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Montevideo, March 29th 2024 - 07:51 UTC

 

 

Chile-Venezuela diplomatic quarrel persists.

Monday, December 1st 2003 - 20:00 UTC
Full article

Venezuela authorities are convinced that “reciprocal signals”, expressed “through democratic channels, avoiding the microphone” will help overcome the souring of diplomatic relations with Chile.

Venezuelan vice president Jose Vicente Rangel and Foreign Affairs Minister Roy Chaderton interviewed this Sunday by the Chilean press said they were optimistic, "signals will appear, Venezuela is convinced we'll find a way out; relations between Venezuela and Chile extend far back into history".

The souring of relations began just a few weeks ago when Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez during the IberoAmerican heads of government and state summit held in Bolivia said he had a dream, "having a swim in a Bolivian beach".

Actually Bolivia is landlocked but claims a portion of Pacific coast it lost, allied with Peru, to Chile in the 1879 war.

Since then the claim of former Bolivian soil has become a most sensitive issue in Bolivian and Chilean politics and for the public opinion of both countries. Mr. Chávez words received applause from Bolivia and a strong reaction from the Chilean political establishment followed by the recall of Chilean Ambassador in Caracas for consultation. Venezuelans reciprocated almost immediately.

Venezuela never apologized for the incident but rather has insisted that according to a 1904 treaty, Chile, Bolivia and Peru are committed to solving the dispute. "We are not interfering in Chilean or Bolivian politics, we're supporting the 1904 treaty and let us recall that the Organization of American States, OAS, the United Nations and even Brazilian president Lula da Silva have considered the issue", said Venezuelan vice-president Rangel rejecting the Chilean argument that it's a bilateral issue.

"I believe no situation in Latinamerica can be considered bilateral or addressed bilaterally", added Mr. Rangel.

A more cautious Chilean president Ricardo Lagos when asked about the issue said Chile has very good relations with all Latinamerican countries and in direct reference to the Venezuelan situation stated that "small clouds are not enough to block the horizon".

Chile and Bolivia only have relations at consular level in spite of the important bilateral trade and the fact most Bolivian exports are shipped through Chile.

The centenary controversy usually emerges when Bolivia is undergoing difficult political moments as happens currently with caretaker president Carlos Mesa.

Former elected president Sanchez de Lozada, currently exiled in the US, was forced out of office after weeks of social and political protests that caused much loss of life and destruction of property.

Indian leader Eve Morales and runner up in the last presidential election, was the leader of the popular insurrection and extended current caretaker president Mesa a few months respite "to change the "neo-liberal" economic policy and stop the coca plantation eradication program sponsored and financed by the United States", if not?.

President Chavez and Mr. Morales in their anti US attitude are ideologically and politically very close, so no wonder the resurrection of the dispute.

Categories: Mercosur.

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