Bolivia tells the International Court of Justice that Chile's claim over the Silala river is 'hypothetical'

Bolivia hit back Monday at Chile's claim for equal rights to a small cross-border river, saying Santiago's case before the UN's highest court was "hypothetical."

Chile in 2016 dragged Bolivia before the International Court of Justice, asking judges to declare the Silala an "international water course" and give it equal rights to use its waters.

In a legal game of ping-pong, Bolivia also counter-sued Chile, "asking the ICJ to rule that it had "sovereignty... over the artificial flow of Silala waters engineered, enhanced, or produced in its territory," -- and demanded that Chile pay compensation.