

Bolivia lost its access to the sea in 1879 after being defeated by Chile in the War of the Pacific. As a result, Chile annexed 120,000 sq km of Bolivian land, causing Bolivia to lose 400km of coastline. Bolivia has been fighting to regain some of the areas lost in the Atacama Desert ever since.

In 1975, Chile's government, led by Augusto Pinochet, made a proposal to Bolivia, offering a 10km continuous corridor of Chilean land from the sea to the border between the two countries in exchange for the same amount of Bolivian territory. This proposal, known as the Charaña Accords, involved former Peruvian land, and according to the Treaty of Ancón, Chile could not give away former Peruvian territories without Peru's agreement. The dictator of Peru, Francisco Morales-Bermúdez, opposed these changes but proposed that Arica become a territory governed by the three states. Chile rejected this proposal, stating it could not accept shared sovereignty.

The reasons for the lack of action on the 1975 offer are unclear. However, legal and political analysts have suggested that Pinochet was aware that the Charaña proposals would ultimately fail due to Peruvian opposition and that he made the offer as a mere gesture towards Bolivia.

In 2013, Bolivia took the case to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague, seeking to force Chile to negotiate access to the Pacific Ocean. In 2018, the ICJ ruled that Chile was not obligated to negotiate with Bolivia towards granting it sea access. Despite the ruling, Bolivia continues to pursue negotiations with Chile, and in 2021, Bolivian President Luis Arce offered a nine-point plan to establish diplomatic negotiations to resolve the dispute.

Bolivia was granted access to a small stretch of Peru's Pacific coast in 2010

Bolivia has been a landlocked country since the end of the 19th century. The country lost its coastline to Chile following the War of the Pacific (1879-1883). The war was fought between Chile, Bolivia, and Peru, with the former emerging victorious and annexing valuable disputed territories on the Pacific coast.

In 2010, Bolivia was granted access to a small stretch of Peru's Pacific coast. The Peruvian president, Alan García, signed a deal with the Bolivian president, Evo Morales, allowing Bolivia to build and operate a small port near Ilo, on Peru's southern coast. The agreement also allowed Bolivia to moor naval vessels and operate a free trade zone. This deal was a significant step towards Bolivia's dream of regaining a coastline and becoming a maritime nation once again.

The deal with Peru was also a diplomatic statement directed at Chile, which had seized Bolivia's coastline during the War of the Pacific. Despite this agreement, Bolivia has continued to pursue negotiations with Chile to regain access to its historic coastline. In 2013, Bolivia took its case to the International Court of Justice (ICJ), arguing that Chile was obligated to negotiate and grant Bolivia sovereign access to the sea. However, in 2018, the ICJ rejected Bolivia's arguments, ruling that Chile was not obliged to negotiate.

Bolivia's pursuit of maritime access has been a longstanding issue in the country's politics. Despite being landlocked, Bolivia maintains a navy and annually celebrates the Day of the Sea. The country has continued to seek negotiations with Chile and explore alternative routes to the ocean, such as transitioning trade to Peruvian ports, to reduce its dependence on Chilean ports.

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