Western Hemisphere 139
Relations improved when a Peruvian officer apologized to the governor of Machala,
Ecuador, for the clash; however, a concurrent dispute between Peru and Colombia
at Leticia threatened the disputed territory between Ecuador and Peru because the
Peruvian base of operations was at the edge of the disputed territory. On November
13, Ecuador mobilized troops in response. Peru and Ecuador did not clash then but
tensions remained high.
Coding changes: Start Date changed from October 8, 1932. End Date changed from
November 12, 1932.
MID#1152
Dispute Number: 1152
Date(s): December 1934 to November 30, 1935
Participants: 135 Peru/130 Ecuador
Outcome (and Settlement): Victory for side A (Imposed)
Fatalities: None
Narrative: This dispute is a Peruvian-Ecuadorian conflict over the Oriente region
that resulted in the imposition of a new boundary line by the much stronger Peru. The
area had always been a source of contention, but the dispute started, in earnest, with
a November 1935 accusation by Peru that Ecuador had violated the border by invad-
ing the province of Tumbez. Peru admitted only to a border fortification, done as a
response to Ecuadorian treatment of Peruvian nationals in the area. Ecuador alleged
that Peru had unnecessarily returned the favor, displacing Ecuadorian farmers in the
area and seizing their property. Peru, the significantly stronger country, invited Ecua-
dor to submit the matter to arbitration on November 30, 1935.
The International Court of Justice was chosen as a destination. Ultimately, the
United States was made arbiter by a July 6, 1936, protocol signed in Lima. The confer-
ence began on September 30 of that year but resulted in no agreement. The agreement
to submit the matter to arbitration entailed a written statement to maintain the status
quo of the area. Peru, the much stronger country and the new occupant of the disputed
area, interpreted this as an acceptance of a new status quo for which there was no need
for arbitration. Negotiations ended in September 1938, though a war between the two
states (MID#1154) was forthcoming.
Coding changes: End Date changed from Missing.
MID#2125
Dispute Number: 2125
Date(s): April 1937 to December 1937
Participants: 130 Ecuador/135 Peru
Outcome (and Settlement): Unclear (Negotiated)
Fatalities: None
Narrative: In April 1937, the Ecuadorian government in Quito denied Peruvian
accusations that Ecuadorian forces were advancing, and replied only that garrisons
had been ordered to hold their positions. This event occurred in the midst of the
Washington Conference, an attempt to negotiate the long-standing dispute between