Although former presidents Gabriel Boric and Ricardo Lagos set foot on Bolivian soil during their administrations, this is the first state visit by a head of the La Moneda Palace to the neighboring nation since 1955, when this nation’s former President Carlos Ibanez del Campo met with then Bolivian President Victor Paz Estenssoro.

Bolivia and Chile have lacked diplomatic ties since 1978, and La Paz maintains a historical claim against this nation, as it lost its access to the sea in the Pacific War (1879-1884).

Although the new Bolivian government said it will not renounce its maritime claim, it expressed interest in advancing an economic agenda.

The visitor expects to sign agreements on trade, integration, energy, and border cooperation.

The two governments also seek to strengthen the exchange of information against drug trafficking and organized crime.

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