Introduction - Adventure Guide to Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands - page 13

reform efforts followed. In 1932, as the Liberals were blamed for the
sad state of affairs, a cloud of turmoil escalated into civil bloodshed.
Out of the ashes rose Velasco Ibarra, a conservative with a populist
façade, who became president in 1934 for the first of five times. His
self-proclaimed dictatorship and military rule, however, did not go
over well with the Congress, the people, or the army. He was ousted
and fled the country several times over the next 40 years, only to re-
turn and regain the presidency each time. In 1941, a brief but intense
war with Peru over national boundaries, and the ensuing unpopular
settlement, added to Ecuador's instability.
The Conflict between Ecuador & Peru
For many years, Ecuador and Peru have been rather un-
friendly neighbors, with border disputes flaring up many
times during the second half of the 20th century. Several of
these have resulted in considerable bloodshed, most re-
cently in 1995. Historians argue that the rift dates back to
independence in 1830, when the state of Ecuador declared
the same boundaries as the previously Spanish-controlled
Royal Audencia de Quito. Peru, to the south, was not quite
as receptive to such frontier demarcations, and the two
countries have been battling ever since. Some people, how-
ever, believe that the tension is rooted deeper, dating back
to the rivalry between the half-brothers Atahualpa and
Huascar just before the fall of the Inca Empire.
Recent maps of Ecuador display a large disputed area of
land in the Oriente claimed by both Ecuador and Peru. Con-
sisting primarily of relatively undisturbed rainforest, the
disputed area would nearly double the size of Ecuador as it
stands. The struggle came to a head in 1941 with a war be-
tween the two countries, after which the border was re-
drawn by the international community in Río de Janeiro to
the advantage of the more powerful Peru. Ecuador contin-
ued to ignore these boundaries, as evidenced by Ecuadorian
maps. Recently, however, the presidents of the two coun-
tries came together and signed a peace agreement, delin-
eating final borders and hopefully ending future bloodshed.
The implications of both the dispute and settlement are far-
reaching. They involve revenue from natural-resource ex-
traction, access to the Amazon and its tributaries,
ecotourism, colonization, and national pride. Although Ec-
uador has not received everything it desires, access to the
Amazon tributaries within Peru is a part of the agreement.