172 Chapter 2
Narrative: On February 25, 1927, a Paraguayan officer, three enlistees, and an Indian
guide appeared near the Bolivian Fortine Sorpresa, situated near the Pilcomayo.
Apparently the band had inadvertently wandered into the Andean outpost while
exploring waterways. They were immediately taken into custody by the Bolivian
military. While waiting to be interrogated, the Paraguayan officer made an escape
attempt and was shot and killed by his guard. Paraguay became furious and its public
demanded vengeance for this “murder.” Bolivia released the prisoners and expressed
regret for the isolated event.
Coding changes: Start Date changed from February 26, 1927. End Date changed
from February 27, 1927. Fatalities changed from None.
MID#1025
Dispute Number: 1025
Date(s): August 26, 1927
Participants: 145 Bolivia/150 Paraguay
Outcome (and Settlement): Unclear (None)
Fatalities: None
Narrative: By August 1927, Paraguay had purchased over 10,000 weapons from the
Spanish, including 24 Schneider 75 mm mountain guns. On August 26, Paraguayan
troops fortified their border and spilled over into Bolivian territory, utilizing their
recent purchase from the Spanish in this new show of force.
Coding changes: Start Date changed from Missing. End Date changed from Missing.
MID#1026
Dispute Number: 1026
Date(s): October 7, 1928 to January 4, 1929
Participants: 150 Paraguay/145 Bolivia
Outcome (and Settlement): Unclear (Negotiated)
Fatalities: 26–100 deaths
Narrative: Since both Paraguay and Bolivia gained independence from Spain, the
two countries had disputed claims over the Chaco Boreal border region for both its
economic and nationalistic value. The border conflicts intensified in the 1920s, and in
February 1927, a Paraguayan military official was killed at Fort Sorpresa in the Chaco
Boreal. The conflict over this border region became more salient as Paraguayan citi-
zens reacted to the fatality. Argentina assisted with diplomatic talks between the two
countries through July 1928, but the negotiations failed when neither side wanted to
concede demands.
In December 1928, Bolivia captured Paraguay’s Fort Vanguardia and Paraguay
captured Bolivia’s Fort Boqueron in military clashes more intense than previous inci-
dents. Even though the Chaco region had few valuable resources to offer either coun-
try—especially land-rich Bolivia—neither side wanted to concede to the other. Due
to Paraguay’s obvious military disadvantage, President Guggiari accepted the terms of
an agreement put forth in January 1929 by the International Conference of American
States on Conciliation and Arbitration. This agreement acknowledged Paraguay’s