Bolivia's Morales to take Chile sea dispute to court

[pampango]

Source: BBC

Bolivia has said it will take Chile to international courts to try to recover access to the Pacific Ocean, which it lost in a war 132 years ago.

Bolivia's loss of the sea was an "open wound" that must be healed, he added. Mr Morales was speaking on Bolivia's "Day of the Sea", when it commemorates its defeat by Chile in the 19th Century War of the Pacific.

Chile is involved in a similar dispute over maritime boundaries with Peru, which also lost territory in the War of the Pacific. Last October, Peru signed a deal allowing Bolivia to build its own port on Peru's Pacific Coast.

The demand for the return of its lost coastline is the subject of powerful national sentiment in Bolivia. The landlocked Andean nation maintains a small navy, and schoolchildren are taught that regaining access to the sea is a patriotic duty.


Bolivian children are taught they must 'reclaim the sea'

Read more: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-12842978

[COLGATE4]

1. File under 'Wishful Thinking'. Chances of this actually happening - < than

a snowball in hell. In the meantime, the dream job of the year has to be that of an Admiral in the Bolivian Navy.

[robcon]

2. While they're at it, let's reverse the results of World War II, too.

Just about as likely.

[RedCloud]

3. That would leave Paraguay alone and landlocked.

[Name removed]

4. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[robcon]

5. Wow, Peace Patriot, you're not TOO condescending are you.

I think is the highlight of the post"
"Little countries" like Bolivia--especially countries where "little brown people" have a say--must be made to understand that they are all alone and must knuckle under to the rich and the powerful.

Yeah... that BIG, BAD Chile is lording it over all its neighbors. They've got to be stopped, and part of their territory has to be removed from them.

And I think it IS funny that Bolivia thinks it can reverse the results of a 19th century war. Bolivia has about the same chance as Mexico has of regaining what the U.S. took in the Mexican War. The "Hopelessness" you decry is well-earned for Bolivians.