[JURIST] Peru filed an application [press release] with the International Court of Justice (ICJ) [official website] Wednesday over its ongoing maritime boundary dispute with Chile. Peru has been threatening to bring the case before the ICJ since the court resolved a similar dispute [JURIST reports] between Nicaragua and Honduras in October 2007. Chilean President Michelle Bachelet [official website] and Foreign Minister Alejandro Foxley immediately denounced the application [123 Noticias report], but it is unclear whether Chile will reject the ICJ's jurisdiction, as commentators have predicted.

The case between Chile and Peru is the latest in a series of disputes regarding the boundaries of Latin American countries brought before the ICJ pursuant to the American Treaty on Pacific Settlement [text]. After issuing a final opinion [PDF opinion; press release] on the case between Nicaragua and Honduras, the court is presently evaluating disputes between Nicaragua and Costa Rica [order, PDF] and between Nicaragua and Colombia [ruling, PDF]. AP has more. BBC News has additional coverage [in Spanish].