President of Bolivia Evo Morales expressed his confidence on Monday, March 19, that the International Court of Justice (ICJ) at The Hague would effect a “fair and accurate ruling” on the country’s demand that Chile restore its access to the sea.
March 19 saw the first day of the round of oral hearings in the case. In this context, the indigenous leader held a press conference during which he called on the Court to “solve the problems between Bolivia and Chile and around the world.”
Meanwhile, the President also indicated that certain groups will try to “belittle” Bolivia’s defense before the Court, “But we are only asking Chile to comply with its provisions.”
The oral hearings are part of a process that has been ongoing at the ICJ for almost five years, after Bolivia filed a lawsuit in 2013, demanding that Chile negotiate the country’s sovereign access to the sea.
Today, Bolivia will continue to present its case. March 21 will see a recess, before Chile presents its arguments on the 22nd and 23rd, as Prensa Latina reported.
Bolivia lost its access to the sea after the War of the Pacific (1879-1883), a conflict involving Chile, Bolivia, and Peru, which resulted in Chilean annexation of valuable disputed territory on the Pacific coast.
(Granma)