Some of the most serious boundary disputes in Latin America have been settled in the past decade, while some not-so-serious disputes have been exacerbated. The one incident of interstate war—the conflict between Peru and Ecuador—has been resolved.

On October 23 the Institute in cooperation with the Inter-American Dialogue hosted a Current Issues Briefing to explore the findings of an Institute-supported research project on boundary disputes in Latin America. Discussing the treatment of the subject as examined in the Institute's recently published Peaceworks report "Boundary Disputes in Latin America," panelists addressed such issues as:

• The declining incidence of interstate war in Latin America;
• Legal, political, and other factors that account for the persistence and militarization of boundary disputes;
• The effects of democracy and development on land and maritime disputes; and
• Lessons learned for prevention and resolution.

Speakers

• Jorge I. Domínguez
  Professor, Harvard University; Primary Author, "Boundary Disputes in Latin America" (Peaceworks report, U.S. Institute of Peace Press); and Grantee, U.S. Institute of Peace
• Luigi Einaudi
  Assistant Secretary General, Organization of American States; and Report Contributor
• Manuel Orozco
  Program Officer, Inter-American Dialogue; and Report Contributor
• David Scott Palmer
  Professor, Boston University; and Report Contributor
• Francisco Rojas
  Director, Facultad Latino-americana de Ciencias Sociales-Chile (FLACSO); and Report Contributor
• Charles Nelson, Moderator
  Vice President, U.S. Institute of Peace