Peru and Chile's maritime dispute heats up

A map printed in the official newspaper of the Peruvian government has restoked a controversy concerning maritime limits between the country and neighboring Chile.

The map, published in the El Peruano newspaper, indicates that country owns a fishing-rich 38,000 square km portion of the Pacific Ocean claimed by Chile. The government of Chile responded by recalling its ambassador to Peru, Cristian Barros.

The Chilean government also filed a formal diplomatic protest over Peru's publication of the official map.

The dispute over the border has it's origin in the War of the Pacific when Chile defeated the allied forces of Peru and Bolivia and claimed substantial land and sea territory as its spoils. The Chileans say the current maritime boundary has been clearly defined by a pair of fishing treaties signed in the 1950s.

Peru says the boundary is unfair and has brought the disagreement to International Court of Justice in The Hague.


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Technorati Tags: Peru, Chile, maritime border