Bolivian President Rodrigo Paz offered Chile the use of Bolivia's 'ports' to connect with Brazil as part of a 'pragmatic' vision during the International Economic Forum for Latin America and the Caribbean, held in Panama. Addressing Chile's President-elect José Antonio Kast and his Brazilian counterpart Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, Paz said, 'We have more ports than you.' Recognizing the importance of Chile and Peru in the 'new relations' of the region in the Pacific, Paz offered Chile his ports to access the immense sea of the continent that is Brazil. He explained that through Bolivia, these land ports or via the waterway (Paraguay-Paraná), Bolivia will be part of a complement together with Uruguay, Paraguay, and Argentina. In this way, Paz continues his policy of rapprochement with his neighboring country. Last week, Bolivian Foreign Minister Fernando Aramayo visited Chile with the aim of re-establishing diplomatic and trade relations, as well as the possible attendance of the Bolivian leader at Kast's inauguration. These gestures mark a turning point in bilateral relations, marked by the diplomatic break of 1978 and decades of tension over Bolivia's claim for sovereign access to the Pacific Ocean. Paz also referred to the situation in Venezuela, expressing his desire for its democracy to 'strengthen and move forward.' He stated that the meeting in Panama reflects 'a factor of unity, transparency, and dialogue' as an important signal to the world. The Bolivian president emphasized that the region's countries must build their destiny 'with the truth,' something he said is happening in Bolivia after 20 years following the ideological shift that resulted from the departure from power of the Movement for Socialism (MAS). Paz also stated that today the southern hemisphere, Latin America, must decide to participate and be part of the command and geopolitical and geo-economic forces for global transformation. The event in Panama will also be the first bilateral meeting for President Paz and his Brazilian counterpart Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, which will open a new cycle in the dynamics between the two countries.
