Mr. Chávez, for instance, encouraged and quickly supported Bolivia's nationalization of its energy sector this month, a move that infuriated Argentina and Brazil, which depend on Bolivian natural gas.

That conditions the possible supply of Bolivian gas to Chile or its export through Chilean ports to winning access to the sea.

(See: Bolivian gas referendum, 2004.)

On Sept. 1, 1989, the government wrote off Argentina's $300,000,000 arrears in payments for Bolivian natural gas in return for the Argentinian government pardoning Bolivia's $800,000,000 bilateral debt.

Proponents foresee increased oil production, since Bolivian gas has some oil content, and a sprawling network of pipelines from Tarija to Bolivia's neighbors.

In the import contract signed with Bolivia it was specified that not even a drop of Bolivian gas could be sold to Chile from Argentina.

Argentina provided wheat in exchange for Bolivian natural gas.

Bolivian gas, for instance, fuels much of Brazil's industry and a growing number of power plants fired by natural gas.

Chile, a potential market for Bolivian gas, may choose instead a project to import the fuel from as far away as Africa.

Even Brazil, while now reliant on Bolivian gas, has recently discovered large offshore gas reserves of its own.