Argentina-Chile relations
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| Argentina | Chile |
Argentina - Chile relations refers to interstate relations between the Chilean Republic and the Argentine Federal Republic. Argentina and Chile share the world's third-longest international border, which is 5,300 km long and runs from north to the south along the Andes mountains. During much of the 19th and the 20th century, relations between the countries chilled due to disputes over Patagonia, though in recent years relations have improved dramatically. Despite increased trade between the two countries they have followed quite different economic policies; Chile has signed free trade agreements with countries such as the USA, Canada and South Korea and is an active member of the APEC, while Argentina belongs to the Mercosur regional free trade area.
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[edit] Historical Relations (1550-1989)
[edit] Rule under Spain and Independence
Both countries have traditionally had a difficult relationship with the other. These difficulties can be traced back to colonial times. Chile and Argentina were colonized as offshoots of different colonies; Chile was an extension of the conquest of Peru and Argentina was colonized by Spaniards arriving directly from the Atlantic Ocean. Both countries were later consolidated into separate Viceroyalties, which were vexed by inexact and changing borders.
Argentina and Chile were close allies during the wars of independence from Spain. Chile, like most of the revolting colonies, was defeated at a point by Spanish armies, while Argentina remained independent throughout its war with Spain. After the Chilean defeat in the Disaster of Rancagua the remnants of the Chilean Army took refuge in Mendoza. As Argentinean General José de San Martín was by that time governor of the region, he formed the Army of the Andes (which was made up by Argentine soldiers and Chilean exiles). In 1817, General San Martín crossed the Andes with Chilean hero Bernardo O'Higgins and together they defeated the Spaniards and opened the way for Chilean Independence. While he was in Chile, San Martín was offered the presidency of Chile, which he declined, instead proposing that O'Higgins serve as head of state. San Martín later commanded the Army of the Andes, which was at that point made up mostly of Chilean soldiers, in the liberation of Peru from Spanish rule. After a successful campaign, he proclaimed the independence of Peru in 1821.
[edit] Claims on Patagonia
Argentina declared its Independence in 1816 and Chile in 1818 and after the Spaniards were expelled, the relations soured. This was primarily due to a border dispute: both nations claimed the totality of Patagonia.
Attempts to clear up the dispute were unsuccessful until 1881, when Chile was fighting the War of the Pacific against both Bolivia and Peru. In order to avoid fighting Argentina as well, Chilean President Aníbal Pinto authorized his envoy, Diego Barros Arana to hand over as much territory as was needed to avoid Argentina siding with Bolivia and Peru. Barros succeeded in his mission: Argentina received the Atlantic coast and Chile the Pacific coast.
However, border disputes continued as Patagonia was still an unexplored area. The definition of the border used in 1881 established the highest mountains that divides the drainage basins to the Pacific Ocean and the Atlantic as border. This concept was easy to apply in northern regions but in Patagonia drainage basins crossed the Andes, this lead to dispute what over the highest peaks would the frontier or the drainage basins. In 1902, war was again avoided when British King Edward VII agreed to mediate between the two nations. He established the current border in the Patagonia region in part by dividing many disputed lakes into two equal parts, most of these lakes still have one mane on each side of the frontier.
Trouble once again began to brew in the 1960s, when Argentina began to claim that the Picton, Lennox and Nueva islands in the Beagle Channel were rightfully hers, although this was in direct contradiction of the 1884 treaty.
[edit] Beagle conflict
The three small islands of Picton, Lennox and Nueva are strategically located south of the Beagle Channel and with a congruent maritime extension of 30,000 square miles, including fishing and mineral (presumably oil) rights, and possible Antarctic Peninsula territorial claims, the zone had been in contention since the early 19th Century when both Argentina and Chile declared independence from Spain.
On 1978 bilateral negotiations failed and relations became extremely tense. On December 11, Pope John Paul II sent a personal message to both presidents urging a peaceful solution and both countries allow the Pope to mediate the dispute through the good offices of Cardinal Antonio Samoré, his special envoy.
On January 9, 1979 the Act of Montevideo was signed in Uruguay pledging both sides to a peaceful solution and a return to the military situation of early 1977.
[edit] The Falklands/Malvinas War
- See also: Events leading to the Falklands War
In 1982, with the still pending Beagle conflict, Chile, then under General Pinochet's regime, became the only major Latin American country to support Britain during the Falklands War, but then only indirectly by providing a military and naval diversion. The Chilean government was possibly concerned that if Argentina succeeded in taking the Falklands, General Galtieri's government would invade or attack Chile. The Chilean Connection is described in detail by Sir Lawrence Freedman in his book The Official History of the Falklands Campaign.
Post-Pinochet democratic governments have given greater support to the Argentine claim.[1]
[edit] Peace and Friendship Treaty
- See also: Beagle conflict solution
The Tratado de Paz y Amistad in Spanish was an agreement signed in 1984 between Argentina and Chile establishing the friendship relation between the two countries.
Particularly, the treaty also defines limitation of the Strait of Magellan and over the possession of the Picton, Lennox and Nueva islands and sea located south of Tierra del Fuego, granting the islands to Chile and most maritime rights and projection to the Antarctica to Argentina.
After that, other border disputes were resolved by peaceful means.
[edit] Recent years (1990-2007)
In the 1990s relations improved dramatically. The dictator and last president of the Argentine Military Junta General Reynaldo Bignone called for democratic elections in 1983 and Augusto Pinochet of Chile in 1990. As a consequence militaristic tendencies faded in the Southern Cone. The Argentinian presidents Carlos Menem and Fernando de la Rúa had particularly good relations with Chile.
[edit] Border issues
In bilateral manner, both countries settled all the remaining disputes except Laguna del Desierto, which was decided by International Arbitration in 1994. The decision favoured Argentine claims.
According to a 1998 negotiation held in Buenos Aires, a 50 kilometers section of the boundary in the Southern Patagonian Ice Field is still pending of mapping and demarcation according to the limits already settled by the 1881 treaty. In 2006 president Néstor Kirchner invited Chile to define the border, but Michelle Bachelet's left the invitation unanswered. The same year, the Chilean government sent a note to Argentina complaining about Argentine tourism maps that showed a normal boundary in the Southern Patagonian Icefield with most of the area belonging to Argentina. (map of the area)
Officially Chile supports the Argentine claim on the Falkland Islands which they named Islas Malvinas.
Geopolitics over Antarctica and the control of the passages between the south Atlantic and the south Pacific have lead to the founding of cities and towns such as Ushuaia and Puerto Williams both claiming to be the southernmost cities in world. Actually in the Antarctica both countries, along with the United Kingdom, have research bases. The three nations claims the totality of Antarctic Peninsula but according to the Antarctic Treaty System signed in 1959 by all the countries present in that continent, all territorial claims south of the 60th parallel are suspended.
See also: Argentine Antarctica, Antártica Chilena Province
[edit] Economy and Energy
Menem signed a Natural gas exportation treaty with Chilean president Eduardo Frei Ruiz-Tagle in 1996. In 2005, President Néstor Kirchner unilaterally temporarily suspended the treaty according Argentine laws due a supply shortage experienced by Argentina. The situation in Argentina was finally resolved when Argentina increased its own importations from Bolivia, a country with virtually no diplomatic relations with Chile since 1978 due to the Atacama border dispute. In the importation contract signed with Bolivia it was specified that not even a drop of Bolivian gas could be sold to Chile from Argentina. Following his energy policies Kirchner announced the end of cereal crop exportation to Chile to secure the home market as more land is going to be used for ethanol producing crops, specially soybeans.
Trade between the two countries is made mostly over the mountain passes (see list) that have enough infrastructure for large scale trade. The trade balance shows a lot of asymmetry as of 2005 Chile is the 3rd export trading partner for Argentina, behind Brazil and the United States.[2]. Some well known import products from Argentina in Chile include cereals and meat. More recently large amounts of Chilean capital have been invested in Argentina, specially in the retail market.
In 1996, Chile became an associated member of Mercosur, a regional trade agreement that Argentina and Brazil created in the 1990s. This associated membership does not mean full membership, and is seen by some an political gest only as Chile's economy is more free market oriented is not compatible with the protectionistic Mercosur market.
[edit] Military integration
Since 1990s, both militaries began a close defense cooperation and friendship policy. On September 1991 they signed together with Brazil the Mendoza Declaration, which commits signatories not to use, develop, produce, acquire, stock, or transfer —directly or indirectly— chemical or biological weapons.
Joint exercises were established on an annually basis in the three armed forces alternately in Argentina and Chile territory. An example of such maneuvers is the Patrulla Antártica Naval Combinada (English: Joint Antarctic Naval Patrol) performed by both Navies to guarantee safety to all touristic and scientific ships that are in transit within the Antarctic Peninsula.
Both nations are highly involved in UN peacekeeping missions. UNFICYP in Cyprus was a precedent where Chilean troops are embedded in the Argentine contingent.[3] They played a key role together at MINUSTAH in Haiti and in 2005 they begun the formation of a joint force for future United Nations mandates.[4]
[edit] Sports
In 2003, Argentine AFA's president suggested that both countries launch a joint bid for the 2014 FIFA World Cup but was abandoned in favour of a CONMEBOL unified posture to allow the tournament be hosted in Brazil.
[edit] References
- Historia de las Relaciones Exteriores Argentinas by Carlos Escudé and Andrés Cisneros
