Int'l Court to Decide Whether to Hear Bolivia's Claim to Sea Access

Within the next few hours, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague will decide whether it will hear Bolivia's claim against Chile for access to the sea. La Paz argues that Chile had agreed in the past to diplomatically resolve the long-standing dispute. Bolivia lost its sea coast to Chile in the 1879-1883 War of the Pacific. President Evo Morales expressed optimism that the ICJ will rule for Bolivia and that a favorable precedent will be set, which would be extended to the Malvinas Islands dispute between Argentina and Great Britain. teleSUR