BOLIVIA-DISPUTE/PRESIDENTS Bolivia's Morales meets with former leaders to analyse sea access claim against Chile

Record ID: 145925

  • Title: BOLIVIA-DISPUTE/PRESIDENTS Bolivia's Morales meets with former leaders to analyse sea access claim against Chile
  • Date: 28th July 2015
  • Summary: LA PAZ, BOLIVIA (JULY 28, 2015) (REUTERS) **** WARNING CONTAINS FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY **** VARIOUS OF EXTERIOR OF BOLIVIA'S GOVERNMENT PALACE FORMER BOLIVIAN PRESIDENT AND THE OFFICIAL INTERNATIONAL SPOKESPERSON FOR BOLIVIA'S MARITIME DEMAND, CARLOS MESA AND FORMER BOLIVIAN PRESIDENT JAIME PAZ ZAMORA ARRIVING AT GOVERNMENT PALACE FORMER BOLIVIAN PRESIDENT JORGE QUIROGA RAMIREZ WALKING INTO GOVERNMENT PALACE GENERAL VIEW OF BOLIVIAN PRESIDENT EVO MORALES, MEZA, PAZ ZAMORA AND FORMER BOLIVIAN PRESIDENTS EDUARDO RODRIGUEZ BELTZE, JORGE QUIROGA RAMIREZ Y GUIDO VILDOSO AND BOLIVIAN VICE PRESIDENT ALVARO GARCIA LINERA POSING FOR PHOTOGRAPHER VARIOUS OF MORALES MEETING WITH FORMER PRESIDENTS AT GOVERNMENT PALACE MORALES WALKING DOWN STEPS WITH FORMER LEADERS GENERAL VIEW OF NEWS CONFERENCE IN PALACE HALL (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) BOLIVIAN PRESIDENT EVO MORALES, SAYING: "Three more former presidents, General Guido Vildoso, Jaime Paz and Jorge Quiroga have joined this team. In a timely fashion, we shall see the results of this great movement for Bolivia. The sea is a state policy to return with sovereignty to the Pacific that unites all Bolivians." GENERAL VIEW OF FORMER LEADERS ON STAIRS OF GOVERNMENT PALACE, MESA, RODRIGUEZ BELTZE, PAZ ZAMORA, QUIROGA RAMIREZ AND VILDOSO (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) FORMER BOLIVIAN PRESIDENT JAIME PAZ ZAMORA, SAYING: "For the first time and I haven't heard of another case, Bolivians are finally adopting a path of government policies, here among us, we may have many differences from the point of view of political and ideological visions." GENERAL VIEW OF REPORTERS (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) FORMER BOLIVIAN PRESIDENT JAIME PAZ ZAMORA, SAYING: "I think this is the first time something like this happens and we have to incorporate it into what is the path of national construction of our country as Bolivians." VARIOUS OF FORMER LEADERS TALKING IN HALL
  • Embargoed: 12th August 2015 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Topics: General
  • Reuters ID: LVA1NSSSJT97IYSJFRN1PLSLST9W
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: Bolivia's President Evo Morales on Tuesday (July 28) met with former Bolivian presidents to discuss La Paz's position against Chile at the Hague.
    Landlocked Bolivia recently went to the International Court of Justice (ICJ), seeking to force Chile to negotiate the granting of a corridor of sovereign territory giving it access to the sea for its natural gas and mineral exports.
    The former leaders including the official international spokesperson for Bolivia's Maritime demand, Carlos Mesa and former Bolivian Presidents Jaime Paz Zamora, Jorge Quiroga Ramirez, Eduardo Rodriguez Beltze, Jorge Quiroga Ramirez, Guido Vildoso and Bolivian Vice President Alvaro Garcia Linera met with Morales at the Palacio Quemado, Bolivia's Government Palace in capital La Paz.
    The last time Morales summoned the former presidents was on March 20, 2013, when Bolivia was preparing to formalize the lawsuit against Chile before the International Court of Justice.
    During the last proceedings which took place in May at the ICJ in The Hague, Chile asked judges to throw out the lawsuit, saying the tribunal had no jurisdiction over the matter.
    Bolivia lost its coastal territory after being defeated by Chile in the 1880s War of the Pacific.
    However, it has argued for decades that it should be allowed sovereign access to the ocean, through which it could export its natural gas. Most of this is presently sold to Argentina and Brazil to its east.
    Bolivian president Evo Morales said he was sure of a positive outcome, especially with three more former presidents joining in the case.
    "Three more former presidents, General Guido Vildoso, Jaime Paz and Jorge Quiroga have joined this team. In a timely fashion, we shall see the results of this great movement for Bolivia. The sea is a state policy to return with sovereignty to the Pacific that unites all Bolivians," Morales said.
    Morales told La Razon newspaper other former leaders, did not wish to attend the meeting so as to not tarnish their relationship with Santiago but added they also agree with Bolivia's position on the matter.
    Paz Zamora, said that in spite of differences in political ideologies, they had joined together for the good of the nation.
    "For the first time and I haven't heard of another case, Bolivians are finally adopting a path of government policies, here among us, we may have many differences from
    the point of view of political and ideological visions," Paz Zamora said.
    "I think this is the first time something like this happens and we have to incorporate it into what is the path of national construction of our country as Bolivians," Paz Zamora added.
    Bolivia currently has nearly free ocean access, paying transport costs but no tariffs to export some 1.6 million tonnes of cargo through Chile's ports each year, including nickel, lead, silver and tin from Bolivia's mines.
    It nonetheless wants judges to order Chile to negotiate fully sovereign access, saying the 1948 Bogota Pact, to which both states are parties, gives judges the authority to do so.
    Chile says the treaty does not give the court a say in territorial disputes that have already been settled.
    Even if judges allow the case to proceed, few expect the traditionally cautious court would go as far to order a border revision that went against the wishes of one of the states concerned.
    Whatever the outcome, Morales will be hoping that his attempt to get international acknowledgment of Bolivia's complaint will help shore up declining popularity at home.
    The ICJ is expected to make a decision on the case in December, 2015.
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