Fórum Brigadeiro Nero Moura

LIMA, Peru (AP) -- Peru's Congress passed a bill Thursday to redefine the country's ocean territory as a first step toward claiming rich Pacific fishing waters now controlled by Chile, raising nationalistic tensions brewing between the two nations since a war more than a century ago.

The new law, approved in a 98-0 vote, creates shore reference points to enable Peru to move the ocean boundary between the two countries farther south, encompassing a triangular area spanning about 14,781 square miles (37,900 square kilometers).

Chile maintains the maritime border was set by agreements signed between the two nations in 1952 and 1954, but Peru contends the documents were pacts covering fishing rights and that the maritime boundaries in the area have never been clearly defined.

Promoted by Peruvian President Alejandro Toledo's administration, the new law uses a technical formula established by the U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea, currently signed by 149 countries, Peruvian Foreign Minister Oscar Maurtua said. The legislation was necessary to establish a legal basis for Peru to sign on to the U.N. convention.

"We are not seeking any sort of confrontation here, nor do we want to separate ourselves from the peaceful and respectful line of international law," Congressman Pedro Morales said during the legislative session. "What we simply want is to fulfill our constitution and for Peruvians to adhere to the law within our territory."

On Wednesday, Chilean President Ricardo Lagos said Chile "will continue to exercise full sovereignty" over the area, and Chilean Defense Minister Jaime Ravinet said after attending a congressional session in Santiago that "our armed forces will safeguard our borders."

But Chilean officials on Thursday moved to tone down the rhetoric to avoid stoking nationalistic rancor that has smoldered since the 1879-84 War of the Pacific, in which Chile seized a swath of Peru's mineral-rich southern coast and sent some 5,000 soldiers to occupy Lima for nearly two years.

Chilean Interior Minister Francisco Vidal said no "extraordinary" measures were planned in reaction to the Peruvian legislation.

Lagos' Chief of Staff Eduardo Dockendorff and national police chief, Gen. Alberto Cienfuegos, also denied media reports that Chile was bolstering security forces at the border with Peru.

Several Peruvian lawmakers said before the debate that Chile's government was blowing the issue out of proportion to curry favor with voters ahead of Chile's December 11 presidential election.

But some analysts also faulted Peruvian politicians for the timing of the bill. Peru is set to hold its general elections in April.

Mirko Lauer wrote in his column in Peru daily La Republica that those who promoted the legislation ahead of the elections in both countries "have hurled a rock at what obviously was going to be a hornet's nest."

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