ABSTRACT
Since the 1980s, Latin America has not had significant armed conflicts or wars between nations, with the exception of that between Ecuador and Peru in 1995. Aside from that incident, bilateral disagreements and border tensions have not led to open hostilities, which is the reason why—compared with other continents—Latin America is considered an area of peace between nations and with emerging signs of its new functioning organizations of integration such as the Union of South American Nations (Unión de Naciones Suramericanas, UNASUR) that can replace the traditional Andean Community (Comunidad Andina, CAN) and, somewhat less so, the Common Market of the South (Mercado Comun del Sur, MERCOSUR). However, this situation, which indicates interstate tranquility, does not necessarily reflect the consolidation of a collective security regime, because tensions still persist and there are unresolved problems, such as those discussed here; for example, the conflict between Costa Rica and Nicaragua, or the permanent dispute and disagreement between Peru and Chile with regards to the maritime boundaries in the South Pacific. In fact, these four countries maintain judicial lawsuits in the International Court of Justice in The Hague.
