Bolivia to sue Chile in The Hague over access to sea

Bolivian President Evo Morales said that his country will file a lawsuit to the International Criminal Court in The Hague against Chile in February 2012, demanding to return an access to the Pacific Ocean, the Chilean daily La Segunda reported on Friday. During Thursday's press conference in a Bolivian government building, Morales said the team of Bolivian lawyers was working to prepare an official claim and he himself was seeking "some information, some procedures for the application," La Segunda reported. After the Chilean-Bolivian war in late nineteenth century Bolivia lost its access to the Pacific Ocean, however, the country still has Naval Forces, including a marine infantry unit. Both countries began talks on the return of sea access in 2007, during the tenure of then Chilean President Michelle Bachelet, but talks came to a deadlock in March this year when Bolivia warned Chile about its intentions to file the claim to The Hague. "I want to be honest. He [Chilean President Sebastian Pinera] told me that we should continue holding talks and I responded that the solution was in their hands, Chile. We only want to recover free and sovereign access to the sea," Prensa Latina News Agency quoted Morales as saying. The Bolivian president also said that Pinera never urged him to suspend any demand, Prensa Latina reported.