OCT. 1, 2018

President Piñera welcomes Chile’s triumph in the International Court of Justice. “Not one square centimeter of our sea, our territory and, much less, our sovereignty has been or will ever be at stake”

The President highlighted the full validity of the Treaty of 1904, which established, through a sovereign and voluntary process, the boundaries with Bolivia, and reiterated Chile’s willingness to hold talks.

President Sebastián Piñera celebrated this Monday the ruling of the International Court of Justice that determined that Chile does not have the obligation to negotiate with Bolivia a sovereign access to the Pacific.

“The International Court of Justice at The Hague has done justice and put things into place, establishing clearly and emphatically, that Chile has not and never had any obligation, nor ever failed to fulfill any obligation in terms of international law, nor in its relations with Bolivia”, said the President at La Moneda Palace.

“Chile, as it always has been, is a country that not only complies with international law, it also fulfills and respects the treaties it signs and, of course, expects these treaties to be fulfilled and respected by the other countries,” added the President. President Piñera was accompanied by First Lady Cecilia Morel; Foreign Affairs Minister Roberto Ampuero; President of the Senate, Carlos Monte; President of the Chamber of Deputies, Maya Fernández; President of the Supreme Court, Haroldo Brito, and the technical team that worked on the Chilean defense.

The international court, with 12 votes against 3, dismissed all of the arguments set forth by Bolivia in the claim presented in 2013.

President Piñera highlighted the unity with which Chile worked to defend its stance before the International Court of Justice and also took the opportunity to reiterate Chile’s commitment to engage in talks with all countries in the region.

“Chile is a country that has a desire, an attitude and a willingness to dialogue and collaborate with all countries around the world, and most especially with our neighboring countries, but always within the context of international law, the observance of current treaties and, of course, defending and protecting our sovereignty with firmness, determination and resolve,” emphasized the President.