A first visit in 71 years

Chilean President José Antonio Kast landed at El Alto airport near La Paz early on Friday, 16 October 2026, opening the first official visit by a Chilean head of state to Bolivia in more than 70 years. Bolivian Foreign Minister Héctor Huanca and La Paz governor Luis Revilla received him there, and he travelled with Chile's Foreign Minister Francisco Pérez Mackenna, Energy Minister Ximena Rincón and the governors of the Chilean regions bordering Bolivia. At Plaza Murillo, outside the presidential palace, Bolivian President Rodrigo Paz greeted him with military honours. The two leaders met privately before holding talks with ministers and border governors from both countries. Kast had attended Paz's inauguration in November 2025, which makes this their second encounter. In a post on X, Kast wrote:

“Today, after 71 years, a president of Chile returns on an official visit to La Paz. Let's begin to build the future of our nations together.”

Energy, security and trade accords

Paz and Kast signed accords covering energy, security and infrastructure. They include a memorandum on mining cooperation and first steps toward linking the two countries' electricity grids. The governments also backed a plan for a transoceanic fibre-optic corridor meant to connect the Pacific and Atlantic oceans through both territories. On fuel, they agreed to advance a project to reverse the flow of the pipeline between Sica-Sica and Arica. Bolivian Minister of the Presidency Fernando Aramayo said the aim is to let the country import large volumes of fuel from Chile, as shortages and rising prices strain Paz's administration. On security, the countries pledged closer coordination between police forces, an exchange of intelligence and joint management of migration flows. AP reports that both governments have also joined the Trump administration's Shield of the Americas coalition against drug trafficking.

Trade, ports and the Pacific question

Bolivia has been landlocked since the War of the Pacific and still depends heavily on Chilean ports. AP puts the share of its foreign trade moving through northern Chile at about 70%, while El País, citing customs data from the Puerto Seco de Oruro, says more than 76% of its imports and exports pass through Iquique and Arica. Among the topics discussed was reactivating the Arica-La Paz railway as an international trade corridor. Paz also offered Chile access to the Paraguay-Paraná waterway, which links Brazil, Paraguay, Argentina and Uruguay to the Atlantic. AP reports that Bolivia's demand for a land corridor to the Pacific was absent from the agenda. Paz said in his remarks that Bolivia's constitution still contains the maritime claim, though the country cannot tie its development to that history. Kast acknowledged real historical differences and said they cannot be an excuse for paralysis.

Relations still frozen

Bolivia and Chile have not had ambassador-level relations since March 1978, and their ties have been limited to consulates since then. Restoring full diplomatic ties was not on the agenda, officials said. Aramayo said it was too early to discuss the issue and that changing the approach would take time:

“It's too early. There's a path to work on to change the approach to relations, and it will take time.”

Kast told Paz that the two countries had stopped turning their backs on each other, and said the talks were meant to start writing a new chapter rather than mark a gesture. The visit leaves the diplomatic gap in place while the two governments pursue cooperation on trade, border security and consular matters.