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“We have the opportunity to give the example and show that hatred and revenge can be defeated with tolerance,” President Evo Morales told reporters.
The two Chilean police officers detained last Friday at the Chile-Bolivia border, were handed over to Chilean authorities Sunday.
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Bolivia to Release Two Chilean Policemen Arrested at Border
Officer Jaime Ruben Díaz and Corporal Nicolas Antonio Morales from Chile's military force, had according to President of Bolivia's Senate, Jose Alberto Gonzales, entered Bolivian territory without permission about 8 kilometers from the border in the southern province of Potosi.
They had then allegedly resisted arrest and attempted to run away, he added.
On Saturday, Bolivia's President Evo Morales had announced the immediate release of the two officers.
“We have the opportunity to give the example and show that hatred and revenge can be defeated with tolerance,” Morales told reporters at a news conference, referring to a number of recent incidents that threaten to escalate the strained relations between the neighboring countries.
In March, two Bolivian military and seven customs officers were arrested in Chile. They were released last week after Bolivia paid a US$50,000 fine.
The Bolivians were accused of smuggling, theft with intimidation and illegal possession of weapons.
Bolivia rejected the claims, insisting that Chileans had crossed into its territory and detained the men while they were performing a regular operation against smuggling.
Still, after Sunday’s delivery of the policemen, Chilean Senator Alejandro Navarro recognized the “dignified treatment” they had received from Bolivian authorities.
"It's a diplomatic lesson," he said, adding that work must be done to tackle smuggling and drug trafficking on the border.
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