https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cyn4Bn04MGM
Espinosa delivered a lecture titled “OAS Peace Missions,” which took place on October 27, 2021, as part of the lecture series organized by the Bachelor’s Program in International Studies.
The scholar holds a Ph.D. in Diplomacy from the University of the Republic and a postgraduate degree in International Law from The Hague Academy of International Law. He served as Uruguay’s ambassador to Germany, Brazil, Egypt, Israel, and the United Kingdom, and was Director General of Mercosur Integration.
Conflicts that lead to the deployment of peacekeeping missions
For Espinosa, political and territorial conflicts in Latin America and the Caribbean stem from the colonial legacy and the fragile demarcation of state borders during the 19th century. Added to these conflicts are those arising from international law mar and new methods of exploiting marine resources.
“Two hundred years after gaining independence from Spain and Portugal, we still have more than 20 countries with disputes over their borders or territory, ”Espinosa said. “Even our country has territorial disputes with Brazil,” he added. Even so, territorial conflicts in Latin America coexist with a high degree of regional integration.
“These conflicts have a significant and negative geopolitical impact, and they often serve as a serious source of instability,” said the expert. “Some countries have turned to the OAS for support in this process of identifying ways to combat corruption and prevent the institutional weakening that fuels skepticism toward democracy.”
State missions
Espinosa reviewed the history of the conflict between Belize and Guatemala, as well as the related civilian peace mission he leads: established in 2000, it is the longest-running OAS mission to date.
The differences between the two countries arose following Guatemala’s independence from the Spanish Crown and the British Crown’s appropriation of certain concessions, leading Guatemala to eventually claim half of Belize’s territory and mar.
When relations between the two countries deteriorated to the point of armed threats, the governments agreed to turn to the OAS. Thanks to the efforts of the civilian mission over the years, they signed various agreements to resume relations and rebuild mutual trust.
Over the years, the mission has served as a mediator between communities near the border between Belize and Guatemala, noting that “you can’t talk about borders because they don’t exist.” In doing so, it has fostered a positive relationship between regional and national authorities.
In 2008, the OAS Secretary General recommended resolving the conflict through legal channels: the International Court of Justice. Both Belize and Guatemala left the decision on whether to bring the case before the court up to their respective populations, who voted in referendums that took a decade to hold: Guatemala was the first to do so in 2018, while Belize followed suit in 2019.
With the approval of the local population, the matter was brought before the International Court, which will issue a ruling. “The ruling will determine the demarcation of the border, ”Espinosa noted.
Other peacekeeping missions
Espinosa also discussed other civilian peacekeeping missions, such as the one established in 2010 to help resolve a long-standing border dispute between Costa Rica and Nicaragua—an event that put the OAS’s mediation mechanisms to the test.
On that occasion, the secretary general visited the area and made recommendations, such as resuming talks on border demarcation, avoiding the presence of armed forces, and establishing mechanisms for bilateral cooperation to address regional issues, such as drug trafficking and organized crime. These recommendations helped ease tensions between the two countries.
Another notable mission was the one carried out between 2008 and 2011 during the so-called “Andean crisis” between Colombia and Ecuador, following the incursion of Colombian armed forces into Ecuadorian territory in pursuit of guerrilla members.
From the outset, the civilian peacekeeping mission was responsible for verifying compliance with the terms of engagement agreed upon by the nations and helped to normalize diplomatic relations.
Other successful missions highlighted by Espinosa were those deployed during the conflicts between El Salvador and Honduras (from 2002 to 2003) and between Honduras and Nicaragua (from 1999 to 2001), both of which were border disputes resolved through OAS intervention.
OAS Intra-State Missions
The speaker also referred to the OAS’s most important intra-state mission: the mission to support the peace process in Colombia. It was launched in 2004 at the request of then-Colombian President Álvaro Uribe and is still ongoing.
That mission supported the demobilization and disarmament of more than 32,000 combatants, led to the destruction of 20,000 weapons, and, to date, continues to monitor developments in all affected territories, reporting on the status of the peace process and warning of threats and challenges related to the conflict.
Espinosa stated that his work in Belize and Guatemala was inspired by this mission, “especially in terms of engaging with local communities to identify their problems and translate them into proactive measures aimed at improving people’s living conditions.”
Other domestic missions discussed by the scholar included those carried out in Guatemala (1995–2000), Suriname (1991), and Haiti (1992–1998). In all cases, the missions worked to promote democracy and foster closer ties and better relations among the various parties involved.
In closing, Espinosa noted that these civilian missions are carried out on limited budgets, which come from donations by private individuals and member states, not from the OAS’s regular budget. In recent years, these donations have been reduced due to political decisions.