By: Daniel Nardini
With all of the problems Bolivia is having, current Bolivian President Evo Morales has found a cause that seems to be uniting most Bolivians. This is the former Bolivian land that Bolivia had leading to the Pacific Ocean. This land corridor, known as the Antofagasta province, allowed Bolivia full access to shipping through the city port Arica. This whole area is now part of Chile as is the port Arica. Morales has publicly repudiated the treaty that handed over this land to Chile, and has said that he will take Bolivia’s case to the International Court in the Hague.
Before I say anything more, I should mention how this conflict came about. Bolivia had this strip of land before 1879. Yes, it was a long time ago. A dispute developed between Chile on the one hand and Peru and Bolivia on the other. Although the Antofagasta province was Bolivian territory, most of the companies in the area were Chilean. These Chilean companies, especially the Chilean Antofagasta Nitrate Company, mined nitrates in the Atacama Desert. When the Bolivian government attempted to pass a ten cent tax on all nitrate shipments, the Chilean companies refused to pay it. The Bolivian government then attempted to confiscate all Chilean company properties in the province. Rather than let this happen, the Chilean government sent in the military and occupied the land. Bolivia declared war against Chile. Peru tried to resist the demands of both Bolivia and Chile, but Chile declared war on both nations.
I will not go into the battles of what became known as the War of the Pacific. The war lasted from 1879 until 1883. Although the combined Bolivian and Peruvian armies outnumbered the Chileans two to one, the Chileans had a better equipped and better train force. The Chileans won the war and the land. In a followup treaty signed in 1904 between Bolivia and Chile, Bolivia gained free access through Chilean ports for all commercial products. This part of the treaty has worked for well over a century, and is still working. Why the Bolivian government is now disputing this whole affair, fought so long ago, is an attempt to exploit virulent nationalist sentiment in Bolivia. So far it seems to be working. Morales is now more popular than ever. But it might prove to be a dangerous escalation. It could lead to war, and destabilization of that part of South America at a time when there is stability. I can only hope that the International Court in the Hague will reject this legal claim by a demagogue who may lead his nation into disaster.
The War of the Pacific: Part II
By: Daniel Nardini
Before I say anything more, I should mention how this conflict came about. Bolivia had this strip of land before 1879. Yes, it was a long time ago. A dispute developed between Chile on the one hand and Peru and Bolivia on the other. Although the Antofagasta province was Bolivian territory, most of the companies in the area were Chilean. These Chilean companies, especially the Chilean Antofagasta Nitrate Company, mined nitrates in the Atacama Desert. When the Bolivian government attempted to pass a ten cent tax on all nitrate shipments, the Chilean companies refused to pay it. The Bolivian government then attempted to confiscate all Chilean company properties in the province. Rather than let this happen, the Chilean government sent in the military and occupied the land. Bolivia declared war against Chile. Peru tried to resist the demands of both Bolivia and Chile, but Chile declared war on both nations.
I will not go into the battles of what became known as the War of the Pacific. The war lasted from 1879 until 1883. Although the combined Bolivian and Peruvian armies outnumbered the Chileans two to one, the Chileans had a better equipped and better train force. The Chileans won the war and the land. In a followup treaty signed in 1904 between Bolivia and Chile, Bolivia gained free access through Chilean ports for all commercial products. This part of the treaty has worked for well over a century, and is still working. Why the Bolivian government is now disputing this whole affair, fought so long ago, is an attempt to exploit virulent nationalist sentiment in Bolivia. So far it seems to be working. Morales is now more popular than ever. But it might prove to be a dangerous escalation. It could lead to war, and destabilization of that part of South America at a time when there is stability. I can only hope that the International Court in the Hague will reject this legal claim by a demagogue who may lead his nation into disaster.