Aymara natives attend a ceremony for repatriated Bolivian soldiers on March 4, 2013. JORGE BERNAL/AFP/Getty Images
On Tuesday, the latest aftershock of 2013’s Chile-Bolivia spat hit: Chilean President Sebastian Piñera slamming his Bolivian counterpart Evo Morales in a radio address. The harsh words — he accused Morales of applying a double standard in his dealings with Bolivia — came after the return, on March 1, of three Bolivian soldiers who had spent over 30 days detained in Chile. (They received a hero’s welcome.) Chilean security forces had arrested them for carrying weapons and illegally entering Chilean territory in late January. The Bolivian government didn’t recognize these charges, arguing that the soldiers were part of an anti-smuggling operation and were illegally detained -– Bolivian President Evo Morales went so far as to label them as “political hostages.” Morales also stated that the soldiers’ safe return was a victory for the country and a sign of “unity” of all Bolivia, and complimented one of the soldiers, a sergeant, for allegedly not giving in to bribery.Piñera, for his part, declared that La Paz is not coherent in its relations with Santiago, arguing that the situation could have been avoided if there were better defense relations between the two countries.
And while La Paz and Santiago managed to peacefully resolve this crisis, which became a minor international sensation, the incident must be placed in the context of the historical relations between the two South American countries as well as their current geopolitical realities.
Bolivia and Chile have had a tense history dating back to the 19th-century War of the Pacific (1879-1883) which pitted Chile (with military aid from the British Empire) against Peru and Bolivia. Santiago ultimately emerged victorious and, as part of the spoils of war, obtained Peruvian and Bolivian coastal territory, transforming Bolivia into the landlocked state that it is today. The war became a critical part of Bolivian and Peruvian national identities. Bolivian political and military leaders regularly state their goal to regain access to the Pacific Ocean during ceremonies held by the Bolivian navy.
The recent crisis was the latest in a string of battles between the two governments. In 2006 the Bolivian government began building military posts along its borders with Chile and other neighboring states, prompting an expression of concern by the Chilean government. Likewise, the Chilean military’s ongoing purchases of weaponry (F-16 warplanes from Holland and German Leopard tanks) have provoked Bolivian analysts to publish commentaries highlighting how militarily weak their country is, should a military conflict occur with Chile. Due to their arms purchases and the general lack of progress regarding some kind of sea access for Bolivia, Morales has made some aggressive statements regarding Chile; for example he has labeled the nation a regional security threat.
Recently, President Morales made an ambitious declaration that Bolivia will once again have sea access by 2025, though it is unclear how this will be achieved. In late January Morales offered Santiago a gas-for-passage deal: Bolivia would sell its natural gas to Chile in exchange for coastal territory. Morales’ move drew criticism from Bolivian policymakers and was ultimately rejected by the Chilean government. Due to it being a landlocked country, Bolivia uses Chilean ports to export its valuable natural resources (such as gas) to customers around the world. Nevertheless, years of tensions and incidents with Santiago have made La Paz look for alternatives to Chile (Peru is a likely option). A shift it in port usage could severely impact the economy of northern Chile and could hurt President Piñera’s popularity.
At the time of this writing, hemispheric attention is focused on Venezuela due to the recent passing of President Hugo Chávez and the incognita of what a post-Chávez Venezuelan government will look like. Nevertheless, as iconic and influential Chávez was during his long presidential tenure, there are several Latin American inter-state disputes that do not revolve around the deceased Venezuelan leader. The aforementioned territorial dispute and recent incident between Bolivia and Chile is one example. Other ongoing disputes include the upcoming referendum in the Falklands/Malvinas islands, as Argentina claims ownership over them (the South Atlantic islands are a British overseas territory), and a maritime dispute between Peru and Chile currently being trialed in the International Court of Justice. Chávez’ outspokenness and foreign policy decisions made him an icon in the Western Hemisphere — and a reliable source of news stories — but these recent days should serve as a welcome reminder that there are many more regional power struggles that deserve attention than the brewing crisis in Caracas.
