Ecuador Backs Chile in
Maritime Territory
Dispute With Peru
The presidents of Chile
and Ecuador on Monday
signed a joint
declaration backing the
1950s fishing treaties
disputed by Peru, which
neighbors both of the
two South American
nations.
Ecuador "wishes Chile
the best of luck in
overcoming these
controversies,"
Ecuadorian President
Rafael Correa told a
joint press conference
with his Chilean
counterpart Michelle
Bachelet at Chile's
presidential palace, La
Moneda.
Ecuador "is following
the Chile-Peru
controversy closely and
is hoping that it will
be solved by the
mechanisms chosen,"
Correa said.
For her part, Bachelet
said the two nations
view the treaties in the
same way.
Peru demands its
maritime boundary with
Chile include a seashore
known as Concordia,
according to the 1929
Lima Treaty between the
two countries, while
Chile argues the
maritime boundary with
Peru was established
under two bilateral
accords signed in 1952
and 1954.
At stake are some 14,630
square miles (37,900 sq
km) of waters between
the two countries that
Chile has controlled
since the maritime
agreements in the 1950s.
Peru filed a lawsuit
against Chile at the
International Court of
Justice in The Hague on
Wednesday, a move which
drew angry responses
from Chile.
The Hague court said
"the delimitation is to
be determined in
accordance with
customary international
law," but added it would
probably take over five
years to issue a final
verdict on the dispute.
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