Bolivia presents its case in Silala dispute with Chile

The Bolivian government presented its arguments to the International Court of Justice in The Hague in response to a case filed by Chile in 2016 in a dispute over the waters of the Silala.

President Evo Morales said that his country's legal team included geographical and hydrological studies that "prove" that the Silala is not an international river – as argued by Santiago – but a spring that has been artificially altered to benefit Chile, state news agency ABI reported.

The Chilean claim asks the court to declare that the Silala is an international watercourse and therefore Chile is entitled to use its waters.

Morales' team also asked the court to "declare that Bolivia has sovereignty over the canals and draining mechanisms of the Silala that are within its borders," the president said.

Any use of the waters by Chile should be by agreement and duly compensated for, La Paz argues.