Bolivia's President Rodrigo Paz reaffirmed his country's irrenunciable maritime claim during Day of the Sea, but stressed building bridges of regional integration rather than ditches. He spoke in Puerto Quijarro, bordering Brazil, referencing the historical wound from the War of the Pacific.
On March 23, 2026, Bolivian President Rodrigo Paz delivered a speech in Puerto Quijarro, a Santa Cruz municipality bordering Brazil, to mark Day of the Sea. He reaffirmed the 'irrenunciable' maritime claim as a motivation to protect the homeland, describing the War of the Pacific as a 'turning point' that inflicted a 'deep historical wound' by stripping sovereign sea access. Yet, Paz advocated addressing it 'with intelligence, dialogue, and cooperation' for shared prosperity. 'We don't make ditches, we make bridges of integration', he stated, in contrast to the 'physical barriers' recently set by Chile's government under José Antonio Kast at their border. He added: 'Chile hurt us, whatever is said, but the future is always better'. He outlined a 'fluviomaritime' vision from rivers to the sea and urged uniting Bolivia's five neighboring nations through collaborative foreign policy. 'We want every border people to benefit', he said, betting on economic growth to unlock Pacific access.
