Boundary Disputes in Latin America

Interstate relationships in Central & South America have been marked by the endurance of boundary disputes & the frequent conflicts resulting from them, the militarization of conflicts, the fact that such escalation of conflicts rarely reaches full-scale war, & the even greater infrequency of wars. Since 1990, the settlement of border conflicts in the Southern Cone has consolidated a peace zone, whereas military disputes persist in Central America. The international system structure & states' grand strategies account for the observed outcomes. Neither the presence/absence of democracy, nor US power & intrusion are relevant to explaining the prospects of war & peace in Latin America. 1 Table. Adapted from the source document.