Chilean president visits Bolivia for the first time in 71 years... Are we uniting as a ‘right-wing alliance’?

Bolivia, whose territory was taken away by war in the late 19th century, shares a border with Chile. Getting closer to the 'American Alliance'... The Bolivian president plans to visit next year.

(Mexico City = Yonhap News) Correspondent Song Gwang-ho = Plaza Murillo in front of the Presidential Palace in La Paz, the capital of Bolivia, on the 16th (local time).

A red carpet had already been laid out in the square for Chilean President Jose Antonio Caste. As President Caste took a step forward, Bolivian President Rodrigo Paz went to greet President Caste on the other side. The two leaders shook hands while a magnificent military band played. This was the moment when the Chilean president's unusual official visit to Bolivia began.

The Associated Press and local media in Chile and Bolivia reported on this day that the President of Chile made an official visit to Bolivia on the 16th. It has been 71 years since the President of Chile visited La Paz in August 1955.

The deep resentment between the two countries goes back more than 140 years. Bolivia was defeated by Chile in the 'Pacific War' (1879-1883), which took place a century ago, and completely lost its Pacific coast. Bolivia has since been reduced to a landlocked country, but it still shows a strong attachment to the sea, enough to maintain a naval force.

After losing the war, Bolivia continued to demand the return of territory to Chile. The two countries held related negotiations in the mid-1970s, but they ultimately broke down, and even diplomatic relations at the ambassadorial level were severed in 1978. Currently, both countries only maintain consular services such as immigration and travel.

Chilean President Caste said, "Differences between the two countries clearly exist and they are historical. But differences can never be an excuse to justify stagnation. We cannot continue to be two countries that turn their backs on each other and do not talk."

Bolivia's President Paz responded, "Claiming maritime sovereignty is a permanent and non-negotiable goal, and is part of our constitutional obligation and national responsibility," but added, "Bolivia cannot allow its past history to hinder its development and vision for the future."

On this day, the two leaders also agreed on practical cooperation plans between the two countries. The two countries, which share a border spanning 861 km, agreed to jointly eliminate transnational criminal organizations involved in drug trafficking and smuggling. In addition, in addition to cooperation on trade and security issues, they signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on mining cooperation and decided to jointly pursue power grid sharing research.

On this day, Chilean President Caste officially requested Bolivian President Paz to visit Chile next year, and President Paz announced his intention to return.

In the background of this historic summit, it is analyzed that the 'Shield of the Americas', a US-led coalition against drug cartels, played a certain catalytic role. Chilean President Caste and Bolivia's President Paz have right-wing tendencies, and with both countries joining the American Shield, some say that a 'thaw mood' has been created based on security cooperation.