Bolivia has a navy?

[lenidog]

I was just reading an article on the BBC about the head of the Bolivian armed forces Admiral Luis Aranda is denying rumors that the military is planning a coup. Now what gets me is where the hell is Bolivia's navy based and do they really need an admiral?

[billbuckhead]

1. It's hard to believe but apparently true

<http://samariaf0.tripod.com/copeb.html>

[MADem]

2. More than you needed to know!

http://www.angelfire.com/tx4/bustersbattery/militrivia/MILITRIVIA60.html
Most countries without shorelines have given up the idea of having a navy. Bolivia is the exception, having lost its access to the ocean in 1884 but not the idea of keeping a navy. In 1879 Chile declared war against Peru and its ally Bolivia. Thus began the War of the Pacific, which ended with Peru and Bolivia on the losing end.

The War of the Pacific was over nitrate mines, which also happened to be the territory Bolivia's port of Arica was located. When Chile annexed this territory it took control of the narrow strip of land connecting Bolivia to the Pacific. Bolivia stubbornly clung on to their navy, even though by now it was confined to a few patrol boats on Lake Titicaca, which it shares with Peru.
....The intrepid Bolivians do have a single sea-going vessel, the Libertador Bolivar, but it is kept docked in Argentina. The ship goes up and down the Plate River between Argentina and Uruguay and has apparently never been NEAR Bolivia. But that makes about as much sense as anything else in the Bolivian Navy.

[lenidog]

5. LOL!!

Just more of the strangeness that you can find in out of the way corners of the world.

[HawkerHurricane]

3. They've got rivers...

http://www.angelfire.com/tx4/bustersbattery/militrivia/MILITRIVIA60.html

You think that's bad, the Swiss have a navy...

I remember seeing a unclassified intel report on a land locked African country, with pictures of the 'Navy' passing in review... it looked like a bass boat, on a trailer, with 2 machine guns where the fishing chairs would be... the three men riding it looked so intently forward, like they were hiding thier embarrassment.

[lenidog]

6. The Bolivian Marine must be masters of the art of amphibious landings

[Jara sang]

4. Yes they train on Lake Titicaca

No lie. They used to have a coast until they lost it in a war with Chile

[lenidog]

7. I knew they had a coastline once

I guess old urges die hard

[sasquatch]

8. I'm waiting for a "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid" quote

:popcorn:

[Floogeldy]

9. I'm sorry, but you are an Imperialist.

}(

[burrowowl]

10. So does Switzerland!?! eom