World court: Bolivia, Chile close together in river dispute

By MOLLY QUELL
Associated Press

THE HAGUE (AP) — The United Nations’ highest court has found little to rule on in a long-running dispute over a small river which flows from Bolivia to Chile as the Latin American neighbors had mostly resolved their conflict during the 6-year proceedings. The International Court of Justice spent most of the hour-long hearing announcing the legal claims over the Silala River — a short waterway in the Atacama Desert — were “without object” as both countries now agree on how the water system should be managed.  Chile’s president says the ruling “recognized that Chile’s historical and current use of the waters” is in line with international law. His Bolivian counterpart says the decision has confirmed “our rights over the waters of Silala.”