June 30, 2007

Abstract: (Angus Reid Global Monitor) - The majority of people in Chile reject different options for granting Bolivia access to the Pacific Ocean, according to a poll by LaTercera. 70 per cent of respondents would disagree with their government allowing Bolivia to have a sovereign access to the seashore.

(Angus Reid Global Monitor) - The majority of people in Chile reject different options for granting Bolivia access to the Pacific Ocean, according to a poll by LaTercera. 70 per cent of respondents would disagree with their government allowing Bolivia to have a sovereign access to the seashore.

An additional 69 per cent of respondents would oppose Chile ceding part of its territory in Antofagasta so Bolivia can have access to the sea, and 62 per cent would also reject the idea of establishing "shared sovereignty" over part of the Chilean soil with Bolivia and Peru.

In 2004, landlocked Bolivia asked to use a Chilean port to facilitate the export of natural gas. Bolivia lost its only sea access in the 1879 war against Chile in which Peru sided with Bolivia, a matter that is still a source of diplomatic tension between the three South American nations.

In March 2006, Bolivian president Evo Morales declared: "I believe, although I do not want to commit to anything, that this is a good moment to return to the sea." Morales attended the inauguration ceremony of new Chilean president Michelle Bachelet. Chile and Bolivia have no formal diplomatic relations, but the two current governments have established a 13-point agenda of bilateral ties.

On Jun. 17, Morales told a television station the bilateral agenda includes Bolivia exploring the possibility of selling natural gas to Chile as well as trying to negotiate a way to grant Bolivia access to the Pacific Ocean through Chile's territory. Morales' interview came as a surprise given that he had always dismissed the possibility of trading gas with energy-hungry Chile unless it considered ending Bolivia's "dream" of re-accessing the sea. The Bolivian president said these points are only in their early stages, adding, "We have different opinions in the cabinet. I don't want to say very much, only that I respect everyone's opinions. But mostly I respect the opinion of the people."

Polling Data

Do you agree or disagree with the following statements?

	Agree	Disagree
Chile should allow Bolivia to have a "sovereign" access to the Pacific Ocean	28%	70%
Chile should cede a territory in Antofagasta so Bolivia can have access to the Pacific Ocean	28%	69%
Chile should establish a zone with "shared sovereignty" along with Bolivia and Peru	35%	62%

Source: La Tercera
Methodology: Telephone interviews to 400 Chilean adults, conducted from Jun. 18 to Jun. 21, 2007. Margin of error is 5 per cent.