Historical Hatred: Chile And Bolivia's Conflict

Bolivia and Chile have had a tumultuous relationship, with anti-Chilean sentiment prevalent in Bolivia due to historical disputes. The root cause of this animosity can be traced back to the War of the Pacific, which took place between 1879 and 1884, resulting in Bolivia losing its access to the Pacific coast and becoming landlocked. This loss has had significant implications for Bolivia's economy and trade, as it relies heavily on exporting natural gas, ores, and precious minerals. The War of the Pacific left a deep scar on Bolivia, and even today, Bolivians continue to feel a sense of resentment towards Chile, with some even dreaming of reclaiming their lost coastline.

Bolivia's loss of Pacific coast access to Chile

Bolivia and Chile have had strained relations since gaining independence from Spain in the early 19th century. This is largely due to the Atacama border dispute, which began in 1825 and centred around competing claims to the Atacama Coast.

The dispute escalated into the War of the Pacific in 1879, which Chile won. As a result, Bolivia lost its coastline on the southern Pacific Ocean and became a landlocked country. This loss of access to the Pacific has had significant consequences for Bolivia's economy and national pride.

The War of the Pacific was triggered by a dispute over taxes. In 1879, Bolivia increased taxes on the export of saltpeter, in violation of a treaty signed with Chile in 1866. When Chilean-owned saltpeter companies refused to pay the increased taxes, Bolivia expropriated the companies and sold them at a public auction. In response, Chile declared war on Bolivia and occupied its coast. Within four years, Chile had annexed almost 50,000 square miles of Bolivian territory, including its coastline.

Bolivia signed a Treaty of Peace and Friendship with Chile in 1904, accepting the loss of its coastline in return for "fullest and freest" commercial access to Chilean ports. However, Bolivia has never forgotten its dream of regaining access to the Pacific coast. Every year on March 23, Bolivians celebrate a national Day of the Sea to commemorate their lost coastline.

The loss of Pacific coast access has had significant economic implications for Bolivia. In 2013, Bolivia's former president Eduardo Rodríguez Veltze claimed that the country's annual GDP growth would be 20% higher if it still had a route to international waters. Bolivia's lack of direct access to the sea has also hindered its ability to export natural resources, such as gas reserves discovered in the early 2000s.

Bolivia has continued to pursue negotiations with Chile over regaining access to the Pacific coast. 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. However, the ICJ ruled against Bolivia, stating that Chile was not required to surrender its territory. Despite this setback, Bolivia has not given up on its dream of restoring its access to the Pacific coast.

Bolivia's claims to territory on the Pacific coast

The roots of the dispute can be traced to the borders established in the Spanish Empire, with both countries disagreeing on whether the territory of Charcas, originally part of the Viceroyalty of Peru, later of the Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata and ultimately of Bolivia, included access to the sea. Bolivia claims it did, while Chile disagrees, and both countries support their claims with different documents.

The War of the Pacific was triggered by a dispute over taxes in the Antofagasta port city, which Chile invaded in 1879. Within four years, Chile had annexed the Bolivian department of Litoral, along with the Peruvian Tarapacá department and Arica province. In 1884, Bolivia signed a truce that gave control of its entire coast and the province of Antofagasta to Chile, formalised by the Treaty of Peace and Friendship in 1904.

Bolivia has never forgotten its dream of returning to the Pacific coast and continues to pursue this goal. Every year on March 23, Bolivians celebrate a national Day of the Sea, commemorating their lost coastline. In 2013, Bolivia's 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, arguing that access to the sea was essential for the country's economic growth. However, the ICJ ruled against Bolivia in 2018, stating that Chile was not obliged to negotiate granting Bolivia access to the sea. Despite this setback, Bolivian President Luis Arce stated in 2021 that the dispute is still an "open and pending" issue and offered a nine-point plan to establish diplomatic negotiations with Chile.

The War of the Pacific

On February 14, 1879, Chile's armed forces occupied the Bolivian port city of Antofagasta, leading to Bolivia declaring war on Chile on March 1, 1879. Peru, bound by a secret alliance with Bolivia, was drawn into the conflict, and Chile declared war on both Bolivia and Peru on April 5, 1879. The war played out in naval campaigns and battles fought in the Pacific Ocean, the Atacama Desert, the Peruvian deserts, and the mountainous interior of Peru. Chile's land campaign ultimately overcame the Bolivian and Peruvian armies. Bolivia withdrew after the Battle of Tacna on May 26, 1880, leaving Peru to fight alone for most of the war. Chilean forces occupied Peru's capital, Lima, in January 1881, and the remaining Peruvian forces waged a guerrilla war.

The war concluded with Chile's victory and significant territorial gains. Chile acquired the Peruvian territory of Tarapacá, the disputed Bolivian department of Litoral (turning Bolivia into a landlocked country), and temporary control over the Peruvian provinces of Tacna and Arica. The Treaty of Ancón, signed between Chile and Peru on October 20, 1883, ceded Tarapacá to Chile and established a ten-year deadline for a plebiscite to determine the nationality of Tacna and Arica. However, the plebiscite never took place, and the dispute over these territories continued for decades. In 1929, through US mediation, an accord was reached, with Arica going to Chile and Tacna returning to Peru.

Chilean expansionism

Chile's significant territorial acquisitions, which occurred mostly in the 19th century, were driven by the country's desire to establish itself as a tricontinental state with an extensive coastline. This expansionist policy was influenced by the country's geopolitical and national identity ambitions. To achieve these goals, Chile increased its military power, particularly its naval presence, to pursue a policy of intimidation and force.

To its north, Chile imposed its dominance by eliminating the threat posed by the union of Bolivia and Peru during the War of the Confederation (1836-1839). This was followed by the conquest of these countries' mineral-rich territories in the Atacama region during the War of the Pacific (1879-1884). As a result of this conflict, Chile expanded its territory northward, eliminating Bolivia's access to the Pacific and occupying the Peruvian capital. Bolivia's loss of its seaports during this war has been attributed by some Bolivians as a cause for the country's underdevelopment, and this sentiment has been exploited by Bolivian politicians for over a century.

Chile's expansionist drive also extended to the south and east, where it used military force and colonisation to occupy Araucanía (1861-1883) and successfully dispute Argentine claims over westernmost Patagonia and the Strait of Magellan. Chile's interest in expanding its influence also included the islands of the Pacific Ocean, with the annexation of Easter Island in 1888 being a culmination of this effort.

The relative success of Chile's expansionist policies attracted the attention of other expansionist powers, such as the United States, and solidified Chile's status as a regional power in Latin America. However, Chile's territorial expansion also left a legacy of distrust with its neighbours, and all of these countries continue to have boundary disputes with Chile. Additionally, the mistreatment of the non-Chilean inhabitants of its conquered territories, including the forced cultural assimilation process of "Chilenization", has led to internal tensions and calls for greater autonomy, if not independence, from groups like the Mapuche and the Rapa Nui.

Bolivian politicians exploiting anti-Chilean sentiment

In Bolivia, anti-Chilean sentiment is fuelled by the country's claims to territory on the Pacific coast, which was lost to Chile in the War of the Pacific. Bolivia attributes its underdevelopment to the loss of seaports in this war, which left the country landlocked. This anti-Chilean sentiment has been exploited by Bolivian politicians for more than a century.

Bolivians also use the derogatory term "roto" ("tattered") to refer to Chileans. The term was first used to describe Spanish conquerors in Chile, who were badly dressed and preferred military might over intellect. Now, it is used to disparage people who are ill-mannered or mentally broken.

Chileans have also been accused of appropriating elements of other cultures, including dishes, drinks, hairstyles, and even music and dance. Bolivian politicians have been known to exploit anti-Chilean sentiment by making statements that blame Chile for Bolivia's problems. For example, a politician might say something negative about Chile to gain popularity, as one commenter on a Reddit thread about anti-Chilean sentiment in Latin America points out.

The anti-Chilean sentiment in Bolivia is so strong that some Bolivians hate Chileans with all their guts, according to a commenter on the same Reddit thread. This sentiment is not reciprocated by Chileans, who don't even think about them, according to another commenter.

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