Just the other day, my friend,
Anna, informed me that today was the Dia del Mar, or Day of the Sea. This is a celebration of the heroes of the
War of the Pacific, in which Bolivia lost the Litoral Province. This province was Bolivia’s only access to
the Pacific Ocean. When it was lost in
the war to Chile, Bolivia then became a landlocked country.
Like most wars, it began with a
little event that escalated out of control.
Bolivia had a treaty with Chile, in which it promised not to raise taxes
on individuals and companies for 25 years (1874). Yet in 1878, Bolivia raised taxes on the
Chilean mining company CSFA. When they
didn’t pay, Bolivia decided to auction their property, causing Chile to act by
sending armed forces to occupy the city of Antofagasta, and protect Chilean
interests.
Peru tried to mediate between
them, but Bolivia declared war on March 1, 1879, calling on Peru to support its
alliance with Bolivia. Chile demanded
that Peru remain neutral, but when it did not respond quickly, Chile declared
war on both Bolivia and Peru.
There was more going on than just
a simple tax. Both Chile and Peru had
been trying to become the economic power in the region. Chile was more economically stable, while
Bolivia and Peru had problems maintaining a stable government. It was a war of who is the biggest, baddest
dog in the neighborhood.
Just who was the biggest, baddest
dog? It seems that was Chile. In just one year, Bolivia knew they were
beaten and left the contest. By 1883,
Chile was occupying Lima, Peru’s capital, over 1200 miles from the disputed
area.
A truce was signed in 1884. Chile had gained the Tarapaca territory from
Peru and the Litoral department from Bolivia.
Bolivia was cut off from the sea.
It wasn’t until 1904 that a treaty was signed between Bolivia and Chile,
setting the current boundary, and in 1929 for Peru and Chile.
So today, Bolivia remembers the
heroes of this war and mourns the loss of their valuable access to the sea.
Mark Potter's Amazon Author Page
Mark Potter's Amazon Author Page
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