Pandemic affects Bolivian trade through Chilean ports

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – The Bolivian government on Tuesday sent a health team to the border with Chile, where dozens of Bolivian truckers carrying cargo to Chilean ports are stranded on suspicion of having tested positive for coronavirus and are denied entry into the country.

The problem worsened over the weekend when 90% of truckers were forced to return to Bolivia after testing positive at the Chilean health post, but the tests were not accurate, “they have expired,” said International Transport leader Marcelo Cruz on Tuesday.

According to Cruz, truckers carrying export cargo to the port of Arica, in northern Chile, are tested in Bolivia, but Chilean health officials re-test for antigens. “It is not possible that 9 out of 10 truckers test positive when they are vaccinated. The nasal swabs used by Chilean health officials are expired,” he said.

Vice-Minister of Foreign Trade Benjamín Blanco said that on Tuesday a health team would reach two border crossings with Chile to test truckers while the government negotiated with its Chilean counterpart to settle the issue.

The situation has been compounded by the cold and heavy snow in this highland region at an altitude of over 4,000 meters above sea level.

Over 75% of Bolivian foreign trade passes through two ports in northern Chile and in recent years disagreements between the two countries’ customs have become recurrent. In 2018, Bolivia lost a lawsuit before the International Court of Justice in The Hague to secure an outlet to the sea through Chile in reparation for the coastline Bolivia lost in a war with Chile in the late 19th century.

The two nations do not maintain diplomatic relations and tension is frequent between them. Bolivia also shares borders with Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay and Peru.

Although the presence of the Omicron variant has not been confirmed, Bolivia is currently experiencing a surge in infections which authorities expect to peak during the end-of-year holidays. A total of 19,459 people have died from the virus while vaccination of people over 5 years of age stands at 58% of the planned population, according to the Ministry of Health.