George W. Bush is not the only leader who in the Americas who is grotesquely inept at diplomacy. Hugo Chávez has opened his mouth and the net result has been for Chile to recall its ambassador.
At the center of the controversy are statements made by President Chavez last Friday, during the 13th Latin America-Iberian Summit, held this year in Santa Cruz, Bolivia (ST, Nov. 17). “Venezuela will continue calling for solidarity with Bolivia and for its right to coastal access,” Chavez declared. “Bolivia had a port, since its birth, Bolivia had an ocean, and it’s not fair that its access to the sea has been taken away...I dream of swimming from a Bolivian beach,” he added. [ed. note: Consider Lake Titicaca]Bolivia, South America’s poorest country, has been landlocked since losing its coastal access to Chile during the War of The Pacific (1879-1883). The controversial ocean-access issue continues to affect relations between the neighboring nations, which have yet to reestablish embassy-level ties following a diplomatic rupture in 1978.
According to General Secretary to the Government Francisco Vidal, the land dispute is a bilateral issue between Chile and Bolivia, not something that should concern the Venezuelan leader.
“We very much respect third countries (parties) in terms of their interests, differences or situations. We’re very interested in there being reciprocity when it comes to both domestic and international policy. So beyond the issue of whether or not the (Chilean) ambassador (to Venezuela) was called, I heard President Chavez’ statements from Bolivia about swimming in the ocean. I think that this is an issue that has exclusively to do with Chile and Bolivia, and nobody else,” Vidal explained on the national TVN network Tuesday.
What does he possibly think he'll accomplish by this?
Slowly, more Bolivians are starting to get sick of the sea issue (I'll post my opinion on it soon). If you look historically, it's not clear if that sea coast (or at least how much of it) was really Bolivia's at all. Plus it as was freakin' 125 years ago! I wish at least one Bolivian politician would have to courage to say: "We're a landlocked country, but that's not so bad." And Kofi Annan's populist rhetoric about the sea did nothing but add flames to the fire. Now some Bolivians think the UN is going to give us back 1/10 of Chilean territory. And, what no one ever asks, what about the Chileans living in those territories? Do we just relocate them a la Bosnia?
Posted by: miguel | November 25, 2003 at 11:45 AM
Not so Atypical, Gringo.
Full of prejudice against Mr. Chávez. It is not fair to compare him with the murder Bush.
Posted by: Vicente de Cordova | December 31, 2003 at 01:07 PM
Sorry, missed your comment before.
Not so Atypical, Gringo.
Full of prejudice against Mr. Chávez. It is not fair to compare him with the murder Bush.
No, I just know a demagogue when I see one. In this case I see two of them who are both inept in diplomacy.
Posted by: Randy Paul | January 19, 2004 at 12:16 AM