Chile rejects OAS intervention in sea access dispute with Bolivia

Chile did not want the Organization of American States (OAS) to intercede in the Chilean-Bolivian sea access dispute, the country's foreign minister said on Friday.

Foreign Minister Alejandro Foxley said the disagreement between the two countries was a strictly bilateral matter and did not require anyone to interfere in it, as a direct response to Bolivia's call on Thursday for OAS participation in the issue.

The conflict between Chile and Bolivia dates back to an 1879 war in which Chile won mineral-rich coastal territory, leaving Bolivia with no access to the Pacific Ocean.

Foxley said that Chile's existing position was appropriate in calling for "a fruitful dialogue with Bolivia on an open agenda without any exclusions."

The OAS last discussed the matter in 1979, at a summit in La Paz, the administrative capital of Bolivia, calling for Chile to make an effort to resolve the dispute.

However, Bolivia failed to win a vote calling for stronger pressure on Chile, because Chile argued that the 1904 peace and friendship treaty had settled all outstanding matters.

Source: Xinhua