Bolivia and Chile project a “practical agenda” of five points, but far from the sea

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – The new president of Chile, Gabriel Boric, asked his country’s Congress to extend for 15 days the military presence on the border with Bolivia to prevent irregular migration, especially of Venezuelan citizens. Shortly before, he made it clear that he would not negotiate sovereignty regarding the country’s historic maritime claim. By return mail, the next signal will be issued from La Paz by President Luis Arce on March 23, the Day of the Sea.

Given this scenario, Chancellor Rogelio Mayta had already established some of the bases this message may have. He proposed a “sincere dialogue” on urgent issues, including a request for cooperation from Chile for migratory control and the national urgency to stop smuggling. The Iquique Free Trade Zone (Zofri), a port that is not part of the free transit system established in the 1904 Treaty, is the main gateway for consumer goods coming into the country from Asian suppliers.

The head of the diplomacy also made it clear that the maritime claim is an “irrefutable” issue for the country in the terms in which it is inscribed in Article 268 of the Political Constitution of the State. Previously, the Bolivian Foreign Ministry also assumed a part of the October 1, 2018 ruling by which the International Court of Justice (ICJ) declared that dialogue could continue on “matters relating to Bolivia’s Mediterranean situation”. The main hammer blow of the ruling affirms that Chile has no obligation to negotiate sea in favor of Bolivia.

“The Court closed the case with that; for Chile, the issue of the maritime claim is a closed matter,” said Loreto Correa, professor at the National Academy of Political and Strategic Studies of the neighboring country.

“Beyond the background, I believe that both countries must renew their bilateral relationship based on the conviction that they are and will continue to be neighbors whose complementary relations are remarkable. I have always maintained that it is essential to establish full diplomatic relations to forge and sustain a productive bilateral relationship in all common areas, including explicitly the maritime issue,” said former President Eduardo Rodríguez Veltzé, who was Bolivia’s agent before the ICJ for the trial that was resolved there in 2018.

Now, based on this scenario, both nations agreed on an urgent plan of about five points, which began to be worked on since May 24 when Mayta met with Andrés Allamand, the last foreign minister of the Sebastián Piñera era, to address a “road map” of bilateral relations.

The first item on this urgent agenda has to do with “security and border”, an aspect related to the fight against smuggling and drug trafficking. In the last seven years, at least seven border incidents resulted in the arrest of two Chilean carabineros in the national territory (2017) and 12 Bolivian militaries prosecuted in Chile. Three Bolivian uniformed officers, arrested in September 2021 after being accused of robbery and illegally crossing the border, are still under house arrest in Pozo Almonte (Iquique).

These incidents occurred during chases of trucks loaded with merchandise being shipped at the Zofri or vehicles that were also being transported from there.

The second item raised with insistence by Chile is that of “migratory issues”. Based on a state of exception, Boric has maintained the military control measures in the 861 kilometers of border with Bolivia.

In fact, since Friday, the second extension of this military control measure has been applied. Piñera began to apply these rigorous controls on February 18. “If we evaluate the difficult context of the humanitarian crisis, but which is also a national problem (for Chile), we are obviously going to have to consider a new extension in 15 days,” said Izkia Siches, the new Chilean minister of the Interior.

In an interview with CNN, her predecessor, Rodrigo Delgado, said that “Bolivia did not collaborate in stopping this migratory crisis” and pointed out that this will be a crucial issue in Boric’s relationship with Arce.

On February 3, Bolivia and Chile held a virtual bilateral meeting and agreed, according to a statement from the Foreign Ministry, to work together “to face the migratory issue and smuggling”, two issues included in the new urgent agenda.

Thousands of Venezuelans cross on foot through inhospitable clandestine passages into the Chilean provinces of Arica, Parinacota, Tamarugal, and El Loa (bordering Peru and Bolivia). Some are abandoned to their fate.

Also on the bilateral agenda is the proposal to establish “shared controls linked to organized crime”. In this regard, the Vice Minister of Social Defense, Jaime Mamani, highlighted the results of the binational meeting to carry out these coordinated operations to stop these criminal networks.

Bolivia has also asked to work on “better conditions for the free transit of trade” on the legality established in the 1904 Treaty. The country moves 80% of its export cargo through the port of Arica. Both nations have faced disputes over port tariffs in the last three years.

The fifth item on the agenda is “the feasibility of advancing in the best strategies to lighten restrictions concerning Covid”. The issue arose due to the effect of the PCR controls carried out by Chile at the border on national truckers. This control generated delays in Tambo Quemado, transit to the port, and complaints from Bolivian drivers.

Correa highlighted “the good disposition” of Arce and the entourage that accompanied him on March 11 for Boric’s swearing-in in Santiago. He also noted that there was good reception in Chile.

He pointed out that to resolve the practical agenda, “urgent issues” will appear “several stones” that may occur with the tone of the maritime claim, an issue that Arce will refer to on the Day of the Sea when, for the second year, he pays tribute to the Bolivians who defended Calama and the Litoral in 1879, when the War of the Pacific began.

“March 23 is an essential date within the year to know what will be the thermometer with which we are going to have to read this binational relationship,” said the Chilean researcher.

In 2021, President Luis Arce affirmed that the request for sovereign access is for Bolivia “an open and pending issue, whose solution concerns the international community”.

With information from El Deber