Preview: Chapter 4 of Territorial Disputes in the Americas
Territorial Disputes in the Americas (released August 20, 2025) uncovers the shared origins of the continent’s conflicts, offering a multidimensional lens to understand their complexity. Chapter 4, “Common Roots to the Territorial Disputes in the Americas,” traces these disputes across three historical periods, revealing their lasting impact. As part of my 10-week chapter reveal series, this preview explores the chapter’s key ideas. Dive into the roots of disputes like the Falklands/Malvinas, Beagle Channel, and Chaco War, and discover paths to peacebuilding!
Historical Roots of Disputes
Chapter 4 identifies common roots of territorial disputes in the Americas, shaped by colonial legacies and their disregard for native communities and environments. These roots are classified into three periods: pre-Columbian, post-Columbian but pre-independence, and *post-independence. Each period highlights distinct dynamics, yet all share pluralisms—agents, contexts, realms, and modes of existence—that fuel disputes and their consequences, such as poverty, humanitarian crises, and guerrilla warfare.
Pre-Columbian Times
Before European arrival, the Americas hosted 54–112 million people, including advanced empires (Aztecs, Mayas, Incas) and smaller tribes. Territorial disputes arose from empire expansion, driven by religious beliefs and resource needs (e.g., water, food). These conflicts, while significant, were transformed by European colonization.
Post-Columbian but Pre-Independence Times
European conquest decimated native populations to under 10 million, dismantling empires and extinguishing tribes. Colonizers imposed legal frameworks like the Papal bulls of Alexander VI (e.g., Inter caetera), granting Spain and Portugal sovereignty while ignoring indigenous rights. The 1494 Treaty of Tordesillas solidified these divisions, sowing seeds for future disputes by creating ambiguous borders.
Post-Independence Times
Newly independent states adopted uti possidetis juris, claiming legal sovereignty over territories they controlled in fact. However, unclear or non-existent colonial borders led to competing claims, sparking disputes. Doctrines like Monroe, Calvo, and Drago emerged to counter foreign interference, yet indigenous claims remained sidelined, often due to their lack of legal personhood or perceived inferiority.
Multidimensional Analysis of Post-Independence Disputes
Applying the multidimensional approach from Chapter 3, the chapter examines resolved post-independence disputes, stemming from separatist movements against colonial powers or between former colonies. These disputes involve agents (individuals, communities, states), players (hosts, participants, attendees, viewers), contexts (domestic, regional, international), realms (factual, normative, axiological), and modes of existence (ideal, natural, cultural, metaphysical). For example, the Chaco War (Bolivia–Paraguay) involved states as hosts, indigenous communities as viewers, and regional guarantors like Argentina, shaping outcomes across factual (resource control), normative (legal borders), and axiological (national pride) realms.
Agents and Players
Beyond states, individuals (e.g., caudillos like Andrés de Santa Cruz) and communities (indigenous, implanted populations) shaped disputes. In the War of the Peru–Bolivian Confederation, caudillos drove territorial ambitions, while in the Beagle Channel dispute, indigenous Mapuche communities were marginalized. Implanted populations, like those in San Andrés, claimed self-determination, complicating state-centric narratives.
Contexts
Disputes are influenced by domestic (e.g., leaders’ political needs), regional (e.g., unclear borders, resource nationalism), and international (e.g., UK influence in Falklands/Malvinas) contexts. The San Andrés dispute, for instance, involves regional fishing rights and international legal rulings, while the Mexico–US border reflects domestic nationalism and global migration issues.
Realms and Modes of Existence
The factual realm highlights physical challenges (e.g., jungles, rivers) complicating border demarcation, as in the Marouini River dispute. The normative realm includes national constitutions defining “territory,” often clashing with international rulings. Axiologically, indigenous rights (e.g., UNDRIP 2007) challenge state interests. Disputes also span modes: ideal (e.g., Mapuche concepts of borderless land), natural (e.g., shifting rivers), cultural (e.g., resource-driven tensions), and metaphysical (e.g., Papal mediation in the Beagle Channel).
Peacebuilding and Regional Guarantors
Despite their complexity, many disputes, like the Ecuador–Peru conflict (1998 Brasilia Peace Agreement), were resolved through regional efforts. The OAS and neighboring states (e.g., Argentina, Brazil) acted as guarantors, fostering peace by excluding exogenous influences and leveraging local cohesion. However, settled disputes remain volatile due to domestic (e.g., nationalism), regional (e.g., resource competition), and international (e.g., IMF policies) factors.
A Path to Understanding
Chapter 4’s multidimensional approach reveals how historical roots and pluralisms drive disputes, offering insights for peacebuilding. Upcoming chapters apply this lens to ongoing cases like the Falklands/Malvinas and Amazon.
Get a Sneak Peek
Explore more at https://drjorge.world with posts like “Sovereignty and Self-determination” and “Antarctica.” Follow my weekly reveals on X (#TerritorialDisputes) and share your thoughts! Order details coming soon!
NOTE:
New posts every Thursday.
NEXT POST:
Preview Chapter 5: Ongoing European Influence in the Americas– Analyzes cases like the Falkland/Malvinas, San Andrés, Hans Island, and Marouini River disputes.
PREVIOUS POSTS:
AUTHOR’S SAMPLE PEER-REVIEWED ACADEMIC RESEARCH (FREE OPEN ACCESS):
State Sovereignty: Concept and Conceptions (OPEN ACCESS) (IJSL 2024)
AUTHOR’S PUBLISHED WORK AVAILABLE TO PURCHASE VIA:
Thursday 21st August 2025
Dr Jorge Emilio Núñez
X (formerly, Twitter): https://x.com/DrJorge_World
No comments:
Post a Comment