ABSTRACT
Historically, political relations between Chile and Argentina have not been any easier than those characterizing the relations between other nations of Latin America. It was in the mid-1800s—many years since independence from old colonial powers and once the civil wars scaled down enough to allow political leaders to focus on their external borders—that the first disputes arose between Argentina and Chile. Many of those disputes persisted over long periods of time and were not completely resolved until the 1990s. Throughout this time, their mutual perception was that of sure adversaries and potential enemies. This feeling of animosity gradually grew on both sides and resulted in the use of aggressive language and mutual displays of power. One author described Argentina's bilateral relations in these terms: “[i]f Brazil's rivalry with our country [Argentina] […] is almost metaphysical, Chile's rivalry, instead, is biological. Chile feels us—not only thinks of us—as enemies, as that what they have to eliminate in order to be again a grand nation, at least in South America.” 1
