On Sunday, March 23, Bolivia celebrated the Day of the Ocean in comemoration of its historical claim for a pathway to the Pacific Ocean.
The Day of the Ocean is an opportunity for the Bolivian government to reclaim 120 thousand square kilometers of territory and 400 kilometers of coastal land that were lost after the Chilean invasion on February 14, 1879, when the Andean nation was left without a water route during the War of the Pacific in the 19th Century.
Both countries signed a peace agreement which guaranteed an Ocean route, but it never came to fruition, according to President Morales’ administration. Juan Ramon Quintana, the Minister argues that Bolivia had to call on the International Court of Justice in the Hague after constant delays and unsucessfull attempts to have a dialogue with the government of Chile. Nonetheless, Bolivia wants to settle this peacefully.
The Bolivian people and the President celebrate The Day of the Ocean in memory of the loss of the department of Litoral but also to affirm that it will be recouped. The Ceremony takes place in Plaza Abaroa in La Paz.
