The president of Bolivia, Luis Arce Catacora, specified this Thursday that the ruling of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) regarding the waters of the Silala, ratifies the right of his country to dismantle the artificial channels.
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Through his account on the social network Twitter, the president stressed that the decision recognizes his sovereign rights over the waters.
“Bolivia resolved the controversy with a sister nation thanks to work based on scientific studies and our international relations strategy,” he said.
(Thread) The International Court of Justice ratifies our rights over the waters of the #silala and our sovereignty over the dismantling of artificial channels. pic.twitter.com/vxNDpI87l8
— Luis Alberto Arce Catacora (Lucho Arce) (@LuchoXBolivia)
December 1, 2022
For its part, the Andean country’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs indicated that the Court’s ruling favors the restoration of the Silala bogs, important ecosystems that regulate, store and filter water in high areas.
In this way, Bolivia has the right to restore ecosystems that are sources of moisture and habitats for species in danger of disappearing.
“The Court also determined that sufficient evidence was not found to assert that Bolivia has breached any international law obligation, as Chile stated in its lawsuit,” the Bolivian Foreign Ministry specified.
In 2016, Chile filed a lawsuit against Bolivia before the ICJ regarding the status and use of the Silala waters and in 2018, Bolivia countersued Chile and requested that said international body rule on the artificial and drainage channels built in its territory.