Chile and Bolivia seek diplomatic reset in new right-wing alignment

Chile's President José Antonio Kast is set to meet his Bolivian counterpart Rodrigo Paz in a state visit to La Paz on Friday, signaling a potential diplomatic thaw and economic integration between the two historic adversaries. The leaders are expected to discuss new logistical corridors, energy trade and enhanced border security.

Bolivia ended diplomatic ties with Chile in 1978 over a dispute regarding its claim to sovereign access to the Pacific coast, which Chile seized in a 19th-century war. Bolivia, now a landlocked country, has maintained limited technical-level coordination with Chile in recent years, using northern Chilean ports for imports and exports.

Chilean President Kast's delegation includes Energy Minister Ximena Rincón, who aims to sign an agreement on energy integration during the visit. Bolivia, a former major natural gas exporter to Brazil and Argentina, is now facing declining production and fuel supplies. The visit represents a significant shift for Bolivia, which once heavily relied on its territorial claim to Pacific access as a political rallying point.

During the Morales administration, Bolivia attempted to force Chile to negotiate sovereign access through the International Court of Justice, but lost the case in 2018. However, tensions remain, such as the recent seizure of over 1,000 tons of allegedly drug-laced timber by Chile, which Bolivia has criticized for lacking transparency.

Both Chile and Bolivia, now aligned with US President Donald Trump's administration, have joined the "Shield of the Americas," a regional security initiative. Chile's Foreign Affairs Minister Francisco Pérez Mackenna and Bolivia's Héctor Huanca Gutiérrez have pledged to boost cooperation against drug trafficking and organized crime, emphasizing the importance of maintaining legitimate trade and free transit.