Chile and Bolivia appear before Hague court in Pacific outlet dispute
Chile and Bolivia appear before Hague court in Pacific outlet dispute
Bolivian government wants territory taken in 19th-century war returned
Tribunal sets deadlines for bench trial to hear national arguments
RODRIGO CEA Santiago de Chile 13 JUN 2013 - 19:22 CET
For the first time, Chile and Bolivia have gone before an international judge as they begin to try to settle their more than a century-long dispute over the Bolivian government’s demand for an outlet to the Pacific Ocean.
Representatives from the two South American nations appeared before the International Court of Justice for a closed-door case conference held to set down guidelines for an upcoming trial before the Hague tribunal.
After fruitless attempts to settle the territorial dispute through diplomatic channels, the government of Bolivian President Evo Morales filed a lawsuit on April 24 against Chile.
The hearing, which lasted about an hour, was conducted to also set a timetable as to when the Chilean government should file its response to Bolivia’s complaint. Chile’s representative, Felipe Bulnes, who serves as his country’s ambassador to the United States, told CNN Chile that he didn’t think there were any “pending issues” with Bolivia.
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