Bolivia's Fight for its Right... to the Sea

Despite a significant navy that performs exercises on Lake Titicaca, Bolivia has been without direct access to the sea since 1879, when they lost their coastline to Chile in the War of the Pacific.  Each May, Bolivia commemorates a Day of the Sea.  Last fall Peru agreed to allow Bolivia to use one of its ports, giving the landlocked country access to the sea for the first time in over 100 years. 

Quite a bit has been written about Bolivia's claim to the sea.  For example:

• Aspectos Juridicos de las Aspiraciones Marítimas Bolivianas  (2009) is written by a international law and foreign relations expert in Bolivia
• El Largo Conflicto entre Chile y Bolivia: Dos Visiones (2004)
• Strategy in the Southern Oceans: A South American Perspective  (1989) has a chapter dedicated to Bolivia’s outlet to the Pacific
• El Derecho de Bolivia al Mar (1986)
• El Mar, Nexo de Paz entre Bolivia y Chile (1938)

Historical material available on HeinOnline includes:

• A Guide to the Law and Legal Literature of Bolivia (1947).  See pp. 90-92 specifically
• Documentos Oficiales Relativos a los Límites entre Chile, Bolivia i la Republica Arjentina en la Rejion de Atacama (1898)
• Estudios i Datos Practicos sobre las Cuestiones Iinternacionales de Límites entre Chile, Bolivia i República Arjentina (1895)

Subject Headings include:

• War of the Pacific, 1879-1884
• Bolivia--History--1879-1938
• Bolivia--Foreign relations--Chile
  
• Chile--Foreign relations--Bolivia
• Chile--Boundaries--Bolivia--History
• Bolivia--Boundaries--Chile--History
  
• Access to the sea (International Law)
• Maritime Law--Bolivia