Wasted Opportunities and Misguided Nationalism: Permanent Challenges to Multilateral Peacekeeping Efforts in the Peru-Ecuador Border Conflict

Abstract

As part of the border conflict raised between Peru and Ecuador, both parts signed in January 1942 the Rio Protocol, which was in fact helpful in several controversies between 1942 and 1948, and was able to definitely mark more than 90 per cent of the border. The guarantor countries never thought to be back in the same situation almost 50 years later.In a new context of tension and conflict, the author attempts to answer the question whether any approach driven by Argentina, Brazil, Chile and the United States may be helpful to soften the conflictive situation and find a resolution to the problem. In other words, if this type of ad hoc multilateral mechanisms can be effective to solve not only this, but any regional conflict.