| Falklands War | Malvinas War | 20th | 2 April 1982 | 14 June 1982 | The Falklands War, also known as the Malvinas War, was a conflict between Argentina and the United Kingdom over the sovereignty of the Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas). Argentina alleged that the islands were discovered by Spain in 1520, and when it became a republic, it claimed sovereignty over the islands, which it exercised from 1820 to 1833. But the United Kingdom held that the islands were discovered by an English sailor in 1592, and that they had exercised sovereignty since 1833 when it removed the Argentine governor and took control of the islands. The war ended with the victory of the United Kingdom. | South America |
| War of the Pacific | Saltpeter War | 19th | 5 April 1879 | 20 October 1883 | The War of the Pacific, also known as the Saltpeter War, was a conflict between Chile and allies Bolivia and Peru over the saltpetre-rich territories of Antofagasta and Atacama. Chile claimed that Bolivia had violated the boundary treaty of 1874 by imposing a new tax on the Chilean company. Bolivia claimed that the imposition of taxes was subject to the jurisdiction of the Bolivian courts. Chile also declared war on Peru following its refusal to remain neutral. It ended with Chilean victory. Arica, which was part of Peru, passed into the jurisdiction of Chile, and Bolivia lost its access to the sea. | South America |
| Treaty of Defensive Alliance | Peru-Bolivia Secret Pact | 19th | 6 February 1873 | | The Treaty of Defensive Alliance, also known as the Peru-Bolivia Secret Pact, sought to guarantee the independence of both countries and create a defence pact in case of conflict with other countries. It also sought to resolve disputes through arbitration to avoid war. Peru and Bolivia sought the accession of Argentina to the treaty, but the Argentinian congress did not approve it. Later, when they did want to join, Peru did not permit it. The treaty was created at the request of Bolivia, which had a border dispute with Chile. Both countries agreed to keep the treaty secret. | South America |
| Treaty of Peace and Friendship of 1904 | | 20th | 20 October 1904 | | The Treaty of Peace and Friendship of 1904 sought to end the Pacific War. With the signing of the treaty, Bolivia ceded all the territories of Antofagasta to Chile, losing its access to the sea. Chile agreed to build a railway between Arica and La Paz, granting Bolivia the right of transit to the Pacific ports. In 2018, Bolivia asked the International Court of Justice to be able to negotiate this treaty with Chile to recover its access to the sea. The government of Chile did not agree, since the 1904 treaty granted these territories in perpetuity. | South America |
| Treaty of Ancón | | 19th | 20 October 1883 | | The Ancón Treaty was a peace treaty signed between Peru and Chile in Ancón, near Lima. The treaty formally ended the Pacific War and ceded the Tarapacá province and the port cities of Tacna and Arica to Chile. This meant that Bolivia lost its Pacific coastline. While the treaty set out that Arica and Tacna were to continue under Chilean administration for 10 years, after which a plebiscite would determine which country the inhabitants wanted to belong to, the referendum never took place. Chile was to allocate 50% of the profits from the sale of guano from already known deposits to the payment of Peruvian debt. | South America |
| Treatry of Lima | | 20th | 3 June 1929 | | The Treaty of Lima sought to end the controversy over the sovereignty of the cities of Tacna and Arica. It was agreed that Tacna would become Peruvian territory, and Arica Chilean. Chile agreed to pay $6 million in compensation. The border was to be set by a mixed commission made up of members appointed by both countries. In case of disagreement, the vote of the United States would intervene, whose decision would be final. The mixed commission completed its delimitation work in 1930, and in 1999 both countries signed an act to execute the pending clauses. | South America |
| Chaco War | War of Thirst | 20th | 9 September 1932 | 15 July 1935 | The Chaco War, sometimes called the War of Thirst, was a conflict between Paraguay and Bolivia over the sovereignty of the Chaco Boreal wilderness region, which was thought to have large oil reserves. The war followed peaceful attempts to delimit the area. In the end, Paraguay obtained sovereignty over most of the disputed territory. Almost 90,000 people died in the conflict. | South America |
| Treaty of Peace, Friendship, and Boundaries | | 20th | 21 July 1938 | | The Treaty of Peace, Friendship, and Boundaries was signed in Buenos Aires on 21 July 1938. The treaty sought to put an end to the Chaco War and avoid future conflicts between the two countries, taking into account their historical and fraternal ties. The treaty recognised the sovereignty of Paraguay and gave it approximately 75% of the disputed area. The treaty established the Mixed Boundary Demarcation Commission, which also involved the guarantors Argentina, Brazil, Chile, the United States, Peru, and Uruguay. The demarcation was finally completed in 2007, and in 2009, the presidents of Bolivia and Paraguay met in Argentina to sign the act of compliance. | South America |
| War of the Cauca | | 19th | 7 February 1832 | 8 December 1832 | The War of the Cauca, not to be confused with the later Ecuadorian-Colombian War of 1862, was a conflict that took place in 1832 between New Granada and Ecuador over the domain of the provinces of Pasto, Popayán, and Buenaventura. Ecuador held that these provinces belonged to it since they were part of the Castilian Province of Quito during Spanish colonisation. It ended with the Treaty of Pasto and the victory of New Granada. | South America |
| Treaty of Pasto | | 20th | 8 December 1932 | | The Treaty of Pasto was a peace and boundary treaty between Ecuador and New Granada (present-day Colombia) following the War of the Cauca of 1832. It sought to restore relations between the two countries, place the border on the Carchi River, and create an assembly of representatives of the three states that emerged after the dissolution of Gran Colombia (Ecuador, Venezuela, and New Granada). Pasto, Popayan, and Buenaventura were accepted as part of New Granada. While the treaty recognised mutual sovereignty, it was not until 1939 that Ecuador raised the status of its diplomatic mission in Columbia to an official Embassy. Colombia followed suit in 1940. | South America |
| Acre War | Acrean Revolution | 19th, 20th | 14 July 1899 | 17 November 1903 | The Acre War, also known in Brazil as the Acrean Revolution, was a conflict between Bolivia and Brazil over the sovereignty of the territories near the Purús and Acre rivers. Bolivia fought to maintain its sovereignty of those lands, and to be able to install a customs office where to receive payment for the extraction of rubber. Brazil claimed that Bolivia wanted to hand over these lands to a United States company, lands inhabited by Brazilians who had previously exported rubber. It ended with Bolivia ceding the territory of Acre to Brazil, in exchange for financial compensation. | South America |
| Treaty of Ayacucho | | 19th | 27 March 1867 | | The Treaty of Ayacucho was a boundary, navigation, trade, and extradition treaty signed between the Brazilian Empire and Bolivia. The treaty established peace between the countries and provided for a review of their boundaries. It gave Bolivia power over the Acre area, a state in present-day Brazil, and freedom to navigate the Madeira River. Narrowing Bolivia’s borders, the treaty expanded Brazil’s territory. The Brazilian Empire expanded its borders and gained the territory of Alto Madeira. It also re-established their commercial relationship. The treaty was dissolved with the Acre Revolution. | South America |
| Treaty of Petrópolis | | 20th | 17 November 1903 | | The Petrópolis Treaty sought to end the Acre War and to establish the border between Brazil and Bolivia. Bolivia ceded 191,000 square kilometres of its territory, adding the entire territory of Acre in the Amazon to Brazil. Brazil ceded 3,000 square kilometres to Bolivia and agreed to a payment of £2 million. The same treaty committed to the construction of a railway between the port of San Antonio on the Madera River and Guayaramerín in Mamoré, Brazil. The railway was completed in 1912 and cost $33 million and the lives of 3,600 Brazilian workers. The aim of the railway was to exploit rubber from both countries and to export it from the Port of Belem. | South America |
| Salomón-Lozano Treaty | Treaty of Limits and Free River Navigation | 20th | 24 March 1922 | | The Salomón-Lozano Treaty, also known as the Treaty of Limits and Free River Navigation, was signed between Colombia and Peru on 24 March 1922. It sought to establish a border between the two countries. Peru ceded the left bank of the Putumayo River and a strip of the Amazon River known as Trapecio de Leticia, or the Amazonian Trapeze, while Colombia ceded the San Miguel-Sucumbíos triangle, a territory that has been ceded by Ecuador in a previous treaty. Ecuador saw this as a betrayal. The president of Peru was widely criticized for signing this treaty. It was ratified by Colombia in 1925 and by Peru in 1927. | South America |
| Rio Protocol | Sacrifice Treaty | 20th | 29 January 1942 | | The Rio Protocol sought to end the Ecuadorian-Peruvian conflict and to re-establish the borders between them. It had as guarantors the United States, Brazil, Argentina, and Chile. According to the Peruvian government, this treaty was the beginning of new relations with Ecuador since it maintained the original border at the time of independence. For Ecuador, this treaty was signed due to political pressure from the guarantor countries causing it to lose part of its territory. Despite the treaty, the border was not completely delineated, which caused future disputes between the countries. | South America |
| Paquisha War | Fake Paquisha War | 20th | 22 January 1981 | 21 February 1981 | The Paquisha War, also known as the Fake Paquisha War, was a conflict between Peru and Ecuador. Peru alleged that Ecuador had installed three Ecuadorian military detachments within the Peruvian zone, while Ecuador claimed that the military base was in Paquisha, an area that belonged to Ecuador. After measuring the coordinates, it was found that it did not belong to the Paquisha area according to the protocol previously signed by both countries. The war ended with the destruction of the Ecuadorian military posts by the Peruvian army, and the intervention of the Organization of American States (OAS),which fixed the location coordinates. | South America |
| Cenepa War | Alto Cenepa War | 20th | 26 January 1995 | 28 February 1995 | The Cenepa War, also known as the Alto Cenepa War, was a military conflict between Peru and Ecuador over the lack of demarcation of their border due to a geographical accident. According to Ecuador, the previously signed treaty between the two countries was invalid since it was signed under pressure, and because the Canepa valley, an area near the border, was not considered in the treaty. Meanwhile Peru viewed the treaty as fully enforceable and the Canepa valley as historically belonging to Peru, as per the division of the Viceroyalty. The conflict ended with Ecuador accepting the Peruvian claim. | South America |
| Chincha Island War | Spanish-South American War | 19th | 1864 | 1866 | The Chincha Islands War, also known as the Spanish-South American War, was a conflict between Spain, Peru, Chile, Ecuador, and Bolivia. Ecuador and Bolivia participated politically and denied supplies to the Spanish fleet. Spain wanted to regain influence over its former colonies and protect Spanish interests in South America. The South American countries sought to protect their sovereignty, have Spain recognise their independence, while also accusing Spain of wanting to appropriate the Chincha islands since they were rich in guano. | South America |
| War of the Confederation | Chilean-Confederation War | 19th | 26 December 1836 | March 1839 | The Confederation War, also known as the Chilean-Confederation War, was a conflict between Chile, Argentina, and Northern Peruvians against the Peru-Bolivian Confederation. Dissidents sought to dissolve the Peruvian-Bolivian Confederation, since it threatened the independence of other American republics, and to depose Santa Cruz, president of Bolivia and creator of the confederation. The Peru-Bolivian Confederation was as a short-lived state that sought to unite North and South Peru and Bolivia. | South America |
| Tarija War | | 20th | 19 May 1939 | 26 April 1939 | The Tarija War, also known as the War Between Argentina and Peru-Bolivian Confederation, was an armed conflict that occurred at the same time as the so-called Confederation War, which was between the Peru-Bolivian confederation and the Republic of Chile. Argentina sought to dissolve the Peru-Bolivian Confederation and control the territories of Tarija, Salta, and Jujuy. The Peru-Bolivian Confederation sought to prevent the Argentine Confederation from getting into the war they were waging with Chile. The outcome was that Bolivia claimed Tarija as its territory, while dropping its claims over Salta and Jujuy. | South America |
| Treaty of Paucarpata | | 20th | 17 November 1937 | | The Treaty of Paucarpata was a peace treaty that was signed in the Paucarpata District of the Arequipa Province in Peru. It was signed on 17 November 1937 by Peru and Chile in the context of the War of the Confederation. The treaty stipulated the withdrawal of the Chilean army from Peruvian lands and a commitment to not take up arms again against the Peru-Bolivian Confederation. Subsequently, Chile rejected the treaty, arguing that the Chilean representatives who signed the treaty did not have the power to make peace, and the war continued. | South America |
| Gran Colombia-Peru War | | 19th | 3 June 1828 | 28 February 1829 | The Gran Colombia-Peru War was a territorial conflict between Gran Colombia and Peru that took place between 1828 and 1829. Gran Colombia claimed that the territories of Jaen and Maynas belonged to it under the Law of Territorial Division of the Republic of Colombia, whereas Peru maintained that these territories belonged to it according to the Royal Decree of 1802 and the self-determination of the people. The conflict ended with the signing of the Guayaquil Treaty. | South America |
| Treaty of Guayaquil | Larrea-Gual Treaty | 19th | 22 September 1829 | | The Treaty of Guayaquil, also known as the Larrea-Gual Treaty, was a peace and friendship treaty that sought to end the war between Gran Colombia and Peru. The treaty recognised that the border limits should remain the same between the viceroyalties of New Granada and Peru, and that small modifications could be made by mutual agreement. Gran Colombia recognised Tumbes, Jaén, and Maynas as Peruvian territories, while Peru recognised Guayaquil as Gran-Colombian territory. Peru disregarded the treaty when Gran Colombia disintegrated, claiming that it was relieved of its commitment. | South America |
| Girón Treaty | Girón Agreement | 19th | 27 February 1829 | | The Treaty of Guayaquil, also known as the Larrea-Gual Treaty, was a peace and friendship treaty that sought to end the war between Gran Colombia and Peru. The treaty recognised that the border limits should remain the same between the viceroyalties of New Granada and Peru, and that small modifications could be made by mutual agreement. Gran Colombia recognised Tumbes, Jaén, and Maynas as Peruvian territories, while Peru recognised Guayaquil as Gran-Colombian territory. Peru disregarded the treaty when Gran Colombia disintegrated, claiming that it was relieved of its commitment. | South America |
| Colombia-Peru War | Leticia War | 20th | 1 September 1932 | 24 May 1933 | The Colombia-Peru War, also known as the Leticia War, was a conflict between Peru and Colombia over territory in the Amazon rainforest. It was triggered by Peruvian dissatisfaction with the Salomón-Lozano Treaty and heavy tariffs on sugar. On 30 April 1933, Peruvian President Sánchez was shot dead. His successor, Óscar Benavides, met with the Colombian Liberal Party to secure an agreement to turn Leticia, a city next to the Amazon which Peru had seized with the support of the local population, over to a League of Nations commission. | South America |
| Puno Treaty | | 19th | 7 June 1842 | | The Treaty of Puno was a peace treaty between Peru and Bolivia seeking to end the Peruvian-Bolivian War. Signed on 7 June 1842, it recognised the sovereignty of both countries as separate nations, putting an end to attempts at creating a joint nation as proposed by the Bolivian-Peruvian Confederation. Peru wanted to prevent Bolivia from having territorial advantages, and Bolivia renounced compensation for war expenses and damages caused by the invasion. | South America |
| Pedemonte-Mosquera Protocol | | 19th | 11 August 1830 | | The Pedemonte-Mosquera Protocol was a treaty between Gran Colombia and Peru signed on 11 August 1830 in Lima, according to Ecuador and Colombia. The document is unknown to Peru, and Ecuador itself doubts its validity because when Gran Colombia signed, it had already disintegrated. The treaty supposedly determined that the limit between Ecuador and Peru was the Amazon River itself and granted Ecuador access to the river. | South America |
| Joint Statement of 15 February 1990 | | 20th | 15 February 1990 | | The Joint Statement of 15 February 1990 is a peace treaty by which Argentina and the United Kingdom restarted their diplomatic relations after the Falklands War in 1982. Issued at Madrid, both delegations expressed the desire of their governments to promote commercial and financial relations, agreeing to lift all remaining restrictions and restrictive practices imposed since 1982. | South America |
| Protocol of Friendship and Cooperation | | 20th | 24 May 1934 | | The Protocol of Friendship and Cooperation Between the Republic of Colombia and the Republic of Peru was a signed agreement that sought peace between the two countries and set territorial limits. Brazil participated as arbitrator and host country. The protocol ratified the Salomón-Lozano Treaty of 1922, which both countries promised not to modify. If there were subsequent contentions, they would resolve them through diplomatic channels and appoint a commission from Peru, Colombia, and Brazil to make the required delimitations. | South America |
| Argentine War of Independence | | 19th | 25 May 1810 | 22 December 1824 | The Argentine War of Independence War was a civil war between patriots and royalists of the United Provinces of the Río de la Plata. The patriots sought independence and the formation of American states, while the royalists wanted to remain part of the Spanish monarchy. The war ended with the victory of the patriots, which contributed to the fall of the Spanish Crown as well as to the independence of other Latin American countries. It left more than 13,000 dead. | South America |
| May Revolution | | 19th | 18 May 1810 | 25 May 1810 | The May Revolution was a municipal revolution promoted by a sector of Creole revolutionaries from Buenos Aires, who had received news of the French invasion of Spain. The Creoles demanded an open town hall so that the people could decide if they wanted to continue being governed by the Spanish Empire. Viceroy Baltasar Hidalgo de Cisneros wanted to remain governor and defended the interests of the crown. When the open council was held, the Spanish viceroy was removed and a local government made up of seven Creoles and two Spanish people was formed. | South America |
| Bolivian War of Independence | | 19th | 1809 | 1825 | The Bolivian War of Independence began in 1809 with the establishment of the Government Juntas in Sucre and La Paz, after the Chuquisaca Revolution and La Paz Revolution. The cities quickly fell under Spanish control again. Antonio José de Sucre led the campaign that defeated the royalists, and Bolivian independence was finally proclaimed on 6 August 1825. | South America |
| Treaty of Bogotá | Treaty of Friendship, Commerce and Navigation | 19th | 9 July 1856 | | The Treaty of Bogotá, also known as the Treaty of Friendship, Commerce and Navigation Between New Granada and Ecuador, set out to maintain peace and establish commercial relations. With this treaty, the borders established in the Treaty of Pasto were undone, and those established in the Law of Territorial Division of the Republic of Colombia were established, regulating the political and administrative structure of Gran Colombia. | South America |
| Trujillo Armistice | | 19th | 25 and 26 November 1820 | | The Trujillo Armistice, was an agreement signed between Gran Colombia and the Spanish Empire. Both sides suspended all military operations in the territory of Trujillo, agreeing also to exchange prisoners and bury combatants. The armistice, however, was broken earlier than agreed. | South America |
| Muñoz-Vernaza Suárez Treaty | | 20th | 15 July 1916 | | Muñoz-Vernaza Suárez Treaty was an agreement signed by Colombia and Ecuador on 15 July 1916 to delimit the borders of both countries. Ecuador ceded to Colombia more than 180,000 square kilometres in its north-eastern region, corresponding to the tributaries of the Putumayo, Napo, and Caquetá rivers. Colombia went on to hand over parts of these territories to Peru in a secret treaty, which by Ecuador was considered a betrayal. | South America |
| Treaty of Pinsaqui | | 19th | 30 December 1863 | | The Treaty of Pisanqui sought to end the Ecuadorian-Colombian War and resume to the pre-war status quo. Under the Spanish Empire, the United States of Colombia (present-day Colombia and Panama) and the Republic of Ecuador had been part of the Viceroyalty of New Granada. Upon independence from Spain, they were then part of Gran Colombia, between 1819 and 1831. Due to unclear borders, this had led to many deadly disputes. | South America |
| Rebellion of Túpac Amaru II | | 18th | 4 November 1780 | 15 March 1783 | The Rebellion of Túpac Amaru II was an uprising by José Gabriel Túpac Amaru II, Quechas, Aymara, and Mestizos peoples against the Spanish Empire and marked the beginning of the emancipatory stage in Peru. TTúpac Amaru II rebelled against the abuses of the indigenous people committed by the Spanish corregidores, seeking the abolition of the corregimientos and the creation of a Royal Audience in Cusco for a rapid administration of justice. The Spanish Empire sought to end the rebellion and maintain the corregidores and its dominance over the indigenous populations. Although unsuccessful, Túpac Amaru II became an important figure in the Peruvian struggle for independence and in the indigenous rights movement. | South America |
| Brazil War of Independence | | 19th | 18 February 1822 | 8 May 1824 | The Brazilian War of Independence was a conflict between the self-proclaimed Empire of Brazil and the Kingdom of Portugal, Brazil, and the Algarves. The Brazilian Empire sought to free itself from Portuguese domination after the imposition of a Portuguese monopoly that did not benefit the Brazilians. For its part, the Kingdom of Portugal wanted to unify both Empires, establish the Portuguese commercial monopoly over products bought or sold by Brazilians, and divide Brazil into autonomous provinces that would be governed from Lisbon. It ended with the independence of the Brazilian Empire. | South America |
| Platine War | War Against Oribe and Rosas | 19th | 18 August 1851 | 3 February 1852 | The Platinum War was a conflict between the Argentine Confederation, Argentina, and an alliance formed by the Empire of Brazil, Uruguay, and the Argentine provinces of Corrientes and Entre Ríos. The war was caused by a dispute between Argentina and Brazil for influence over Uruguay and Paraguay, and the hegemony of the La Plata Region, now the La Plata Cuenca, which was politically unstable. When the war ended, conflict still continued in the region. | South America |
| Pemon Conflict | | 21st | Late 2018 | Ongoing | The Pemon conflict is an ongoing armed dispute between the Venezuelan government and the indigenous Pemon people who live in the Gran Sabana and Canaima National Park. The Venezuelan government claims that it is fighting against illegal mining and armed groups in that area, while the Pemons accuse the government of wanting to militarise the area to control its resources, creating projects without consultation and not allowing humanitarian aid to enter the indigenous community. | South America |
| British Invasions of the River Plate | | 19th | 1806 | 1807 | The British Invasions of the River Plate were two expeditions carried out by the British army to Buenos Aires and Montevideo, which were part of the Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata. The invasions were part of the Napoleonic Wars when Spain was an ally of France. The British army sought to seize Buenos Aires from Spain, eliminate the monopoly imposed by the Spanish Empire, and establish free trade in the area. The Spanish Empire fought to maintain its power in South America. The British Army faced merchants, civilians, and the army of the viceroyalty. The invasions ended with the surrender of the British troops. | South America |
| Paraguayan War | War of the Triple Alliance | 19th | 12 October 1864 | 1 March 1870 | The Paraguayan War, also known as the War of the Triple Alliance, was a conflict between a coalition consisting of the Brazilian Empire, Uruguay, and Argentina, against Paraguay. The coalition sought to overthrow the Paraguayan government and to seize certain Paraguayan territories. Paraguay sought to increase its military might and influence in South America. In 1870, the allied troops managed to take Asunción, which ended the war. The allies lost about 120,000 men, while Paraguay suffered 280,000 deaths, corresponding to more than half of its population. | South America |
| Treaty of the Triple Alliance | Paraguayan Extermination Pact | 19th | 1 May 1865 | | Treaty of the Triple Alliance, also known as the Paraguayan Extermination Pact, was an offensive and defensive treaty entered by Argentina, the Brazilian Empire, and Uruguay. The treaty sought to commit the three signatories to fighting together and resisting a truce with Paraguay unless all three parties agreed. It also sought to overthrow the Paraguayan president, Francisco Solano López, and to impose territorial limits causing Paraguay to lose territories. The treaty was signed in secret. | South America |
| Peruvian-Bolivian War of 1841-1842 | Second Peruvian IInvasion of Bolivia | 19th | 1 October 1841 | 7 June 1842 | Peruvian-Bolivian War of 1841-1842, also known as the Second Peruvian Invasion of Bolivia, was a territorial conflict between Peru and Bolivia as a consequence of the inaccuracy of their borders. Peru sought to take advantage of the political crisis that Bolivia was experiencing by annexing part of its territory. Bolivia, in turn, sought to occupy the Peruvian territories of Moquegua, Puno, and Tacna. It ended with the death of the president of Peru, the expulsion of Bolivian troops, and ultimately the signing of the Treaty of Puno. | South America |
| Polo-Bustamante Border Treaty | | 20th | 17 September 1909 | | The Polo-Bustamante Border Treaty was signed by Bolivia and Peru on 17 September 1909, putting an end to a border dispute between the two countries. Peru recognised Bolivian sovereignty over the Acre region, and Bolivia ceded to Peru 250,000 square kilometres located in the basin of the Madre de Dios River and Purus River in the Amazon, a zone rich in cinchona and Brazil nut. | South America |
| Treaty of Madrid | Treaty of Limits of the Conquests | 18th | 13 January 1750 | | The Treaty of Madrid, also known as the Treaty of Limits of the Conquests, was signed on 13 January 1750. It divided territories in South America between the Spanish Empire and the Portuguese Empire, with the objective of putting an end to armed conflict in South America between the two empires. The treaty was based on the Roman law of uti possidetis ita possideatis, that is, whoever owns in fact, must own in law. The Portuguese Empire secured most of what is now Brazil, while the Spanish Empire kept Colonia de Sacramento, located in present-day Uruguay. | South America |
| Ecuadorian-Peruvian War of 1858-1860 | | 19th | 26 October 1858 | 25 January 1860 | Ecuadorian-Peruvian War of 1858-1860 was a conflict between Peru and Ecuador over the sovereignty of Peruvian territory in the Amazon. Ecuador sold these lands to British creditors to settle a debt. Peru maintained that the territories that Ecuador handed over to the British creditors did not belong to it, and that they were Peruvian as according to the Royal Decree of 1802. Ecuador maintained that they were unexploited and vacant territories, flatly refusing to suspend the agreement with the British creditors. It ended with the nullity of the delivery of Peruvian territories to the British creditors. | South America |
| Treaty of Mapasingue | Franco-Castilla Treaty | 19th | 25 January 1860 | | The Treaty of Mapasingue, also known as the Franco-Castilla Treaty, sought to end ongoing armed conflict between Peru and Ecuador. Ecuador recognised the limits indicated in the Royal Decree of 1802, accepting Peruvian sovereignty over territories which Ecuador had otherwise intended to cede to British creditors in lieu of debt payment. Peru ceded the territories of Mapasingue, Torneo, and Buijo, which was occupied by its army. The treaty did not have validity since it was signed by Guillermo Franco Herrera, the self-proclaimed president of Ecuador. | South America |
| Ecuadorian Civil War of 1913-1916 | Concha Revolution | 20th | 24 September 1913 | 8 September 1916 | The Ecuadorian Civil War of 1913-1916, also known as the Concha Revolution, was a civil conflict in Ecuador named after Colonel Carlos Concha Torres, who led and funded the revolution. His army of the Esmeraldas Province, who belonged to the liberal party, rose up against the rule of Leónidas Plaza. They sought to overthrow the government for the assassination of the former President, Eloy Alfaro. Ecuadorian Blacks contributed significantly to the military effort, forming the bulk of Alfaro’s army. The government was eventually able to re-assert control, although much of the province was destroyed in the process. | South America |
| Velarde-Río Branco Treaty | | 20th | 8 September 1909 | | The Velarde-Río Branco Treaty was a boundary, trade, and navigation treaty between Brazil and Peru. It sought to establish definitive limits between the two countries to avoid going to war. The treaty completed the demarcation initiated by a fluvial convention in 1851 and established free navigation in the Amazon for Peru, while Peru ceded areas in the Yaravi river basin to Brazil. | South America |
| Cisplatine War | Argentine-Brazilian War | 19th | 10 December 1825 | 27 August 1828 | The Cisplatine War, also known as the Argentine-Brazilian War, was an armed conflict between the United Provinces of the Río de la Plata and the Empire of Brazil, over the possession of territories that are part of present-day Uruguay. The United Provinces of the Río de la Plata sought to recover the Cisplatina Province and incorporate it into the United Provinces. The Empire of Brazil was looking to put an end to the rebellion in Cisplatina to regain control of the region. Following the war, Cisplatina became independent as Uruguay. | South America |
| Preliminary Peace Convention | Treaty of Montevideo | 19th | 27 August 1828 | | The Preliminary Peace Convention, also known as the Montevideo Treaty, was signed between the Empire of Brazil and the United Provinces of the Río de la Plata with the United Kingdom as a mediator. The treaty marked the end of the Cisplatine War, and through it, both countries recognised the independence of the Cisplatina Province, present-day Uruguay, while also pledging to defend and protect its independence. It was also agreed that both countries would examine the constitution of the new state to ascertain whether it contained any articles that opposed the security of their respective states. | South America |
| Lobster War | | 20th | 1961 | 1963 | The Lobster War was a conflict between Brazil and France over lobster fishing in Brazilian waters without a permit. Brazil sought to defend its sovereignty and protect its fishermen, refusing France permission to fish for lobster 100 miles off Brazil’s northeast coast, as lobsters walk along the bottom of the continental shelf. France maintained that lobsters swim in the open sea and can be caught by any fishing vessel from any country. When Brazil extended its territorial waters to a 200-mile zone, it unilaterally ended the conflict. | South America |
| Mapuche Conflict | | 20th, 21st | 19 June 1905 | Ongoing | The Mapuche Conflict is an ongoing conflict between Chile, Argentina, and indigenous Mapuche communities in Southern Chile and Argentina. The conflict has resulted in dispossession of Mapuche land by colonial and subsequent governments. The Mapuches seek to be recognised as an autonomous community and oppose the usufruct that permits activities that degrade the soil and rivers. Casualties are estimated to be in the thousands, including members of the Mapuche community and the Chilean police. | South America |
| Ecuadorian-Peruvian War of 1941 | War of ’41 | 20th | 7 July 1941 | 31 July 1941 | The Ecuadorian-Peruvian War, also known as the War of ’41, was an armed border conflict fought between Peru and Ecuador. According to Peru, Ecuadorian troops invaded Peruvian territory, which started a battle that spread throughout the area known as Quebrada Seca. Ecuador alleged that Peru took incidents between border patrols as a pretext to invade Ecuador and force them to sign a border agreement. The conflict ended with the Rio Treaty of 1942, where Ecuador renounced its claim to a sovereign outlet to the Amazon River. | South America |
| Uruguayan Civil War | Guerra Grande | 19th | 21 March 1839 | 8 October 1851 | The Uruguayan Civil War, also known as the Great War, was a series of armed conflicts that took place between the Colorado Party and the National Party. Both sides received foreign backing, the former from the neighbouring Empire of Brazil as well as from imperial powers, primarily the British Empire and the Kingdom of France, but also a legion of Italian volunteers that included Giuseppe Garibaldi, the latter from the Argentine Confederation. The National Party sought to defend sovereignty and have Manuel Oribe as president. They accused the Unitarians of being at the service of foreign interests. The Unitarians claimed that they were looking for a government of progress together with their foreign allies. | South America |
| Bagua Masacre | Baguazo | 21st | 5 June 2009 | 5 June 2009 | The Bagua Massacre, also known as the Baguazo, was a conflict between the Peruvian government and the Aguaruna inhabitants that took place near the town of El Reposo, close to the cities of Bagua and Bagua Grande, in the Amazonas region. The Peruvian government wanted to evict the Aguaruna, Huambisa, and other indigenous communities who had been protesting and blocking the Fernando Belaúnde Terry highway for 55 days, causing shortages of fuel, gas, and food. The indigenous communities requested the repeal of decrees that promoted free trade between Peru and the United States on indigenous lands without respecting Agreement 169, in which the government had previously promised to consult the indigenous communities. | South America |
| Rincón Bomba Massacre | Pilagá Massacre | 20th | 10 October 1947 | 1 November 1947 | Rincón Bomba Massacre, also known as the Pilagá Massacre, was a conflict between the indigenous people of Pilagá and the Argentine government in the present-day La Formosa province. The people of Pilagá protested against a sugar company paying only half of what was agreed and firing people when they complained. The ex-workers settled in the area of La Bomba. According to the Argentine government, it wanted to relocate the workers and avoid an indigenous uprising. It resulted in the killing of more than 500 indigenous people with thousands of unarmed people injured, including children, women, and elderly. | South America |
| Invasion of Trinidad | Capture of Trinidad | 18th | 18 February 1797 | | The Invasion of Trinidad, also known as the Capture of Trinidad, was a conflict between Great Britain and Spain over possession of the island of Trinidad. Spain wanted to keep its colony, but did not have the strength to do so, and surrendered. Britain wanted to retaliate against Spain, which had signed the Treaty of San Ildefonso, agreeing to become an ally of France in the Anglo-French war. It also sought to take control of more areas in the Caribbean that had become major exporters of sugar. It ended with Britain taking control of the island. | South America |
| Putumayo Genocide | Rubber Holocaust | 19th, 20th | 1879 | 1912 | The Putumayo Genocide was the period of slavery and massacres of indigenous communities by the Peruvian Amazon Company in the Putumayo territory located between Peru and Colombia. The company forced the indigenous people to work in rubber exploitation, branding them with the company’s initials, in addition to beating, mutilating, or murdering them if they refused to work. Many indigenous people died from punishment, disease, abuse, and hunger. This genocide was documented in the ’blue book’ published in 1912. | South America |
| Treaty of Amiens | Peace of Amiens | 19th | 25 March 1802 | | The Treaty of Amiens, also called the Peace of Amiens, is a peace agreement that ended the conflict between, on the one side, Great Britain and Ireland, and on the other, the French Republic and its allies Spain and the Batavian Republic (present-day Netherlands). In addition to peace, they agreed that Great Britain would return Dutch Guiana to the Batavian Republic, and that the Araguari River would be established as the border between French Guiana and Portuguese Guiana (present-day Amapá, Brazil). Spain ceded the dual-island of Trinidad and Tobago to Great Britain in exchange for Menorca. | South America |
| Iquicha War of 1839 | | 19th | March 1839 | November 1839 | Iquicha War of 1839 was a conflict between the Restoring United Army of Peru and the indigenous peasants of Huanta, Peru, led by Antonio Huachaca. The army, which allied itself with Chile, sought to break up the Bolivian-Peruvian Confederation. The peasants of Iquicha supported the Confederation and the decentralisation of power to the coastal towns. The war ended with the defeat of the Iquicha people and the signing of the Yanallay Treaty. | South America |
| Federalist Riograndense Revolution | Federalist Revolt of 1893 | 19th | 1893 | 1895 | The Federalist Revolution of Rio Grande, also called the Federalist Revolt of 1893, was a conflict between the newly formed United States of Brazil and the Federalists with the help of the Blanco party of Uruguay in Rio Grande do Sul in Brazil. The Federalists wanted autonomy for Río Grande and decentralisation of the newly created state. Contrarily, the central government wanted to stop the revolt and avoid giving political power to the Federalists. It ended with the defeat of the rebels, and resulted in the deaths of approximately 10,000 people. | South America |
| Napalpí Massacre | | 20th | 19 July 1924 | | The Napalpí Massacre was a conflict between, on the one side, the Qom and Moqoit peoples of the Chaco territory, and on the other, the Argentine government. The Argentine government wanted the indigenous to be the workforce of the landowners in the area. The Qom and Moqoit communities did not accept the conditions under which they were forced to work, and as a form of protest, they took refuge in the nearby mountains, asking for better living conditions. More than 400 people were killed. The federal justice of Chaco has recognized this act as a crime against humanity. | South America |
| Uruguayan War | War Against Aguirre | 19th | 10 August 1864 | 20 February 1865 | The Uruguayan War, also known as the War Against Aguirre, was the armed intervention of the Brazilian Empire into Uruguayan lands during the civil war in this country between the White Party and the Colorado Party. According to the Empire of Brazil, it sought to pacify the situation in Uruguay following the internal conflict between the two parties, and to protect Brazilian citizens residing in the Oriental Republic of Uruguay. Uruguay sought to defend its sovereignty by resisting the invasion of the neighbouring country. | South America |
| British-Brazilian Treaty of 1826 | | 19th | 23 November 1826 | | British-Brazilian Treaty of 1826 was an agreement between the United Kingdom and the Brazilian Empire that sought to abolish the slave trade. Brazil agreed with the United Kingdom to ban the slave trade as a condition of its support towards the recognition of Brazilian independence. However, when Brazil did not comply with the treaty, the United Kingdom authorised the capture of Brazilian ships continuing operate with slaves. | South America |
| Chiriguano War | | 19th | 7 January 1892 | March 1892 | The Chiriguano War was a conflict between the Republic of Bolivia and the Chiriguano indigenous community. The Chiriguano sought to end the abuses they received from settlers and to protect their lands. Bolivia sought to end the indigenous uprising and to occupy the Guaraní territories. The war ended with the execution of the Chiriguano leader and the near-disappearance of the community, as many people were killed and others emigrated to the sandy areas of Chaco, where they subsist unfavourably to this day. | South America |
| Amapá Question | Franco-Brazilian Dispute | 19th | 15 May 1895 | | The Amapá Question, also known as the Franco-Brazilian Dispute, was a conflict between Brazil and France over the sovereignty of the territory north of Amapá and northeast of Pará. France claimed that these territories were part of French Guiana and sought to protect French businessmen and residents who were engaged in mining activities there, and who were being expelled by the Brazilian people. Brazil claimed that these territories belonged to Brazil by the will of the people, who were mostly Brazilians, and who had been the first inhabitants of the territory. | South America |
| Ragamuffin War | Ragamuffin Revolution | 19th | 20 September 1835 | 1 March 1845 | The Ragamuffin War, also known as the Ragamuffin Revolution, was a civil uprising in southern Brazil that began with the gauchos’ revolt over the imposition of high taxes. Those who revolted against the imperial government were called Ragamuffins, in Portuguese, Farroupilhas or Farrapos. They sought independence from the Empire of Brazil, and during this period, created the Republic of Rio Grande do Sul. The Brazilian government sought to disintegrate the Republic of Rio Grande do Sul and prevent further rebellions within the empire. The war ended with the Green Poncho Treaty, which dissolved the Republic of Rio Grande do Sul. | South America |
| Green Poncho Treaty | | 19th | 1 March 1845 | | The Treaty of Poncho Verde was a peace agreement between the Ragamuffins, in Portuguese, Farroupilhas or Farrapos, and the Empire of Brazil. With the treaty, which ended the Ragamuffin War, the Ragamuffins obtained the right to elect the president of the province, the guarantee of their private property, and the release of the enslaved people who had supported the rebellion. For its part, the Empire of Brazil managed to put an end to the rebellion, ensuring the disintegration of the Republic of Rio Grande do Sul. | South America |
| Surinamese Interior War | Suriname Guerrilla War | 20th | 1986 | 1992 | The Surinamese Civil War, also known as the Suriname Guerrilla War, was a conflict between the Jungle Commando guerrilla group and the Surinamese government as led by the army chief and de facto head of state, Dési Bouterse. The Jungle Commando, whose members were of Maroon ethnicity, called for democratic reforms, civil rights, and economic development for the country’s Maroon minority. The war ended with a peace agreement signed in 1992, and Dési Bouterse taking responsibility for the execution of women and children as well as the burning of the Maroon village of Moiwana. | South America |
| Arauco War | | 16th, 17th | 1536 | 1656 | The Arauco War was a long-running conflict between the Araucanían people, comprising Mapuche, Picunche, and Huilliche indigenous communities, and the Spanish Empire. It occurred in various stages, with periods of peace in-between. The indigenous communities sought to protect their lands, their community, and their freedom, in the face of the Spanish Empire seeking to occupy their lands, force them into a colonial system of slavery, and subsequently to evangelise them. | South America |
| Guarani War | | 18th | 1753 | 1756 | The Guarani War was a series of armed conflicts between a Spanish-Portuguese military force and a group of Guarani people resisting Spanish cession of their lands to the Portuguese. In 1750, a treaty was signed that transferred the Portuguese settlement of Colonia to Spain, in exchange for a large area of Spanish territory east of the Uruguay River. However, seven Guarani Jesuit missions were based within this territory, and they rejected that their lands be transferred to the Portuguese. To resist, they organised a military defence under a corregidor named Sepé Tiarayú, but it was not enough. Many Guarani people fled into the jungles and swamps where they lived in isolation. | South America |
| Chimor-Inca War | | 15th | 1470 | Date unknown | The Chimor-Inca War was a conflict between the Inca Empire and the Chimor Empire in present-day Peru. The Inca Empire sought to extend its territories, while the Chimor Empire sought to defend itself from the Inca invasion. Ultimately, the Chimor Empire was reduced to its capital of Chan Chan and the Moche Valley, which came under indirect rule of the Inca Empire. | South America |
| Beagle Conflict | | 20th | 1904 | 29 November 1984 | The Beagle Conflict was a dispute between Argentine and Chile over the sovereignty of the Picton, Nueva, and Lennox islands south of the Beagle Channel. Both countries signed a boundary treaty in 1881 maintaining that the islands in the Atlantic Ocean belonged to Argentina, and those in the Pacific Ocean to Chile. However, the border between the two oceans was not clear. The conflict began in 1904, with the first official Argentine claims over the islands that had always been under Chilean control. The conflict was eventually resolved in 1984 through papal mediation, with the Treaty of Peace and Friendship signed at the Vatican. Since then, Argentina has recognised the islands as Chilean territory. | South America |
| 1883 Chilean-Spanish Treaty | Treaty of Peace and Friendship of 1985 | 20th | 29 November 1984 | | The 1883 Chilean-Spanish Treaty, also known as reaty of Peace and Friendship Between the Republic of Chile and Spain, was an agreement between the two countries following the state of war that had existed between both states since the Chincha Islands War of 1865-1879. The treaty set out to resume friendly relations, establishing diplomatic ties between the two parties and committing to solid and inviolable peace. | South America |
| Spanish Conquest of the Inca Empire | Conquest of Peru | 16th | 1532 | 1572 | The Spanish Conquest of the Inca Empire, also known as the Conquest of Peru, was a period of expeditions and battles between the Spanish Empire and the Inca Empire (called Tahuantinsuyu or Tawantinsuyu in Quechua). The Spanish Empire sought to increase its wealth, expand the Spanish Empire, and evangelize through colonisation. The Inca Empire wanted to protect itself from the invaders, already weakened by the diseases brought into their communities by the Spanish. The conflict with the capture and assassination of Sapa Inca Atahualpa, marking the beginning of the Viceroyalty of Peru. | South America |
| War of Canudos | Canudos Campaign | 19th | 7 November 1896 | 5 October 1897 | The War of Canudos, also known as the Canudos Campaign, was a conflict between the Brazilian government and the Canudos inhabitants belonging to a religious group led by Antônio Conselheiro. Brazil had just been formed as a republic and wanted to repress the popular uprisings that were taking place across different communities. The government accused the Canudos of being monarchists wanting to end the republic. The Canudos were predominantly peasants who fought a so-called holy war for the survival and salvation of their souls. It ended with the complete disappearance of the Canudos people. | South America |
| Brasilia Presidential Act | Fujimori-Mahuad Treaty | 20th | 26 October 1998 | | The Brasilia Presidential Act was a peace agreement that settled the border conflict between Peru and Ecuador concerning the disputed Oriente region. Both countries agreed to ratify the Protocol of Rio de Janeiro of 1942 while deciding on 78 kilometres of border that had remained ambiguous given the terms used, and which had led to further war. | South America |
| Treaty of Piquiza | | 19th | 6 July 1828 | | The Treaty of Piquiza was a peace treaty signed between Peru and Bolivia on 6 July 1828 after the military intervention of Peru into Bolivian territories. Peru agreed to withdraw its troops, while Bolivia agreed to the resignation of President Antonio José de Sucre, the appointment of a provisional government, and the promulgation of the new constitution. | South America |
| 1828 Peruvian-Bolivian War | 1828 Peruvian Intervention in Bolivia | 19th | 1 May 1828 | 8 September 1828 | The 1828 Peruvian-Bolivian War, also known as the 1828 Peruvian Intervention in Bolivia, was a military intervention of the Peruvian Army in Bolivia. Peru sought to force the departure of the troops belonging to Gran Colombia from Bolivian territory, and to make the Bolivian president resign. This invasion ended with the Treaty of Piquiza and was one of the causes of the Gran Colombian-Peruvian War. | South America |
| Portuguese Conquest of the Banda Oriental | War Against Artigas | 19th | 28 August 1816 | 22 January 1820 | The Portuguese Conquest of the Banda Oriental, also known as the War Against Artigas, was an armed conflict between the United Kingdom of Portugal, Brazil, and Algarve on one side, and the Federal League, an alliance of provinces in what is now Uruguay, Argentina, and Brazil on the other. The former wanted to possess the domain of the Banda Oriental that granted them river access that could enable further expansion, while the Federal League sought to establish a Federal State that would achieve the independence of the Banda Oriental. The conflict resulted in the annexation of the Banda Oriental to the United Kingdom of Portugal, Brazil, and Algarve. | South America |
| Portuguese Invasion of the Banda Oriental | | 19th | 23 July 1811 | September 1812 | The Portuguese Invasion of the Banda Oriental was a conflict between Portugal and the revolutionaries of the United Provinces of the Río de la Plata. Portugal made a failed attempt to annex the remaining territory of the Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata, in present-day Uruguay. The revolutionaries, on their side, sought to become independent from the Spanish Empire. It ended with Buenos Aires, capital of the United Provinces, accepting the government of Francisco Javier de Elío, who had been sent by the Spanish Empire to govern. Part of the United Provinces of the Río de la Plata did not agree with the decision and considered it a betrayal. | South America |
| Herrera-Rademaker Treaty | | 19th | 26 May 1812 | | The Herrera-Rademaker Treaty was a peace agreement between the Triumvirate of the United Provinces of the Río de la Plata and the Portuguese Empire signed on 26 May 1812. The agreement put an end to Portugal’s intervention in the Banda Oriental. The Portuguese agreed to the withdrawal of their troops from the Río de la Plata area. For the United Provinces, the deal was a victory, since they feared that the Portuguese Empire would want to extend its domains and keep the Banda Oriental, which was the name of the territories east of the Uruguay River and north of Río de la Plata that comprise the present-day nation of Uruguay. | South America |
| Maynas War of Independence | Maynas War | 19th | 28 July 1821 | 23 September 1822 | The Maynas War of Independence, also known as the Maynas War, was a conflict between the Spanish Empire and the royalists against the patriots and the indigenous people of the Amazon in the Maynas Province, present-day Peru. The patriots and indigenous people wanted to get rid of Spanish rule and continue with the Liberating Expedition that was already taking place in southern Peru. The royalists wanted to continue ruling Maynas and disintegrate the liberating army. The conflict ended with the independence of Maynas, owing to the uprising of the rural population. | South America |
| Paraná War | Anglo-French Blockade of the Río de la Plata | 19th | 2 August 1845 | 31 August 1850 | The Paraná War was a conflict between the British Empire and France on one side, and the Argentine Confederation on the other. The British Empire and France wanted to defeat the Argentine Confederation through a commercial blockade of the ports of the Río de la Plata. This was in response to the Great War of Uruguay, which they considered a direct attack on the independence of Uruguay, and which harmed their commercial relations. In the view of the Argentine Confederation, the British Empire and France sought to obtain free navigation of the Paraná River. The conflict ended with the withdrawal of the British and French ships. | South America |
| Arana-Southern Treaty | | 19th | 24 November 1849 | | The Arana-Sur Treaty is an agreement between the British Empire and the Argentine Confederation signed on 24 November 1849 and ratified on 15 May 1850. The treaty followed the British and French blockade of the ports of the Río de la Plata, restoring friendly relations between the two parties. The British Empire recognised the Argentine Confederation’s full sovereignty over its interior rivers, promised not to intervene in conflicts between the Confederation and Uruguay, returned captured Argentine ships, and vacate Martín García Island. The Argentine Confederation confirmed that the existing differences between the two were concluded. | South America |
| Arana-Lepredour Treaty | | 19th | 31 August 1850 | | The Arana-Lepredour Treaty was an agreement between France and the Argentine Confederation following the blockade of the ports of the Río de la Plata. This treaty restored friendly relations between the two parties. France agreed to lift the blockade it had imposed on the ports of Buenos Aires, return Argentine ships, and vacate Martín García Island. Further, France recognised the Paraná River as part of the Confederation and the Uruguay River as part of the Eastern State. For its part, Argentina undertook to end hostilities against the Montevideo government. | South America |
| Tapihue Treaty | | 19th | 7 January 1825 | | The Tapihue Treaty is an agreement between Chile and the Mapuche people. Chile recognised the political sovereignty of the Mapuche people and prohibited Chileans from inhabiting the area controlled by the indigenous people, and the Mapuches undertook to collaborate with the Chilean government in the persecution of foreigners in their territory. The treaty established the Bio Bio river as the border between the two. | South America |
| Pando-Noboa Treaty | | 19th | 12 July 1832 | | The Pando-Noboa Treaty was an agreement between the newly formed Republic of Ecuador and the Republic of Peru, signed on 12 July 1832. In this treaty, both countries agreed to recognise and respect the current borders. Peru recognised Quito, Azuay, and Guayaquil as Ecuadorian sovereignty, while Ecuador recognized Tumbes, Jaén, and Maynas as Peruvian territories. However, these areas would enter into dispute again years later. | South America |
| 1881 Chilean-Spanish Treaty | | 19th | 12 June 1883 | | 1883 Chilean-Spanish Treaty, also known as the Treaty of Peace and Friendship Between the Republic of Chile and Spain, was an agreement between the two countries following the state of war that had existed between both states since the Chincha Islands War of 1865-1879. The treaty set out to resume friendly relations, establishing diplomatic ties between the two parties and committing to solid and inviolable peace. | South America |
| Treaty of Paris of 1879 | | 19th | 14 August 1879 | | The Treaty of Paris of 1879 was a bilateral peace and friendship agreement between Spain and Peru. Spain recognised Peru as an independent country, and diplomatic relations were established between the two following the Chincha Islands War. The treaty proposed the appointment of diplomatic representatives for both countries, permanent friendship, commitment to trade, and civil rights for Spanish citizens in Peru and vice versa. | South America |
| Venezuelan War of Independence | | 19th | 1811 | 1823 | The Venezuelan War of Independence took place between 1811-1823, when independence movements to sever ties from the Spanish Empire were being fought across Latin America. Venezuela sought to free itself of the restrictions and abuses imposed by the Spanish Crown. On 5 July 1811, seven of the ten provinces of the Captaincy General of Venezuela declared their independence, however, the First Republic of Venezuela was lost in 1812 following the Caracas earthquake and the Battle of La Victoria. As part of Simón Bolívar’s campaign to liberate New Granada, which took place over several years, Venezuela eventually achieved lasting independence from Spain, though first as part of Gran Colombia. | South America |
| Mallarino-Bidlack Treaty | | 19th | 12 December 1846 | | The Mallarino-Bidlack Treaty, also known as the Treaty of Peace, Friendship, Navigation and Commerce, was an agreement of cooperation between New Granada (present-day Colombia and Panama) and the United States. With this treaty, the economic, social, and political relations between the United States and New Granada formally began. The United States was granted transit through the Pacific and Atlantic oceans, and its citizens would pay the same toll for their merchandise as citizens of New Granada. The treaty also permitted the United States to use military powers to suppress independence struggles targeted against Colombia. The United States guaranteed to New Granada the rights of sovereignty and property. | South America |
| Baltimore Crisis | | 19th | 16 October 1891 | February 1892 | The Baltimore Crisis was a conflict between Chile and the United States over a fight between United States sailors from the cruise ship USS Baltimore and Chilean sailors that left two United States Navy sailors dead by stabbing. The United States held that the Chilean sailors had premeditated an attack on United States Navy sailors, demanding financial compensation and an official apology, whereas Chile insisted it had been a simple fight between sailors. Nevertheless, the conflict ended with Chile apologising and giving financial compensation to the United States for threats of war. The incident took place in a time of increasing American influence in the Pacific Coast region of Latin America. | South America |
| War in Chile Chico | | 20th | 1 May 1918 | August 1918 | The War in Chile Chico was an armed conflict between the inhabitants of the southern shore of Lake Buenos Aires and the Chilean police. Early settlers alleged that since 1914 they had petitioned for the Chilean government to recognize their rights to the lands which they had already been occupying. Carlos Von Flack, a businessman, claimed that these lands belonged to him because he had been leasing them from the government. In the end, the Chilean government annulled the contract with the businessman and returned the lands to the residents. | South America |
| Watermelon Riot | Panama Riot | 19th | 15 April 1856 | 10 September 1857 | The Watermelon Riot, also known as the Panama Riot, was a civil riot between residents of the federal state of Panama in New Granada (present-day Colombia and Panama) and United States civilians. New Granada alleged that the incident had been started by a United States citizen who drunkenly grabbed a slice of watermelon, refusing to pay for it. The United States claimed that the citizen had been robbed and that the New Granadan government was unable to control the situation. It ended with the Herrán-Cass Treaty where New Granada accepted responsibility in face of the United States’ threat of invasion. | South America |
| Herrán-Cass Treaty | | 19th | 10 September 1857 | | The Herrán-Cass Treaty was an agreement between New Granada (present-day Colombia and Panama) and the United States following the Watermelon Slice Incident of 1856. New Granada accepted responsibility for the incident and agreed to pay compensation in gold to the United States for the riot, new claims, commission expenses, and interests. | South America |
| USS Lexington Attack | Lexington Incident | 19th | 31 December 1831 | | USS Lexington Attack, also known as the Lexington Incident, was a conflict between the United States and the United Provinces of the Río de la Plata over the looting of Puerto Soledad on the Falkland Islands by the United States. The United States claimed that three of its fishing vessels had been improperly seized as they could fish without a permit, demanding financial reparations for the affected vessels. The United Provinces of the Río de la Plata accused the United States for violating fishing laws, insisting that they had the right to confiscate the vessels. | South America |
| Conquest of the Desert | | 19th | 11 October 1878 | 18 October 1885 | The Conquest of the Desert was a military campaign carried out by Argentina to occupy territories of the Pampa, Ranquel, Mapuche, and Tehuelche peoples. Argentina wanted to extend its southern territories while maintaining sovereignty over the territories it had inherited from the Spanish Empire. Some historians view the campaign as genocide of indigenous people, while others describe it as a civilising mission. | South America |
| Vivanco-Pareja Treaty | | 19th | 27 January 1865 | | The Vivanco-Pareja Treaty was signed between Peru and Spain on 27 January 1865 following the Spanish occupation of the Chincha Islands. Peru paid a compensation to Spain for the expenses caused by the conflict. Spain agreed to return the occupied Peruvian islands. After the treaty, the Spanish fleet continued to be present off the Peruvian coast, the Peruvian president was removed for accepting the terms of the agreement, and the treaty was ultimately declared void. Later, Peru, along with other South American countries, declared war on Spain. | South America |
| Pernambucan Revolt | Priest’s Revolution | 19th | 6 March 1817 | 20 May 1817 | The Pernambucan Revolution, also known as the Priest’s Revolution, was an uprising in the province of Pernambuco against the Portuguese colonial government. The rebels sought to form an independent republic in response to the fall in the price of sugar that had led the North-eastern population into a serious economic crisis. The Portuguese Empire sought to end the revolt and prevent further revolts within the colony. The conflict ended with the victory of the Portuguese Empire and the execution of the leaders of this separatist movement. | South America |
| Bahian Conspiracy | Revolt of the Tailors | 20th | 2 December 1904 | 3 December 1904 | The Bahian Conspiracy, also known as the Revolt of the Tailors, was a rebellion that occurred in the Captaincy of Bahia, Brazil. The rebels sought the independence of Bahia, the abolition of slavery, and to help its poorest sectors. The government of Bahia sought to suppress the rebellion and catch the rebel leaders, whom it considered traitors. It ended with the repression of the rebels, some of whom were slaves, barbers, tailors, embroiderers, and small merchants, and the execution of their leaders. | South America |
| Contestado War | Contestado Rebellion | 20th | 12 October 1912 | 16 August 1916 | The Contestado War, also known as the Contestado Rebellion, was a civil conflict between followers of a messianic movement and the Brazilian government. The religious movement requested the return of their lands that had been expropriated for the construction of a railway that passed through the Contestado region near the states of Santa Catarina and Paraná. The Brazilian government sought to remove the group from the territory, bringing an end to conflicts in both states. It ended with the disintegration of the religious group. | South America |
| Iguape War of 1904 | | 20th | 13 March 1904 | 15 March 1904 | The Iguape War of 1904 was a conflict between the Spanish Empire and the Portuguese Empire in the Captaincy of São Vicente, present-day São Paulo, Brazil. The Portuguese sought to officially establish the colonisation of Brazil by confirming the power of the Portuguese Crown in those lands and forcing the Spanish to leave the region. The Spanish Empire intended to keep the territory, which according to them belonged to Kingdom of Castile. Ultimately, the Spanish were forced to withdraw. | South America |
| Revolution of the Morrocoyes | La Cosiata | 19th | 30 April 1826 | December 1826 | The Revolution of the Morrocoyes, also known as La Cosiata, was a political revolt that broke out in broke out in Valencia, Venezuela. The members of the separatist movement La Cosiata demanded their economic and legal independence from Gran Colombia. They wanted Caracas to be the capital of the nascent republic rather than Bogotá. Simón Bolívar, president of Gran Colombia, sought to avoid the autonomy of Venezuela and to impose a centralist government. The revolt in Valencia is considered the main cause of the subsequent dissolution of Gran Colombia. | South America |
| Muisca War | Spanish Conquest of the Muiscas | 16th | 1537 | 1540 | The Muisca War, also known as the Spanish Conquest of the Muiscas, was a conflict between the Muisca people, who inhabited the Tenza and Ubaque valleys and the Cundiboyacense highlands in what is now Colombia, on the one side, and the Spanish Empire on the other. The Muiscas sought to protect their lands and the Spanish were searching for gold, seeking also to continue their occupation of those territories. The conflict ended with the victory of the Spanish Empire. | South America |
| Battle of La Pedrera | | 20th | 10 July 1911 | 12 July 1911 | The Battle of La Pedrera was a territorial conflict between Peru and Colombia on the border between the two countries by the Caquetá River. According to Colombia, the conflict was due to the fact that Peruvian troops invaded the Colombian territory where they had settled. According to the Peruvians, the Colombian army had occupied Peruvian territories for some time and, despite having been warned, did not leave. The battle ended with Peruvian victory and the expulsion of the Colombian army. | South America |
| Tezanos Pinto-Olaya Herrera Agreement | Status Quo Agreement | 20th | 19 July 1911 | | The Tezanos Pinto-Olaya Herrera Agreement, also known as the Status Quo Agreement, was a peace agreement between Peru and Colombia signed at Bogotá on 19 July 1911. In this agreement, Colombia undertook not to increase the contingent located in Puerto Córdoba, nor to attack the Peruvian positions between Putumayo and Caquetá, while the Peruvian troops were to leave La Pedrera. | South America |
| Boundary Treaty of 1881 | | 19th | 29 July 1881 | | The Boundary Treaty of 1881 between Chile and Argentina sought to resolve the boundary dispute between the two countries over the territories of Patagonia, the Strait of Magellan, and the islands south of it. The treaty indicated the precise boundaries along their common border and was signed during the Pacific War. Chile has alleged that it was forced to sign because of Argentina’s threat to support Peru and Bolivia in the war and that with this treaty, they lost their territory in Patagonia. For Argentina, Patagonia was never Chilean. | South America |
| Conquest of Chiloé | Chiloé Campaign | 19th | 1820 | 1826 | The Conquest of Chiloé, also known as the Chiloé Campaign, was a series of military confrontations between royalists and Chilean patriots over control of the Chiloé archipelago. The patriots sought to annex the archipelago to the new nation of Chile, since they considered it a danger to the independence of Chile to have that territory occupied by the royalists. The royalists wanted to continue with the social, legal, and religious system that they already knew, and continue under the rule of the Spanish Empire. It ended with the victory of the patriots and the Treaty of Tantauco. | South America |
| Treaty of Tantauco | | 19th | 19 January 1826 | | The Treaty of Tantauco was a peace agreement signed on 19 January 1826 between the Spanish Empire and Chile, effectively incorporating the Chiloé archipelago into Chilean territory. The treaty established that the inhabitants of Chiloé would become Chileans, with all the rights and obligations that this implied, and that their goods and properties would be respected. They were required to surrender their weapons, ammunition, and badges. Both sides agreed to release their prisoners of war. | South America |
| Insurrection of Pernambuco | War of Divine Light | 17th | 13 June 1645 | 1654 | The Insurrection of Pernambuco, also known as the War of Divine Light, was a conflict between the Portuguese Empire and the Republic of the Seven United Netherlands over the north-eastern territories of Brazil. The Dutch sought to continue governing this territory and obtain more income from the sale of sugar, increasing taxes for the Luso-Brazilian captaincies. The Portuguese wanted to expel the Dutch over taxes and the spread of Protestantism. The conflict ended with the expulsion of the Dutch and the total dominance of the Portuguese over Brazil. | South America |
| Capture of Salvador | Capture of Bahia | 20th | 8 May 1924 | | The Capture of Salvador, also known as the Capture of Bahia, was a conflict between the Iberian Union, made up of the Spanish and Portuguese empires, and the Dutch West India Company. The Dutch sought to trade sugar as well as slaves through Salvador, in present-day Brazil, while the Iberian Union also wanted dominance in the commercialisation of sugar and to avoid the Dutch occupation. The conflict ended with the creation of the ‘New Holland’ in Brazil, but the Dutch were ultimately expelled in 1925 by a Spanish-Portuguese expedition. | South America |
| Beckham Revolt | | 17th | 1684 | 1685 | The Beckham Revolt was a conflict between the Iberian Union, formed by the Spanish and Portuguese empires, and inhabitants of São Luís in Brazil over the colonial administration in that area. Two settlers sought to challenge the commercial monopoly of the Compañía de Comercio de Maranhão over buying and selling goods produced locally, and also to enslave two indigenous people, which was prevented by the Jesuits of Companhia de Jesus. | South America |
| War of the Emboabas | Fight for Gold | 18th | 1707 | 1709 | The War of the Emboabas, also known as the Fight for Gold, was a conflict between two generations of Portuguese settlers in the Captaincy of São Vicente in Brazil. The Bandeirantes, or simply Paulistas, wanted to have the exclusive right to exploit the gold mines of São Paulo, since they had discovered them, while the Emboabas wanted to expel the Paulistas to fully exploit the mines for themselves. The conflict ended with the expulsion of the Paulistas, after which the Portuguese Crown began to collect taxes for the extraction of gold. | South America |
| War of the Mascates | Buhoneros War | 18th | 1710 | 1711 | War of the Mascates, also known as the Buhoneros War, was a conflict between the Portuguese merchants of Recife and the landowners of Olinda, over the political and economic dominance of the Captaincy of Pernambuco in Brazil. The landowners did not agree with the independence of Recife as they were in a strong economic crisis and it was an important source of tax collection for Olinda. The Recife merchants, on the other hand, wanted to defend their political autonomy against Olinda. The war ended with the victory of Recife, which soon became the administrative headquarters of the captaincy. | South America |
| Balaida | | 19th | 1838 | 1841 | The Balaida was a rural uprising in the Brazilian provinces of Maranhão and Piauí. On one side were the cowboys, slaves, and other disadvantaged groups, against the Brazilian Empire. The rebels demanded improved living conditions due to the misery in which they lived as compared with landowners in the region. The government sought to pacify the rebels and end the revolt. The conflict ended with the execution of the leaders of the social movement. | South America |
| Loizaga-Cotegipe Treaty | | 19th | 9 January 1872 | | The Loizaga-Cotegipe Treaty was an agreement between Paraguay and the Brazilian Empire signed on 9 January 1872. The treaty ended the territorial dispute between the two countries that was the cause of the Triple Alliance War. Paraguay handed over to Brazil all the territories north of the Apa River, committing itself to a war indemnity and allowing the Brazilian army to remain in its territory. For its part, Brazil granted the line of the Igurey River to Paraguay, which did not mean great territorial losses. | South America |
| Vila Rica Revolt | Vila Rica Sedition | 18th | 28 June 1720 | 19 July 1720 | Vila Rica Revolt, also known as the Vila Rica Sedition, was a conflict between the inhabitants of Villa Rica in Brazil and the Portuguese Empire that took place between 28 June and 19 July 1720. The rebels, led by Filipe dos Santos, demanded the reduction of commercial taxes, the dissolution of the foundry houses that served to increase the taxes on gold, and the abolition of the commercial monopoly. The Portuguese claimed that they wanted to combat illegal trade and tax evasion. The conflict ended with the execution of Filipe dos Santos. | South America |
| First French Invasion | | 16th | 1 November 1555 | 17 March 1560 | The First French Invasion was a conflict between the Portuguese Empire and the Kingdom of France taking place in Brazil. France sought to establish colonies, avoid Portuguese and Spanish rule in the South America, and find refuge for the Huguenots, who were fleeing religious persecution. The Portuguese sought to expel the French and undo France Antarctique, the French colony that had gained control over the coast from Rio de Janeiro to Cabo Frio. The conflict ended with the expulsion of the French, and the Portuguese founded São Sebastião do Rio de Janeiro, present-day Rio de Janeiro. | South America |
| War of the Tamoios | Uruçumirin Battle | 16th | 20 January 1567 | February 1567 | The War of the Tamoios, also known as the Battle of Uruçuminim, was a conflict between the Portuguese Empire against the indigenous people of the Tamoios Confederation who were joined by the French. The Tamoios Confederation sought to end the evangelisation of the Jesuits, the slavery of the indigenous people, and remove the Portuguese from their indigenous lands. The French wanted to strengthen their empire by colonising the coasts of the Portuguese colony. The Portuguese sought to expel the French and to preserve and extend their dominance in that area. The war ended with the expulsion of the French. | South America |
| War of Cabo Frio | Tamoios Massacre | 16th | 27 August 1575 | 22 September 1575 | The War of Cabo Frio, also known as the Tamoios Massacre, was a conflict between the Tamoio indigenous people and the French resistance on the one side against the Portuguese Empire on the other. It took place in Cabo Frio, the promontory on Brazil’s southeast Atlantic coast. The Portuguese Empire sought to end the resistance, which they accused of smuggling and attacking Portuguese sugar cane plantations. The Tamoio people fought to avoid their captivity, expulsion, and extermination. However, the war ended with the death, enslavement, and ultimately the disappearance of the Tamoios people. | South America |
| Capture of Recife | Lancaster’s Pernambucan Expedition | 16th | 30 March 1595 | April 1595 | The Capture of Recife, also known as Lancaster’s Pernambuco Expedition, was a conflict between the Iberian Union, made up of the Portuguese and Spanish empires, and the British Empire. It took place in the zone of the Captaincy of Pernambuco in Brazil. The British Empire wanted to capture the city and the port of Recife, as part of the Anglo-Spanish War, and to take its merchandise, such as wood and sugar. James Lancaster, who led the English expedition, left Recife taking several ships full of merchandise. | South America |
| Battle of Guaxenduba | | 17th | 19 November 1614 | 19 November 1614 | The Battle of Guaxenduba was a military conflict that took place on 19 November 1614 in the city of Icatu in the state of Maranhão, Brazil, between the Iberian Union, formed by the Portuguese and Spanish empires, and the Kingdom of France. The Iberian Union sought to destroy the French colony named France Équinoxiale, expel the French, and secure their dominance over the Amazon. The French wanted to protect their colony and extend their rule along the northern coast and in the Amazon, evangelising the indigenous people. The battle ended with the expulsion of the French from Maranhão. | South America |
| Conquest of Cayenne | Portuguese Conquest of French Guiana | 19th | 6 January 1809 | 14 January 1809 | The Conquest of Cayenne, also known as the Portuguese Conquest of French Guiana, was a Anglo-Portuguese-Brazilian military operation against Cayenne, capital of the French South American colony of French Guiana, that took place in 1809. The attack was part of a series of operations during the Napoleonic Wars that sought to take away French control. The conflict ended with French surrender, followed by Portuguese rule which lasted until 1817. | South America |
| Treaty of Rio de Janeiro | Treaty of Peace and Friendship of 1825 | 19th | 29 August 1825 | | The Treaty of Rio de Janeiro was an agreement between the Kingdom of Portugal and the Empire of Brazil signed on 29 August 1825. The treaty, which was mediated by the British government and entered into force on 15 November 1825 upon the exchange of ratification documents, sought to end the War of Independence of Brazil (1822-1824). With it, Portugal recognised Brazil as an independent nation. Brazil agreed not to accept the proposal of any Portuguese colonies to join it, as well as to respect the property of the Portuguese in Brazil. Both agreed to peace, friendship, and to restore commercial relations. | South America |
| Caldas Corvette Crisis | | 20th | 9 August 1987 | 18 August 1987 | The Caldas Corvette Crisis was a diplomatic impasse between Venezuela and Colombia, due to a corvette from the Colombian Navy entering the waters of the Gulf of Venezuela. Colombia maintained that that part of the Gulf also belonged to Colombia, calling it the Gulf of Coquivacoa. According to Columbia, they had tried to negotiate with Venezuela to create a maritime border, but Venezuela had refused and taken complete control of the area. According to Venezuela, Colombia had no claim to the gulf. | South America |
| Colombia-Venezuela Boundary Treaty of 1941 | | 20th | 5 April 1941 | | The Colombia-Venezuela Boundary Treaty of 1941, was an agreement between Colombia and Venezuela that put an end to the border conflict between the two countries that had lasted for more than 50 years. With the treaty, both countries recognised the full demarcation of their borders, granting almost total sovereignty to Colombia over the territories of the Guajira Peninsula, the northernmost peninsula in South America. Venezuela recovered the Sarare River basin, the Rómulo Gallegos Municipality, Yavita in the Amazon, and the eastern slope of the Serranía del Perijá. Colombia was permitted access to the Orinoco River. | South America |
| Michelena-Pombo Treaty | | 19th | 14 December 1833 | | The Michelena-Pombo Treaty was an agreement between Venezuela and New Granada signed on 14 December 1933 at Bogotá. The treaty sought to establish an alliance of friendship, to regulate trade and navigation between the two countries, mark the limits between them, and to redistribute the debt of Gran Colombia after its dissolution and formation of Venezuela and New Granada as independent states. Although the Neogranadino Congress immediately accepted the treaty, the Venezuelan Congress did not approve it, since it entailed losing part of Venezuelan territory. | South America |
| Geneva Agreement of 1966 | | 20th | 17 February 1966 | | The Geneva Agreement of 1966 was a treaty between Venezuela, the United Kingdom, and its then-colony, British Guiana. The agreement established the steps to start a process of searching for solutions to the conflict over the sovereignty of Guayana Esequiba. With the treaty, the United Kingdom recognised Venezuela’s claim to declare null and void the 1899 Paris Arbitration Award that defined the border between Venezuela and British Guiana. Both parties agreed to the formation of a so-called Mixed Commission to seek peaceful and satisfactory solutions for both countries within a period of four years. | South America |
| Protocol of Port of Spain | | 20th | 18 June 1970 | | The Protocol of Port of Spain was an agreement between Venezuela, Guyana and the United Kingdom signed at Port of Spain on 18 June 1970. Following the expiration of the Mixed Commission, which was established by the Geneva Agreement of 1966, the signatories declared a moratorium of 12 years, during which both governments would promote cooperation and understanding while the border claim concerning Guayana Esequiba was in abeyance. The Parliament of Venezuela was sharply critical of the protocol, and Venezuelan maps produced since 1970 indicated the eastern bank of the Essequibo as Venezuelan territory. When the agreement expired in 1983, Venezuela did not wish to extend it. In 2018, as the claim was remained unresolved, the UN referred the case to the International Court of Justice in The Hague. | South America |
| Ankoko Island Invasion | Anacoco Island Crisis | 20th, 21st | 12 October 1966 | Ongoing | The Ankoko Island Invasion, also known as the Anacoco Island Crisis, is a territorial conflict between Venezuela and Guyana within the territory of Guayana Esequiba where the boundaries between the two countries have not yet been defined. According to Guyana, Venezuela invaded its territory not respecting the Geneva Agreement of 1966. According to Venezuela, the island has always belonged to them, and is not part of the disputed territory between the two countries. | South America |
| Rupununi Uprising | | 20th | 2 January 1969 | 5 January 1969 | The Rupununi Uprising was a revolt against the government of Prime Minister Forbes Burnham that took place shortly after Guyana’s independence from Great Britain. The rebels, inhabitants of the Rupununi District in Guayana Esequiba, sought their own independence by creating a Rupununi Government Provisional Committee, as they considered some policies of Guyana’s central government to be despotic. The Guyanese government accused Venezuela of encouraging separatists with weapons and money, and denounced it to the UN. Venezuela denied it. The Guyana Defence Force ultimately put an end to the rebellion. | South America |
| Berbice Slave Uprising | | 18th | 23 February 1763 | 15 April 1764 | The Berbice Slave Uprising was a revolt by enslaved people on plantations located in Berbice, present-day Guyana, against the Dutch colony. The rebels sought to end the harsh working conditions and proposed dividing the colony in half, with the self-emancipated claiming the southern part of the colony and the Dutch keeping the northern part. The conflict ended with the intervention of French and British colonies who helped the Dutch suppress the uprising, fearing the success of the revolt. | South America |
| Treaty of Arbitration | Treaty of Washington | 19th | 2 February 1897 | | The Treaty of Arbitration, also known as the Treaty of Washington, was an agreement between the United Kingdom and Venezuela over the territory of Essequibo and Guayana Esequiba, which Britain claimed as part of British Guiana (present-day Guyana),and which Venezuela viewed as Venezuelan territory. The two parties agreed to submit the border dispute to an international arbitration tribunal, which included the United States, Russia, Italy, Sweden, and Switzerland. The arbitration process took several years with the court issuing its final decision in 1899, placing the disputed territory of the Essequibo region under British control. Venezuela rejected the court’s decision. | South America |
| Independence of Guyana | | 20th | 1966 | 26 May 1966 | The Independence of Guyana was a political and diplomatic process led by Guyana’s nationalist and anti-colonial movements seeking independence from Britain. Cheddi Jagan and Forbes Burnham, members of the People’s Progressive Party, mobilised the population through organised protests calling for independence and the formation of a socialist State. Britain wanted to calm the independence movements and protests to preserve its colony. Guyana formally achieved its independence from Britain on 26 May 1966. More than 200 individuals were killed in clashes during the conflict. | South America |
| 1969 Curaçao Uprising | Trinta di Mei | 20th | 30 May 1969 | 1 June 1969 | The 1969 Curaçao Uprising, also known as Trinta di Mei, meaning Thirtieth of May in Papiamentu, was a series of riots on the Caribbean Island of Curaçao, then part of the Netherlands Antilles, a semi-independent country in the Kingdom of the Netherlands. The riots were initiated by workers at the Shell refinery and anti-colonial activists against the local government in denouncement of being kept as a colony under the status of a semi-independent country, since Curaçao remained part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. In addition, they protested against discrimination, racism, and labour abuses carried out by the Shell refinery. The local government and other citizens, mainly white, had agreed to continue under Dutch control since, according to them, it benefited the island economically. The uprising put an end to white political and administrative dominance, leading to the rise of a new Black political elite. | South America |
| Dutch-Venezuelan Crisis of 1908 | | 20th | 26 November 1908 | 23 December 1908 | The Dutch-Venezuelan Crisis of 1908 was a dispute between the Netherlands and President of Venezuela, Cipriano Castro, which took place on the Dutch-Caribbean island Curaçao. Venezuela registered Dutch ships and applied tariff measures on them, which hurt Dutch trade. Venezuela alleged that the Dutch had sent their government negative reports on the situation in Venezuela that were published in the press. When Venezuela expelled the Dutch ambassador, it prompted the dispatch of three warships that intercepted Venezuelan ships. The dispute ended with a coup d’etat that removed Castro from power. | South America |
| Aimoré War | | 16th, 17th | 1555 | 1673 | The Aimoré War was a conflict between Portuguese colonizers and indigenous people in the territories of Bahia and Espírito Santo in Brazil. The colonizers wanted to enslave the Aimoré people, occupy their territories, and extract gold, silver, and other precious metals found in that area. The inhabitants of the Aimoré community wanted to protect their territories in the northeastern state of Bahia, and were ultimately victorious. | South America |
| Act of Montevideo | | 20th | 8 January 1979 | | The Act of Montevideo of 1979 was signed between Argentina and Chile to defuse the conflict over the Beagle Channel. This was done at the request of the pope. Both countries pledged not to use force, to refrain from taking measures that would disturb the harmony between the two, to withdraw troops from the conflict zone, and to ultimately find a peaceful solution. | South America |
| Desert Lagoon Incident | Desert Lagoon Battle | 20th | 6 November 1965 | 13 October 1995 | The Desert Lagoon Incident, also known as the Desert Lagoon Battle, was a conflict between Argentina and Chile over an area of 481 square metres of desert. Argentina maintained that the border must be an orographic border traced by the summits of the mountain range, while Chile held that the continental division of the Americas must be followed to delimit the border. The conflict ended in 1994, after an arbitral tribunal ruled in favour of Argentina. | South America |
| Pacts of May | | 20th | 28 May 1902 | | The Pacts of May are four protocols signed between Chile and Argentina that sought to end border conflicts and consolidate the friendship between the two countries. Both countries renounced territorial expansions, except those resulting from compliance with existing treaties. They also agreed to submit to arbitration disputes that cannot be resolved through direct negotiation, as well as not to buy naval weapons for five years. | South America |
| Santa Cruz Auxiliary Expedition | Quito Campaign | 19th | 1820 | 1822 | The Santa Cruz Auxiliary Expedition, also known as the Quito Campaign, was a conflict between the independence army and the Spanish Empire. The independence troops sought to liberate the province of Quito from the Spanish viceroyalty and strengthen and secure Guayaquil, which had recently become independent. The army of the royalists sought to maintain the Spanish viceroyalty and avoid the extension of the independent army to other viceroyalties in South America. It ended with the liberation of Quito. | South America |
| Peruvian Civil War of 1834 | Bermúdez Revolution | 19th | 3 January 1834 | May 1834 | The Peruvian Civil War of 1834, also known as the Bermúdez Revolution, was a revolt by supporters of the former president, Agustín Gamarra, against the government. They wanted Pedro Pablo Bermúdez to replace President Luis José de Orbegoso, who was elected by the National Convention. The conflict ended with the victory of Orbegoso and the defeat of the revolutionaries, since the citizens agreed that Orbegoso assume his presidency. | South America |
| Bolivian Invasion of Peru | Pacification of Peru | 19th | 1835 | 1836 | The Bolivian Invasion of Peru, also known as the Pacification of Peru, took place while civil war was ongoing in Peru. The president of Bolivia, Andrés Santa Cruz, supported the faction of former president Luis José de Orbegoso that was against the now-established government of Felipe Santiago Salaverry. Bolivia and Orbegoso sought to ultimately make Peru and Bolivia a single state. Salaverry wanted to remain in power and was opposed to the unification of Peru and Bolivia. In the end, Salaverry was shot, and Santa Cruz and Orbegoso created the Peru-Bolivian Confederation. | South America |
| Occupation of Bocas del Toro | Colombian Usurpation | 19th | 1836 | | The Occupation of Bocas del Toro, also known as the Colombian Usurpation, was a border conflict between the Federal Republic of Central America, made up of Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Costa Rica, and Nicaragua, and the Republic of New Granada (present-day Colombia and Panama) over the Bocas del Toro region. Allegedly in order to prevent continued English expansion, New Granada took over the territory of Bocas del Toro, which belonged to Costa Rica. While several border treaties were subsequently attempted, they were never ratified by both sides. | South America |
| Selk’nam Genocide | Ona Genocide | 19th, 20th | 1880 | 1910 | The Selk’nam Genocide, also known as the Ona Genocide, was the genocide of the Selk’nam indigenous people in present-day Tierra del Fuego. British, Argentine, and Chilean settlers sought to extract minerals, expand their livestock companies, and eliminate the guanacos. The Selk’nam people wanted to defend their lands, prevent the killing of guanacos, and avenge the deaths and rapes of their people. It ended with the near-disappearance of the Selk’nam people. | South America |
| Preliminary Peace Convention of 1823 | | 19th | 4 July 1823 | | The Preliminary Peace Convention of 1823 was an agreement between the Spanish Empire and the government of the Province of Buenos Aires, which claimed the right to diplomatically represent the United Provinces of the Río de la Plata, signed on 4 July 1823. The agreement sought to end the Spanish-American wars of independence. With it, the Spanish Crown agreed to cease hostilities for a period of 18 months. However, the agreement was subsequently annulled by the Spanish king. | South America |
| Naval Blockade of Venezuela | | 20th | 22 December 1902 | 13 February 1903 | The Naval blockade of Venezuela was a conflict between Venezuela and the United Kingdom, Germany, and Italy in which these three countries blocked the Venezuelan coasts. The three countries demanded the payment of debts contracted by Venezuela with compatriot companies, while Venezuela viewed the blockade as illegal and in violation of its sovereignty. The blockade was eventually lifted after the signing of the Washington Protocol, giving rise to the Roosevelt Corollary, which established that the United States would intervene in the internal affairs of Latin American countries if in the event of any flagrant violations. | South America |
| Arena Massacre | Arena Uprising | 17th, 18th | 1 December 1699 | 14 January 1700 | The Arena Massacre, also known as the Arena Uprising, was a conflict that took place on 1 December 1699 at the mission of San Francisco de los Arenales in Trinidad. Roman Catholic priests wanted the Amerindians to work faster on rebuilding his church. The Amerindians revolted to put an end to their mistreatment and torture, ultimately killing the priests. The Spanish government intervened, their forces killing hundreds of the Amerindians. | South America |
| Jahaji Massacre | Hosay Riots | 19th | 30 October 1884 | | The Jahaji Massacre, also known as the Hosay Riots, was a confrontation between the British colonial authorities and Muslim and Hindu labourers in Trinidad. The labourers made a peaceful procession to commemorate a religious date but were denied to pass through towns. The British authorities wanted to stop demonstrations among the Hindu population who did not agree with the rate of pay for labour. Forces proceeded to fire on the people in the procession, leaving several dead and many more injured. | South America |
| Potiguara War | | 16th | 1574 | 1599 | The Potiguara War was a conflict between the Portuguese colonisers and the Potiguara indigenous community that inhabited Maranhão and Paraíba in northern Brazil. The settlers wanted to install hereditary captaincies that would help them occupy those lands. The Potiguara allied with the French to destroy the Portuguese fortress and prevent them from settling on their land. The conflict ended with the victory of the Portuguese, who allied themselves with the Tabajara people, helped also by a smallpox epidemic that killed many of the Potiguara community. | South America |
| Tapuia Uprising | Barbarians’ War | 17th | 1651 | 1704 | The Tapuia uprising, also known as the Barbarians’ War, was a conflict between Portuguese colonisers and the Tapuia indigenous people in Brazil. The Portuguese wanted to expand their domains in Brazil by ceding territory belonging to the Tapuia people to the combatants of the Pernambuco War. In addition, they were looking for more land for the exploitation of sugar cane and livestock. The Tapuias sought to expel the Portuguese from their lands after the death of one of their leaders, and to prevent evangelisation. | South America |
| Mandu Ladino Revolt | | 18th | 1712 | 1719 | The Mandu Ladino Revolt was an uprising by Tupi people led by Mandu Ladino against Portuguese farmers in the Piauí area of Brazil. The indigenous people sought to stop the extension of the Portuguese occupation, since the Portuguese had installed several farms that caused the expulsion of indigenous communities. Portuguese peasants wanted to establish haciendas for cattle trade and leather production there as a decree from 1701 prohibited cattle ranching near the coast. The conflict ended with the death of Mandu Ladino. | South America |
| Manaus War | | 18th | 1723 | 1728 | The Manaus War was a conflict between Portuguese colonisers and the Mura indigenous people of Manaus, led by their leader Ajuricaba. The indigenous people wanted to prevent the colonisers from invading the Amazon, avenge the death of Ajuricaba’s son, and capture the indigenous allies of the Portuguese. The Portuguese wanted to start what they called ’the just war’ by attacking the indigenous people who did not want to be evangelised. It ended with the death of Ajuricaba. | South America |
| Mura War | | 18th | 1723 | 1730 | The Mura War was a conflict between the Mura people and Portuguese-Brazilian traders on the Madeira River, Brazil. The merchants sought to establish themselves on the Madeira River, which would enable access to other regions. To achieve this, they set out to destroy the Mura villages. They also accused the Muras of ambushing them and preventing communication, colonisation, and trade. The Muras wanted to prevent the Portuguese from passing through the Madeira River and protect themselves from being invaded. | South America |
| Treaty of Lima (1929) | | 20th | 3 June 1929 | | The Treaty of Lima sought to end the controversy over the sovereignty of the cities of Tacna and Arica and improve relations between them. Both agreed that Tacna would become Peruvian territory and Arica Chilean. Chile also agreed to pay $6 million in compensation. The border should be set by a mixed commission made up of members appointed by both countries; in case of disagreement, the vote of the United States would intervene, and their decision would be final. The mixed commission completed its delimitation work in 1930 and in 1999 both countries signed an act to execute the pending clauses. | South America |
| Rio de Janeiro Treaty | | 19th | 29 August 1825 | | The Treaty of Rio de Janeiro was the agreement between the Kingdom of Portugal and the Empire of Brazil that sought to end the Brazilian War of Independence. The Empire of Portugal recognised the Empire of Brazil as an independent nation, Pedro I (son of the Emperor of Portugal) as Emperor of Brazil, and received economic compensation. The Empire of Brazil agreed not to accept the proposal of any Portuguese colonies to join it, as well as to respect the property of the Portuguese in Brazil. Both agreed to peace, a friendly relationship and to restore their commercial relations. | South America |