MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Bolivia remembers loss of Pacific access.

Thousands of Bolivians from all over the country this Tuesday took to the streets and remained in silence for five minutes paralyzing all activities, as part of the central commemoration of the loss to Chile, 125 years ago, of Bolivia's maritime territory.

"As long as Chile insists we have nothing pending to consider, Bolivia will present its maritime claim in every, and all world forums wherever she's present", said President Mesa adding he was willing to talk with the Chilean government as soon as possible and as long as the maritime issue is not excluded.

At midday in a special Congressional session president Mesa highlighted the significance of the acts and the massive public opinion participation in demand for an end to the inland condition of Bolivia, the most overwhelming ever in the last 25 years according to local analysts.

"We Bolivians consider maritime access a question of life or death", emphasized Mr. Mesa adding that the "continental balance" demands such a solution. "In the future, I consider it absolutely certain that we will access to the sea".

Further on he said Chilean and Bolivian leaders must prove they are ready to face the challenge, and "I trust that the idea will permeate in a definitive manner".

Earlier in the day President Mesa led a march of thousands of military and police forces, students and common citizens in downtown La Paz to Plaza Abaroa, that remembers the Bolivian hero of the Pacific war.

On March 23, 1879 Abaroa and a hundred Bolivians fought to the last man but were finally defeated by the Chileans who took the city of Antofagasta that has remained Chilean since. The war lasted until 1883 and ended with the loss of both Bolivian and Peruvian territory to the advancing Chilean forces.

"A sovereign maritime access is a categoric imperative, historical, geographical and economic, which will enable the integration of the region, but we won't have a complete integration process unless Bolivia and Chile definitively solve the sovereignty issue", said president Mesa.

March 23 also recalls the 1904 Treaty when Chile and Bolivia signed the definitive loss of Bolivian territory. Bolivia's inland condition is blamed for making the country one of the most backward and poorest of the region.

Responding from Santiago to the Bolivian president, Chilean Foreign Affairs minister Soledad Alvear said that "Chile maintains an only and coherent position regarding Bolivia's maritime claim. This is a bilateral issue and we are willing to work about the possibility of a better maritime access for Bolivia", underlined Ms. Alvear.

"There are no pending issues between Chile and Bolivia. We want cooperation and integration to be paramount in our neighbourly relations".

"Let us look ahead; we feel sorry with the banners seen today in television and carried by school children saying: "Long live Bolivia, death to Chile", this is not a language to be taught to children", insisted Ms. Alvear.

One of the possible solutions to the dispute, under tentative discussion, is for Chile to grant Bolivia a strip of land to the sea north of Arica, but Chileans refuse any mention of sovereignty.