Preview: Chapter 5 of Territorial Disputes in the Americas
Territorial Disputes in the Americas (released August 20, 2025) examines the enduring legacy of colonialism through ongoing territorial disputes. Chapter 5, “Ongoing European Influence in the Americas,” analyzes cases like the Falkland/Malvinas Islands, San Andrés, Hans Island, and the Marouini River tract, highlighting European presence and its complexities. As part of my 10-week chapter reveal series, this preview, grounded in my work, explores the chapter’s key ideas. Join me to uncover how colonial legacies fuel disputes and shape peacebuilding prospects.
Enduring European Influence
Chapter 5 investigates territorial disputes in the Americas with direct or indirect European involvement, rooted in colonial histories. These cases—Falkland/Malvinas (Argentina vs. UK), San Andrés, Providencia, and Santa Catalina (Colombia vs. Nicaragua), Hans Island (Canada vs. Denmark), and Marouini River tract (Suriname vs. French Guiana)—illustrate how historical claims, unclear borders, and modern geopolitics create stalemates. The chapter applies the multidimensional approach from Chapter 3, integrating 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).
Case Studies
Falkland/Malvinas Islands
The Falkland/Malvinas dispute, ongoing since 1833 when the UK expelled Argentine settlers, exemplifies colonial legacies. Argentina claims historical entitlement and territorial integrity, while the UK emphasizes de facto control and islanders’ self-determination (99.8% voted to remain a British Overseas Territory in 2013). The islands’ geostrategic location, natural resources (hydrocarbons, fisheries), and Antarctic links fuel the stalemate, with domestic politics (e.g., nationalism) and international prestige (e.g., UK’s global status) complicating resolution.
San Andrés, Providencia, and Santa Catalina
Rooted in Spanish and English colonization, this dispute saw Colombia’s sovereignty upheld by the ICJ (2007, 2012), despite Nicaragua’s claims via uti possidetis juris. The Raizal community, an ethnic minority with Anglophone roots, faces tension with Colombia’s Hispanic policies, highlighting cultural and axiological conflicts. The 1928 Esguerra-Bárcenas Treaty and maritime boundary issues underscore regional and international dimensions.
Hans Island
The Hans Island dispute (Canada vs. Denmark) over a 1.3 km² uninhabited Arctic rock was settled in 2022, splitting the island (40% Canada, 60% Denmark). Canada’s claim rested on British transfer (1880), while Denmark cited geological and Inuit historical ties. The agreement included Inuit access, reflecting a cooperative approach absent in other cases, driven by stable domestic contexts.
Marouini River Tract
The Marouini River dispute (Suriname vs. French Guiana) involves a 5,000-square-mile Amazon region, rich in resources. Stemming from vague colonial borders, the 2021 protocol partially resolved the issue, though disagreements persist over the Litani vs. Marouini River boundary. Multi-ethnic groups (e.g., Maroons, Amerindians) and Brazilian migrants complicate dynamics, with informal economies (e.g., gold mining) shaping local stability.
Multidimensional Approach
The chapter employs a multidimensional approach to reveal the interplay of pluralisms. Unlike unidimensional analyses focusing solely on states or legal claims, this framework considers:
Agents and Players: States (e.g., UK, Colombia) act as hosts, while communities (e.g., Raizals, Falkland/Malvinas Islanders) vary as participants or attendees. For instance, Argentina views Falkland/Malvinas Islanders as attendees, while the UK recognizes their self-determination.
Contexts: Domestic politics (e.g., leaders’ prestige in Argentina), regional interests (e.g., OAS recommendations), and international factors (e.g., UK’s post-Brexit influence) drive stalemates. A regional bloc approach could strengthen American states’ bargaining power.
Realms: Factual (e.g., resource-rich territories), normative (e.g., UNCLOS, UNGA resolutions), and axiological (e.g., Raizal identity vs. Colombian interests) realms shape disputes. Axiological differences, like self-determination recognition, create normative inconsistencies.
Modes of Existence: Ideal (e.g., justice in historical claims), natural (e.g., shifting rivers), cultural (e.g., nationalism), and metaphysical (e.g., identity disputes) elements add complexity. For example, the Mapuche’s borderless worldview clashes with state-centric norms.
Challenges and Opportunities
These disputes reveal a tension between international law’s sovereign equality and realpolitik, where European powers maintain influence. Domestic instability (e.g., Suriname’s civil war) and emotional factors (e.g., Argentine patriotism) perpetuate stalemates, yet cooperative models like Hans Island suggest peacebuilding potential when agents align interests.
A Path Forward
Chapter 5 underscores that understanding these disputes requires embracing their multi-layered nature. Future chapters will explore non-European influences (e.g., China, Russia) and regional disputes, applying this multidimensional lens.
Get a Sneak Peek
Dive deeper at https://drjorge.world with posts like “Falklands/Malvinas” and “Sovereignty and Self-determination.” Follow my weekly reveals on X (#TerritorialDisputes) and share your thoughts! Order details below!
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