Peru, Chile Border Dispute: 4 Facts About The Case Plus Where To Watch The Hague's Decision Live

On January 27th the International Court of Justice in The Hague will announce its decision on the maritime border dispute that has been ongoing between Chile and Peru since 2008. The two South American countries expect the Court's decision to determine where their respective borders lie in the the Pacific Ocean. The relationship between both countries has been testy ever since Peru presented the case to the ICJ. You can watch the decision live online at webtv.un.org on Monday January 27th beginning at 9 A.M. ET.

1. What is the dispute about? Peru is disputing control of 38,000 square kms (23,612 miles) of ocean, which corresponds to 19 kilometers (11 miles) of coastline and 188 kilometeres (118 miles) of one of the richest ocean zones in the world. The maritime triangle today belongs to Chile, which took over the provinces of Arica and Inquique from Peru in the 19th century. Peru presented the case to de International Court of Justice in The Hague on the 16th of January 2008, the outcome of which will be announced tomorrow.

2. What are the consequences of the decision? The impending decision could have significant economic effects for both countries. The area under dispute is one of the richest fishing zones in the world worth about 200 million dollars, primarily through the fishing of 250,000 tones of anchovies. Chile's Corspeca company, the second-largest exporter of fishmeal after Peru, extracts 70 to 80 percent of its product from the are under dispute.

3. Who will come out on top? Both countries have expressed their belief in their own arguments. "We are convinced that we have presented very solid arguments throughout the process, for which we expect to be victorious," said Peruvian chancellor Ed Rivas. Meanwhile Chile's Juan Martabit stated "we came with arguments deeply studied and endorsed by law, a practical reality understood for years. We invented nothing." However, both countries have admitted they will respect the court's decision no matter the outcome.

4. Is Bolivia involved? Bolivia's president Evo Morales will no doubt be paying close attention to the court's decision tomorrow: Bolivia's government presented a similar case to the Hague in April last year over a disputed stretch of sea at Antofagasta which currently belongs to Chile but which was part of Bolivia until the nineteenth century. Moarles has sent a Bolivian representative to the hearing.