Western Hemisphere 195
Outcome (and Settlement): Unclear (None)
Fatalities: None
Narrative: Uruguay protested the occupation of an island off its coast, but just north
of an Argentine controlled island, by Argentine armed forces. The two countries were
divided over how to determine territorial waters, with Uruguay favoring a straight line
from the land border, and Argentina supporting using the channel of the Uruguayan
river estuary.
Coding changes: Start Date changed from January 28, 1969. End Date changed from
July 28, 1969.
MID#1808
Dispute Number: 1808
Date(s): January 26, 1973
Participants: 165 Uruguay/160 Argentina, 385 Norway
Outcome (and Settlement): Compromise (Negotiated)
Fatalities: None
Narrative: Uruguay and Argentina contested the maritime border in the River Plate.
Uruguay wanted delimitation halfway between Argentina and Uruguay, but Argen-
tina wanted delimitation along the deep-water channel closer to Uruguay, so its ships
could conduct unloading operations before moving into shallower Argentine waters.
This dispute began when Uruguayan naval vessels attempted to seize an Argentine
ship and a Norwegian freighter in disputed waters. The Argentine ship was unloading
coal from the Norwegian vessel when two Uruguayan naval vessels approached and
Uruguayan naval officers boarded, demanding both ships submit to arrest and follow
them to Montevideo. The Argentine captain refused, and the Uruguayan officers left.
Argentina and Uruguay then sent naval reinforcements, and the Uruguayan destroyer
retreated. Ten months later the foreign ministers of Argentina and Uruguay signed the
River Plate Pact, which outlined the maritime border in the River Plate but also pos-
session of Martin Garcia, an island near the Uruguayan coast.
Coding changes: Outcome changed from Compromise.
160 Argentina/200 United Kingdom
MID#371
Dispute Number: 371
Date(s): January 12, 1842 to March 12, 1842
Participants: 200 United Kingdom, 220 France/160 Argentina
Outcome (and Settlement): Unclear (None)
Fatalities: None
Narrative: The increased turmoil in January 1842, amidst the Argentine civil war
and its simultaneous international conflict with Uruguay, made Great Britain and
France very uneasy about their respective economic interests and the well-being
of their foreign nationals in the two South American countries. On February 8, the