Tanks by the ocean

Chile disputes with Bolivia and Peru

Chilean President Michelle Bachelet took office in mid-March, but in that short period of time her country's relations with two neighbors - Bolivia and Peru - have already deteriorated. The Bolivian leader spoke of territorial claims against Chile, and the Peruvian presidential candidate - and the most likely contender for this post - accused Chile of seeking to upset the military balance in the region.

Last week, Bolivian President Evo Morales, who took office in January of this year, revived a long-standing territorial dispute with Chile. He proposed convening an emergency session of the Organization of American States (OAS) to consider the issue of returning the Bolivians to the Pacific Ocean. Bolivia lost this outlet 150 years ago as a result of the war with Chile.

Michelle Bachelet said that “any situation is bilateral in nature and therefore countries should conduct a dialogue among themselves.” She also emphasized the desire to ensure the “inviolability of the treaties” defining the modern border between Chile and Bolivia. In response, Mr. Morales said that “governments, presidents and states” had failed to solve the territorial problem and therefore now “the Bolivian and Chilean people are asking for reparations for this historical damage.” OAS Secretary General José Miguel Insulse is expected to visit Bolivia at the invitation of the country's government in early April to discuss the territorial dispute.

Meanwhile, the leader of the Peruvian presidential race, former military man Ollanta Humala (elections are scheduled for April 9), accused Chile of seeking to upset the balance of power in the region through massive purchases of equipment for the ground forces, air force and navy. The immediate reason for the attacks was the announcement made in Chile on March 24 about the conclusion of a contract with Germany for the purchase of 118 Leopard-2 tanks worth a total of $124 million. According to a statement from the Chilean Ministry of Defense, the contract was concluded on February 10, but it was temporarily kept secret at the request of the German side. Formally, this deal took place under the former Chilean President Ricardo Lagos, but Ms. Bachelet, who worked as Minister of Defense in the Lagos government, was also involved in it.

The tank contract, as well as Chile's deals last year to buy four frigates and 28 F-16 fighter jets, led Peruvian politician Humala to conclude that the neighboring country had "long gone beyond simply updating outdated equipment." The Chilean parliament responded by scheduling a hearing with the foreign and defense ministers for April 11. The chairman of the defense commission of the lower house of the Chilean parliament, Patricio Alez, advised the Peruvians to take a closer look at their arsenals - according to his calculations, the Peruvian army has 485 units of armored vehicles, and the Chilean army has only 386.

Mikhail KUKUSHKIN, Santiago de Chile