Xenophobia complicates better relations among South American neighbors.

AutorGaudin, Andres

Since Bolivia and Paraguay, driven by private interests, confronted each other militarily in the 1932-1935 Chaco War, the armies of neighboring South American countries have not again resorted to military combat. In 1978, Chile and Argentina bared their teeth in the Beagle Channel, at the southern tip of the continent, regarding sovereignty over three islands as small as they were strategic. In 1995 some skirmishes occurred between Ecuador and Peru in the Cordillera del Condor (NotiSur, Feb. 10, 1995, Nov. 8, 1996, and Oct. 30, 1998). But those two incidents were nothing more than what the military calls "combat brouhahas," simple preparations that did not actually lead to combat.

Those situations were always preceded by provocative acts that were preparing the climate. In early February a video was made public on which Chilean sailors were seen marching while chanting xenophobic slogans against Bolivians, Peruvians, and Argentines, their only three neighbors.

As the days went by, it became known--through corroborating videos--that Bolivian, Peruvian, and Argentine cadets also chanted slogans against Chileans that were equally xenophobic. Thus an old South American tragedy was recurring--a confrontation among peoples, emerging almost always as a product of defending sectoral interests.

As is appropriate in these times of peace and rich integration experiences, the four countries quickly issued apologies. Now they all say that they knew of such incidents, but neither the presidents nor the ministers, the legislators, or the press that say they knew had ever denounced it. They allowed xenophobia to grow that in other times led to bloody confrontations in these same countries and left an underlying hatred among the people that is still there.

Chile has history of conflicts

A few days earlier, on Jan. 25, Chile had detained three Bolivian conscripts--youngsters between 18 and 20 years of age--who, while pursuing a group of automobile smugglers, had entered Chilean territory. Two were unarmed, and the third carried a Belgian-made FAL (Fusil Automatique Leger) automatic rifle from the 1950s.

The two incidents raised tensions to the maximum in the already fragile relations between the two countries. On March 1, 35 days after the Bolivian conscripts were detained, they were expelled from the country with the express warning to never again enter Chilean territory.

Historically, Chile has not had harmonious relations with its neighbors. From 1879 to...

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