Argentine Territorial Nationalism

Abstract

One important cultural factor which has contributed to inhibiting regional cooperation and integration in Latin America lies in the intense territorial nationalism prevailing in several of the Spanish-speaking countries. This frequently underrated phenomenon is an outgrowth of the great number of territorial disputes still to be found in the region and the indoctrination of public opinion through the educational systems and the mass media that often accompanies them.1 At least the following disputes can be considered as having greatly affected the international relations of these countries in recent years:Argentina vs. Chile. The core of the problem (the dispute over three tiny islands in the Beagle Channel) was solved with the Treaty of Peace and Friendship signed in 1984 and ratified in 1985, but it almost led to war in 1978 and was an excuse for intensive nationalistic indoctrination over several years. It generated arms races and military mobilisation, concomitantly frustrating a natural potential for economic complementarity and integration. The territorial disputes yet unsolved are very minor, but distrust will probably linger on for many years.

From la guerra sucia to ‘A Gentleman’s Fight’: War, Disappearance and Nation in the 1976–1983 Argentine Dictatorship

“…Argentina is defined in relation to the north–south divide of the Andes with Chile, writing out the border (defined by the frontier with the Indian populations) that existed across the centre of the country and that fluctuated continually until the end of the nineteenth century. Argentina, however, has been particularly vulnerable to a ‘contrast between the perception of territorial losses and the reality of territorial gains’ (Escudé, 1988: 141, emphasis in the original). Rather than acknowledge the reality of territorial gains in Patagonia (against the potential threat of Chile) and its northern provinces (against the potential threat of Paraguay), Argentine discourse is constructed on the perception of not having acquired all the possible land it might have.…”

“…Las Malvinas, however, is a particularly powerful national symbol precisely because they have never been contested internally: Las Malvinas , as everybody knows, son argentinas . Even Carlos Escudé, whose article on Argentine territorial nationalism discredits almost all Argentine claims to land, makes a claim to Las Malvinas, arguing that the islands are a particular case because they are ‘the only very minor territorial loss which can be considered as such in objective historical terms’ (Escudé, 1988: 155). A history of education has taught Argentines that Las Malvinas are part of their national territory, and in 1982 Argentines believed they had a watertight claim for sovereignty to the islands.…”

Democrats, Dictators, and Cooperation: The Transformation of Argentine-Chilean Relations

“…This eclectic literature analyzes the interaction of executives and legislatures (for example, see Lijphart 1995;Linz 1990;Linz and Valenzuela 19941, party systems (Sartori 1997;Laakso and Taagepera 19791, and electoral systems (Grofman and Lijphart 1986;Sartori 19861, among other institutions. The literature covers a wide variety of policy issues, but whereas institutional analysis is prominent in U.S. foreign policy studies (see Crab 1980;McCormick 1998;Wittkopf and McCormick 19991, it is rarely used to explore foreign policy in the developing world (exceptions include Hey 1995Hey , 2003Remmer 1998; and a variety of Latin American scholars, including EscudC 1997;Russell 1992;Sain 1999;Soares de Lima and Hirst 1990;Wilhelmy 1996). This study is designed to help fill that gap.…”

Democratic Consolidation and Military Professionalism: Argentina in the 1980s

“…Particularly since the time of Peron, Argentines have been inculcated with the belief that the islands are rightfully theirs. Escude notes elsewhere that it is also a legal requirement that all maps of Argentine territory include the Malvinas islands, as well as the Antarctic sector which is also in dispute (Escude, 1988). Since he wrote this, there does not appear to have been any change in this Argentine attitude or position of declaring unilateral jurisdiction over the islands.…”