By Daniel Nardini
Peru’s president has been impeached, and there have been armed clashes between indigenous peoples and powerful corporations in a number of South American countries like Peru, Ecuador and Brazil. Countries in South America are coming out of the Covid pandemic that had up-ended life there. Corruption, inequality and poverty still scar the lands in South America along with a growing crime rate. Despite this, almost every country in South America (Venezuela being the notable exception) has seen their economies blossom under democratic stability and peaceful co-existence with their neighbor.
Peaceful co-existence has been one of the most important keys in this continent trying to deal with the problems that continue to plague every country in South America. Whatever differences may exist between each country in South America, no country wishes to go to war. The last real war between two countries in South America was between Ecuador and Peru. The war, fought between 1994 and 1995, was over these two countries’ border. Eventually the border conflict was resolved, and there has not been any more war on the continent in almost 30 years. Contrast this era of peace with Europe, Asia and Africa.
There are three main reasons why no major war has broken out in South America. First, a war would need a sustained effort between the belligerents. At this point in time, no country in South America, not even Venezuela, wants to fight a sustained war that will destroy their economies and whole regions of their lands. Second, almost all countries in South America are now democracies. Their governments would rather resolve any border or other problems through dialog rather than through guns. Finally, war would disrupt the whole economic trade relationships between all South American countries.
If there is not much news coming out of any country in South America that is not necessarily a bad thing. It means that war, the worst condition that people and governments can inflict on each other, so far has not majorly happened there. It is not to say there are no conflicts; there are. It is not to say there is no fighting within the borders of certain South America countries; there is. The only good news is that there is no intra-continental war between belligerent countries in South America, and that is a good thing. With peace, it means that people in any country in South America can at least not worry about all of the ills and evils that go along with war; displacement, destroyed cities and countryside, people forced to flee enmasse as war consumes and disrupts the lives of the innocent on both sides, and regional leaders being forced to consider how to prevent war from spreading any further. South America at present remains at peace, and let us hope it remains this way for the foreseeable future.
So Far, South America Remains at Peace
By Daniel Nardini
Peaceful co-existence has been one of the most important keys in this continent trying to deal with the problems that continue to plague every country in South America. Whatever differences may exist between each country in South America, no country wishes to go to war. The last real war between two countries in South America was between Ecuador and Peru. The war, fought between 1994 and 1995, was over these two countries’ border. Eventually the border conflict was resolved, and there has not been any more war on the continent in almost 30 years. Contrast this era of peace with Europe, Asia and Africa.
There are three main reasons why no major war has broken out in South America. First, a war would need a sustained effort between the belligerents. At this point in time, no country in South America, not even Venezuela, wants to fight a sustained war that will destroy their economies and whole regions of their lands. Second, almost all countries in South America are now democracies. Their governments would rather resolve any border or other problems through dialog rather than through guns. Finally, war would disrupt the whole economic trade relationships between all South American countries.
If there is not much news coming out of any country in South America that is not necessarily a bad thing. It means that war, the worst condition that people and governments can inflict on each other, so far has not majorly happened there. It is not to say there are no conflicts; there are. It is not to say there is no fighting within the borders of certain South America countries; there is. The only good news is that there is no intra-continental war between belligerent countries in South America, and that is a good thing. With peace, it means that people in any country in South America can at least not worry about all of the ills and evils that go along with war; displacement, destroyed cities and countryside, people forced to flee enmasse as war consumes and disrupts the lives of the innocent on both sides, and regional leaders being forced to consider how to prevent war from spreading any further. South America at present remains at peace, and let us hope it remains this way for the foreseeable future.