South American long peace

The South American long peace is a term used in international relations and history to describe the relative absence of large-scale interstate war in South America since the end of the Chaco War in 1935. While the region have high levels of internal conflict, coups d'état, and organised crime, it has remained an anomaly in global security studies for its persistent lack of major conventional wars between sovereign states. The region, however, continues to showcase high levels of intra-state violence despite the absence of war among states. In that sense it is not a peaceful region.
The concept emerged as a regional parallel to John Lewis Gaddis's "Long Peace". Scholars such as Nicolás Terradas and Arie Kacowicz argue that South America constitutes a "zone of peace" or a "security community" in which the use of force to settle disputes has become increasingly rare. The contrast is clear when comparing South America with the more war-prone continents of Africa, Asia and Europe.
The "long peace" is usually dated from 1935 to the present. Although the region has witnessed militarised crises, these are viewed as low-intensity exceptions that did not escalate into full-scale war or destabilised the regional order. According to Kalevi Holsti the Falklands War of 1982 against the United Kingdom should not be counted as it was fought against a non-South American power.

Period prior to the long peace

The period prior to 1935 and in particular that of the 19th century has been described by scholars as one of balkanisation in South America as most of the then newly formed states found themselves in international war repeatedly through the century. States were often weak, with Argentina only comming into being as propper nation in 1860, and the weakness of Bolivia and Ecuador attracted foreing interference.
The 19th century saw many border disputes in South America. As most states based their border claims on the uti possidetis iuris a source of conflict was the poorly mapped or vagueness of borders inherited forn the Spanish Portuguese colonial eras. This was particularly true for much of Atacama Desert, Patagonia and the Amazon and Orinoco basins. Brazil however tended to apply a different criterion claiming de facto occupation of a territory as basis of claims.
In 1915 South America's three main regional powers; Argentina, Brazil and Chile signed the ABC Pact to establish the principles of non-aggression, consultation and arbitration in dispute resultion.

Conceptualizations of peace

Scholarship on the South American long peace have framed thet stability of peace in South America in different approaches. Traditional views, such as those by Kalevi Holsti, describe South America as a "non-war zone" or a "negative peace," where war is absent but the underlying causes of conflict remain unresolved. Jorge Battaglino proposes that South America occupies a "hybrid peace" category. In this state, states may still experience militarised crises and engage in arms races, yet they possess robust diplomatic mechanisms that prevent these tensions from erupting into full-scale war.
A central theme in the literature is the "Latin American paradox"—the coexistence of interstate peace with high levels of intrastate violence. Sabine Kurtenbach notes that while states do not fight each other, the region remains one of the most violent in the world due to homicides, social exclusion, and weak state institutions.

Proposed causes

Scholars have proposed several theories to explain why South American states have avoided major wars:

1. The "Longer Peace" Thesis : Felix Gonzalez argues that a combination of geographic isolation, lack of "great power" ambitions, and a shared diplomatic culture has sustained peace for over half a century.
2. Shared Identity and Norms: Terradas highlights the role of a diplomatic culture and legalistic traditions that prioritize sovereignty and territorial integrity over expansionism.
3. Institutional Constraint: The proliferation of regional organizations has provided forums for mediation, reducing the likelihood of miscalculation during crises.
4. Internal Focus: Some argue that South American militaries have historically been more concerned with internal security and regime maintenance than with external conquest.

Limits and criticism

Critics of the "long peace" narrative, such as Sabine Kurtenbach, argue that a "minimalist" definition of peace –that is merely the absence of interstate war– ignores the structural violence and "non-war violence" that is common in the region. In this view, the "long peace" may be a facade that hides state failure to protect citizens from internal threats, organised crime, and systemic human rights abuses.
The long peace has not hindered international disputes in the region to attract military involvement.

Last major war by country

The following is a list of the last war with at least 1000 casualties fought by each country in South America against a South American country.

Country	Conflict	End date	Fought against	Result
	Paraguayan War	1870		Military victory: Machaín-Irigoyen Treaty
	Chaco War	1935		Military defeat: Bolivia–Paraguay Treaty of 1938
	Paraguayan War	1870		Military victory: Loizaga–Cotegipe Treaty
	War of the Pacific	1884		Military victory: Treaty of Ancón Treaty of Valparaíso
	Ecuadorian–Colombian War	1863		Military victory: Pinsaqui Treaty
	Ecuadorian–Colombian War	1863		Military defeat: Pinsaqui Treaty
	Never been at war with another South American country	-	-	-
	Chaco War	1935		Military victory: Bolivia–Paraguay Treaty of 1938
	War of the Pacific	1883		Military defeat: Treaty of Ancón
	Never been at war with another South American country	-	-	-
	Paraguayan War	1870		Military victory: Decoud-Kubly Treaty
	Never been at war with another South American country	-	-	-