Western Hemisphere 119
Participants: 135 Peru/100 Colombia
Outcome (and Settlement): Compromise (Negotiated)
Fatalities: 101–250 deaths
Narrative: Most inhabitants of the Leticia district that bordered the Amazon River
were Peruvian, but the Salomon-Lozano Treaty of 1922 granted Colombia the terri-
tory. On September 1, 1932, 300 armed Peruvians crossed the river, seized the town,
and imprisoned Colombian officials and officers.
Colombia sent a small naval force, and Peru sent reinforcements. On March 8,
1933, the League of Nations called for Peru to evacuate the Leticia Trapezium and to
withdraw support from Peruvians in Leticia. The Colombians took several Peruvian
outposts in March and April. On June 19, the Peruvians handed control of Leticia to
a committee from the League of Nations for one year of administration while talks
continued. The parties negotiated in Rio de Janeiro starting in October 1933 and on
May 24, 1934, Colombia and Peru signed the Protocol of Peace, Friendship and Coop-
eration and an Additional Act to end the dispute.
Coding changes: End Date changed from May 25, 1933.
MID#1141
Dispute Number: 1141
Date(s): April 1934 to May 24, 1934
Participants: 135 Peru/100 Colombia
Outcome (and Settlement): Victory for side B (Negotiated)
Fatalities: None
Narrative: This was another Peru-Colombia dispute over Leticia, a modern-day
Colombian possession that lays at the point where the boundaries of Brazil, Colombia,
and Peru intersect. Tensions over the area renewed in early 1934, soon after a crisis
between the two over the same issue nearly resulted in war. The preceding crisis
resulted in a League of Nations commission to administer the territory. This recon-
vened in February 1934.
The commission reached a breakthrough in early April when its representatives
felt confident that it could bring Peru and Colombia to the table to discuss the matter.
Meanwhile, Colombia had its eyes set on repossessing Leticia when the commission
convened on June 15. Peru sought an extension of the commission because this status
quo was mostly favorable to them. While the commission tried to reach a conclu-
sion on the matter, reports indicated that both Colombia and Peru were making plans
for war.
Things changed in May. The month began with news that Peru was likely to yield
on the matter, indicating that it would make compensation for the prior dispute where
Leticia was detached from Colombia. Two weeks later, on May 16, a tentative agree-
ment emerged from Rio de Janeiro, where the conference met. Colombia initially
refused, saying that an apology was insufficient and a planned commission did not
feature strong Colombian input. However, a settlement was eventually reached on
May 19 and signed on May 24.