Oral hearings regarding the dispute begin at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on March 19 and will last for nine days. The case is unusual in that the plaintiff (landlocked Bolivia) wishes to oblige the defendant (Chile) to negotiate a territorial settlement ‘in good faith’ to restore its access to the sea. Chile, which has long sought to prevent the issue becoming the subject of international jurisdiction, asserts the matter is purely bilateral.
Peru is likely to play a role in any eventual scheme to give Bolivia access to the Pacific.
International opinion will remain sympathetic to Bolivia’s claim but, ultimately, unable to force a solution.
With Chile also taking Bolivia to the ICJ over water usage, any territorial resolution may depend on that issue’s progress.
