Atacama border dispute between Bolivia & Chile

Bolivia became a landlocked country as the result of the War of the Pacific. However, Bolivia never recognizes the legality of the Chilean occupation of the Atacama corridor. In a recent speech, Evo Morales declared that young Bolivians would see the return of the Atacama corridor to Bolivia, and hence Bolivia's access to the Pacific Ocean, within their generation. Do you think that's just his wishful thinking? Do you think this territorial dispute between Bolivia and Chile can be resolved peacefully?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atacama_border_dispute

The Atacama border dispute between Bolivia and Chie began in 1800s over the Atacama corridor, a part of the Atacama Desert which now forms northern Chile. The Atacama Desert is bordered by the Coast Range on the west and the Andes on the east. The geography of the area was a very large factor in determining how the border dispute began. Because of the mountains, the area has rains only 2 to 4 times a century, making it one of the driest places on Earth.

National boundaries in the Atacama region had not been definitely determined. When nitrate, silver, and copper deposits were discovered in the area, both Bolivia and Chile established competing claims for the territory. Other countries' interest was drawn due to the importance of nitrates in the production of fertilizer and high explosives; Britain, Spain and the USA had a strategic and economic stake in controlling the resource.

A treaty was made in 1874 allowed Chile to make exploit the area without explotation fees for a period of 25 years. Four years later, another Bolivian government rejected the treaty and attempted to raise taxes on a Chilean nitrate company. As an answer to this action, the Chilean army occupied Antofagasta, by that time a Bolivian city. Chile declared war to Bolivia in March 1879, and to Peru in May 1879, starting the War of the Pacific (1879-1884).

Six years later, at the end of the war, Chile had adquired the Atacama corridor (now Atacama Region) as well as the province of Antofagasta (Antofagasta Region) and the Peruvian Tarapac�� (Tarapac�� Region), turning Bolivia into a landlocked state.

Bolivia still holds claims on the Atacama corridor, which Chile rejects, yet offers instead unrestricted but not sovereign maritime access through the territory for the export of Bolivian natural gas and other commodities.

The issue can be solved by giving Bolivia extra-territorial access to a frank harbour. Chile has to give back nothing: just grant Bolivia free access to the sea with no fees.

Alternatively, Mercosur or rather the new blend they are doing with all South America will solve the problem, which is not an ideological problem but an old scar in the dignity of Bolivians and Peruvians, by allowing free trade - much, like the ECM solved the the Franco-German disputes.

Pikeshot, I was trying all this morning to relocate the article I saw (on Morales's claim) in vain. But I swear I didn't make it up

I don't know whether one can qualify it as "political posturing", but I definitely don't find the tone of it helpful in settling any kind of territorial dispute.

In exchange of special pricing of bolivian gas towards Chile