Western Hemisphere 183
Fatalities: None
Narrative: Chile and Argentina had quarreled over the border between them for
decades, fundamentally over the Puna de Atacama. They signed the Treaty of 1881 in
hopes of resolving the matter, but issues of interpretation soon followed. The treaty
called for a division of waters—the divortium aquarum—to serve as the boundary
between the two, but the treaty literally read “the highest peaks that divide the waters.”
Argentina favored the latter interpretation, since it would have extended its claim to
the Pacific, but Chile refused to accept that as the spirit of the settlement. As uncer-
tainty among respective border commissions grew, so did the threat of war between
the two congresses and military officials. Francisco Moreno (Argentina) and Diego
Barros Arana (Chile), both respected military officials, fortified their positions in the
disputed territory. Tensions went to the brink of war, but cooler heads prevailed. Their
leaders signed a protocol that called for arbitration by the king of England. Mean-
while, a separate protocol was signed around the same time, calling for the Puna de
Atacama to be determined by the United States plenipotentiary William I. Buchanan.
The Puna protocol resulted in a conference that failed to produce a satisfactory resolu-
tion to the issue, which essentially became the starting point for MID#1093.
Coding changes: End Date changed from September 22, 1898.
MID#1093
Dispute Number: 1093
Date(s): May 1900 to November 1902
Participants: 160 Argentina/155 Chile
Outcome (and Settlement): Compromise (Negotiated)
Fatalities: Missing
Narrative: Chile and Argentina had quarreled over the border between them for
decades, fundamentally over the Puna de Atacama. An 1899 conference in Buenos
Aires failed to bring about an adequate agreement between the two sides, causing
great discontent while the designated arbiter, Great Britain, was still deciding the case.
Chilean and Argentine presses accused the other of illegally occupying stretches of the
disputed area and altering the streams of water to favor their sides. This fever spread
to Chile’s and Argentina’s respective congresses. During 1901, both sides commenced
an arms race and a buildup for war that far exceeded either’s capacity. In 1902 pas-
sions calmed, and the issue was incrementally pacified. A May 1902 pact formally
signaled an end to this flare-up of tensions while the British arbiter was still making
his opinion. Months later, King Edward VII announced his decision to split the dispute
area equally, following the precedent of Solomon. This decision, in essence, ended
the boundary dispute between the two that lasted from 1847 to 1902. The militarized
portion of the dispute was an occupation of the territory by Argentina in May 1900.
Coding changes: End Date changed from April 6, 1902.
MID#1097
Dispute Number: 1097
Date(s): July 26, 1952 to August 22, 1952