Bolivian Naval Force The Bolivian Naval Force ( Spanish : " Fuerza Naval Boliviana " ) , formerly known as the Bolivian Navy ( " Armada Boliviana " ) is a branch of the Bolivian Armed Forces . As of 2008 , the Bolivian Naval Force had approximately 5 , 000 personnel . Although Bolivia has been landlocked since the War of the Pacific in 1879 , Bolivia established a River and Lake Force ( " Fuerza Fluvial y Lacustre " ) in January 1963 under the Ministry of National Defense . It consisted of four boats supplied from the United States and 1 , 800 personnel recruited largely from the Bolivian Army . The Bolivian Navy was renamed as the Bolivian Naval Force ( " Fuerza Naval Boliviana " ) in January 1966 , but it has since been called the Bolivian Navy ( " Armada Boliviana " ) as well . It became a separate branch of the armed forces in 1963 . Bolivia has large rivers which are tributaries to the Amazon which are patrolled to prevent smuggling and drug trafficking . Bolivia also maintains a naval presence on Lake Titicaca , the highest navigable lake in the world , across which runs the Peruvian frontier . Landlocked Bolivia has not reconciled with the loss of its coast to Chile and the Navy exists to keep the hope alive of recovering its coast by cultivating a maritime consciousness . The Bolivian Navy takes part in many parades and government functions , but none more so than the " Día Del Mar " ( Day of the Sea ) in which Bolivia , every year , asks for the coast territories lost to Chile during the War of the Pacific , which Peru and Bolivia fought against Chile from 1879 to 1884 . The reconquest of its coastline is a point of honor for Bolivia , influencing many modern day political actions and trade decisions . Organization . The Navy is organized into ten naval districts with flotilla headquarters in Guaqui , Guayaramerín , Puerto Suárez , Riberalta , and San Pedro de Tiquina and bases in Puerto Busch , Puerto Horquilla , Puerto Villarroel , Trinidad , and Rurrenabaque . Naval vessels include several dozen boats , a dozen or more of which are for riverine patrol . Seagoing vessels , including the American - made PR - 51 " Santa Cruz de la Sierra " and several other vessels sail the oceans with the Bolivian flag with the granted permission of the " Capitanias Navales " Naval Registration Office . The " Libertador Simón Bolívar " , a ship acquired from Venezuela , used to sail from its home port in Rosario , Argentina on the River Paraná . In 1993 the Navy was formally renamed the " Naval Force " ( " Fuerza Naval " ) and moved with the Bolivian Army under a single military authority . Most of the officers attend the Bolivian Naval Academy , graduating with a Bachelor of Science in Military and Naval Science , accredited by the Military University . Many naval officers later go onto to further studies on the undergraduate and graduate level . Argentina ' s Naval Military Group in Bolivia advises on naval strategy and tactics . Many Bolivian officers train in ocean sailing on Argentinian seagoing naval ships . The Force has several Special Operations units to address both internal and external threats . The Naval Force covers the extensive Bolivian inland waterways divided between the following Naval Districts which are named after the basin or region where they operate : Marine Corps . The Marine component of the FNB originated with the creation of the Marine Battalion Almirante Grau in the early 1980s . This force consists of 600 men is based on Tiquina Naval Base on Lake Titicaca . Later changes name to Marine Battalion Independence , based in Chua Cocani ( Not to be confused with the Independence RI17 EB ) . At present this battalion maintains a similar number of troops including paramilitaries . The personnel of this unit are either part of Task Force Blue Devils or are stationed in various naval bases . There are currently seven infantry battalions which are distributed as follows : Naval Military Police . The Policía Militar Naval or PMN is a speciality similar to its counterpart to the Army ' s Military Police , carrying out operations such as Important Persons Protection ( IPP ) , Physical Security ( SEF ) , or Patrol Facility ( PAT ) with additional duties such as Signals or naval protocol . There Naval detachments of PM in all district headquarters and FNB Naval Area . But only have the following units at the Battalion : Strength . Watercraft . The Bolivian Navy has a total of 173 vessels , mostly stationed on Lake Titicaca : PATROL : Other ships : Naval aviation . The Bolivian Naval Force operates two utility aircraft for the use of headquarters . Naval Infantry . The Bolivian Naval Force retains about 2 , 000 naval infantry personnel and marines .