Argentina–Uruguay relations

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Argentine–Uruguayan relations
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Flag of Argentina.svg
Argentina
Flag of Uruguay.svg
Uruguay
Embassy of Uruguay in Buenos Aires Embajada de Uruguay (Buenos Aires).jpg
Embassy of Uruguay in Buenos Aires
Embassy of Argentina in Montevideo Embajada argentina en Montevideo 2.jpg
Embassy of Argentina in Montevideo

Foreign relations between the Argentine Republic and the Oriental Republic of Uruguay have existed for over a century. Both countries were part of the Spanish Empire until the early 19th century.

Contents

History

Initially, both modern states of Argentina and Uruguay were part of the Spanish empire's Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata. Buenos Aires was by then the capital city, and the Banda Oriental a province of it. During this period, both Buenos Aires and Montevideo faced two British invasions of the Río de la Plata. In the first one, the British successfully invaded Buenos Aires, being defeated later by a Montevidean army led by Santiago de Liniers. The British invaded Montevideo the second time, but failed to invade Buenos Aires, and Buenos Aires demanded the liberation of Montevideo in the British capitulation.

The Spanish king Ferdinand VII was captured during the Peninsular War, and replaced by the French Joseph Bonaparte. He was not recognized as a legitimate king, which left the Spanish monarchy without a ruler. This generated political reactions all across the Spanish Empire. Despite being of French ancestry, Liniers rejected Joseph's rule and confirmed his allegiance to the captive king, but Javier de Elío did not trust him, and created a government Junta in Montevideo. Martín de Álzaga, Elío's ally in Buenos Aires, attempted to do the same by organizing a mutiny, but failed. Elío gave up his junta when Liniers was replaced by a new viceroy, Baltasar Hidalgo de Cisneros. However, as the Spanish situation in the Peninsular War worsened, Buenos Aires deposed Cisneros during the May Revolution and create their own junta. This started the Argentine War of Independence. Montevideo was declared then the new capital of the viceroyalty, and became a Royalist stronghold. The other populations of the Banda Oriental, however, did not join Montevideo. Led by José Gervasio Artigas, they made the cry of Asencio and laid siege to the city until its defeat.

Uruguay gained its independence after the Cisplatine War, with the help of Great Britain. During the Uruguayan Civil War, Argentina supported the National Party. Both countries were allied during the War of the Triple Alliance.

Since the end of the 19th century, both countries have shared a similar European heritage. They likewise share very close economic, cultural and political ties with each other. Moreover, since around 1960, there has been significant Uruguayan emigration to Argentina, and today, there are around 120,000 people born in Uruguay living in Argentina. [1]

Political ties

The two major political parties of Uruguay before 2002, the Colorado Party and the National Party, which were both called traditional parties, had their origins in extinct Argentine parties, the Unitarians and the Federals, who, in turn, were descendants of groups led by José Artigas. During the first century of Uruguayan independence, major events on both sides were linked to an international, two-party alliance/rivalry that constituted separate nationalized structures. The Argentine Civil War started after the Uruguayan Civil War in 1838 when Uruguayan ex-president Fructuoso Rivera deposed former Uruguayan president Manuel Oribe, who was exiled to Buenos Aires.

Boundary disputes

The border between Argentina and Uruguay was first established at the 1827 Peace Convention. In the period between the Peace Convention and the 1973 Boundary Treaty, which established most of the contemporary borders between the two countries, the Uruguayan–Argentine border was along the River Uruguay.

According to Zeballos's Doctrine, designed by Argentine Chancellor Estanislao Severo Zeballos, Uruguay should have no jurisdiction over the River Plate, which should only belong to Argentina.

During José Figueroa Alcorta's Argentine presidency, three major incidents occurred:

Diplomatic scandals

During the presidency of Jorge Batlle in Uruguay, a journalist caused a significant diplomatic incident in 2002 when the President's off-topic commentary was aired on Uruguayan television, showing Batlle saying that "Argentines are all thieves." The incident was resolved after one week when Batlle publicly apologized on Argentine television[ citation needed ].

More unfiltered commentary from Uruguayan president José Mujica was aired during a meeting where he said that "with the Turk we were better but with this old lady there is no deal", making reference to Argentine leaders Carlos Menem and Cristina Kirchner [ citation needed ].

During a speech, Cristina Kirchner stated that "José Gervasio Artigas wanted to be Argentine and we did not let him"; this statement was discussed in Uruguay for some time [ citation needed ].

Strained relations during the Kirchner era

Following the announced construction of a pulp mill on the Uruguayan side of the Uruguay River by Spanish manufacturer ENCE in 2003, both countries experienced their first significant diplomatic tensions since 1952, when President Juan Perón attempted to curb Argentine offshore banking in the neighboring nation. Bridges over the River Uruguay were closed for over a year. Though plans for the ENCE mill were canceled in 2005, a second mill was announced by Finland's Botnia in 2005, and the facility was opened in 2007. [2] The Pulp mill dispute between Argentina and Uruguay remains a subject of controversy, particularly after ongoing reports of growing water contamination in the area that was later identified to be sewage discharge from the actual town of Gualeguaychú. [3] [4]

Today

Presidents Alberto Fernandez and Luis Lacalle Pou in 2020. Alberto Fernandez con Luis Lacalle Pou 02.jpg
Presidents Alberto Fernández and Luis Lacalle Pou in 2020.

Argentina has an embassy in Montevideo and four consulates in Colonia del Sacramento, Fray Bentos, Paysandú, and Salto. Uruguay has an embassy in Buenos Aires; two general consulates in Córdoba and Rosario; three consulates in Colón, Concordia and Gualeguaychú; and two honorary consulates in Mendoza and Neuquén.

Both countries were founding members of Mercosur. Both countries are full members of the Group of 77, the Rio Group, the Latin American Integration Association, the Association of Spanish Language Academies, the Organization of American States, the Organization of Ibero-American States, the Union of South American Nations, and the Cairns Group.

In 2009, Uruguay maintained its policy of refusing landing rights to British military planes on flights to the Falkland Islands (Spanish: Islas Malvinas), [5] and in 2010, it refused HMS Gloucester entry into the Port of Montevideo. [6]

One of the most important commercial relationships between Uruguay and Argentina is related to tourism. For Uruguay, Argentine tourism is key since it represents 56% of the external tourism the country receives each year, and 70% during the summer months. In 2017, Argentina and Uruguay signed a Memorandum of Understanding for the implementation of the "Strengthening Connectivity" (Fortalecimiento de la Conectividad) project. This project is focused on improving communication between the countries. It aims to develop greater connectivity by creating fiber-optic links to interconnection points where international internet providers are located and to submarine cables that reach the Argentine coast. [7]

See also

Related Research Articles

The history of Uruguay comprises different periods: the pre-Columbian time or early history, the Colonial Period (1516–1811), the Period of Nation-Building (1811–1830), and the history of Uruguay as an independent country (1830–present).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">José Gervasio Artigas</span> Uruguayan military leader during the War for Independence; national hero

José Gervasio Artigas Arnal was a soldier and statesman who is regarded as a national hero in Uruguay and the father of Uruguayan nationhood.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Argentine War of Independence</span> Secessionist civil war (1810–1818)

The Argentine War of Independence was a secessionist civil war fought from 1810 to 1818 by Argentine patriotic forces under Manuel Belgrano, Juan José Castelli, Martin Miguel de Guemes and José de San Martín against royalist forces loyal to the Spanish crown. On July 9, 1816, an assembly met in San Miguel de Tucumán, declaring independence with provisions for a national constitution.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fray Bentos</span> Capital city in Río Negro Department, Uruguay

Fray Bentos is the capital city of the Río Negro Department, in south-western Uruguay, at the Argentina-Uruguay border, near the Argentine city of Gualeguaychú. Its port on the Uruguay River is one of the nation's most important harbours. The city hosts the first campus of the Technological University, beside the historically relevant industrial complex Anglo, a World Heritage Site.

The military history of Argentina spans a period of over two centuries. During the course of those years, it broke colonial ties with Spain, waged a civil war to define its organization and wars with Brazil, Paraguay, Britain and France. The military also played a role in the institutional life of the country, during a series of coups d'état that took place in the 20th century.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cornelio Saavedra</span> Argentine military officer and statesman (1759–1829)

Cornelio Judas Tadeo de Saavedra y Rodríguez was an Argentine military officer and statesman. He was instrumental in the May Revolution, the first step of Argentina's independence from Spain, and became the first head of state of the autonomous country that would become Argentina when he was appointed president of the Primera Junta.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">United Provinces of the Río de la Plata</span> Federation of former Spanish Empire provinces in South America (1810–1831)

The United Provinces of the Río de la Plata, earlier known as the United Provinces of South America, was a name adopted in 1816 by the Congress of Tucumán for the region of South America that declared independence in 1816, with the Sovereign Congress taking place in 1813, during the Argentine War of Independence (1810–1818) that began with the May Revolution in 1810. It originally comprised rebellious territories of the former Spanish Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata dependencies and had Buenos Aires as its capital.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Federal League (1815–1820)</span> Alliance of South American provinces in support of a confederal Argentine state (1815-20)

The Federal League, also known as the League of the Free Peoples, was an alliance of provinces in what is now Uruguay, Argentina and Brazil that aimed to establish a confederal organization for the state that was emerging from the May Revolution in the war of independence against the Spanish Empire.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brazil–Uruguay relations</span> Bilateral relations

Brazil–Uruguay relations encompass many complex relations over the span of three centuries, beginning in 1680 with the establishment of the Colónia do Sacramento, to the present day, between the Federative Republic of Brazil and the Oriental Republic of Uruguay. Brazil and Uruguay are neighbouring countries in South America, and share close political, economic and cultural ties. The singularity of the bilateral relationship between the two countries originates from a strong historical connection, as both countries having been territories of the Portuguese Empire and sharing the same language – marked by important events, such as the establishment of the Colónia do Sacramento in 1680, the invasion of the Banda Oriental by Brazil in 1815 and the subsequent creation of the Província Cisplatina, and Uruguay's independence from Brazil in 1828. The bilateral relationship was further defined by the Uruguayan Civil War (1839–1851) and the Paraguayan War (1864–1870).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Portuguese conquest of the Banda Oriental</span>

The Portuguese conquest of the Banda Oriental was the armed-conflict that took place between 1816 and 1820 in the Banda Oriental, for control of what today comprises the whole of the Republic of Uruguay, the northern part of the Argentine Mesopotamia and southern Brazil. The four-year armed-conflict resulted in the annexation of the Banda Oriental into the United Kingdom of Portugal, Brazil and the Algarves as the Brazilian province of Cisplatina.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Manuel de Sarratea</span> Argentine politician (1774–1849)

Manuel de Sarratea,, was an Argentine diplomat, politician and soldier. He was the son of Martín de Sarratea (1743–1813), of the richest merchant of Buenos-Aires and Tomasa Josefa de Altolaguirre. His sister Martina de Sarrateas (1772–1805) married Santiago de Liniers, vice-roy del Rio de la Plata.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Spain–Uruguay relations</span> Bilateral relations

Spain–Uruguay relations are the current and historical relations between Spain and Uruguay. There is community of 67,000 Spanish nationals residing in Uruguay and 33,000 Uruguayan nationals residing in Spain. Both nations are members of the Association of Spanish Language Academies, Organization of Ibero-American States and the United Nations.

Francisco Javier de Viana (1764–1820) was an Argentine sailor and soldier who actively participated in the politics of his country as an ally of general Carlos María de Alvear.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cry of Asencio</span> Spanish Rebellion

The Cry of Asencio or Admirable alarm was an 1811 pronunciamiento that took place at the Banda Oriental against the Spanish rule in Montevideo. Made in support of Buenos Aires, which had already ousted the viceroy and established a local government during the May Revolution, it is considered the beginning of the Oriental revolution.

The rise of the Argentine Republic was a process that took place in the first half of the 19th century in Argentina. The Republic has its origins on the territory of the Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata, a colony of the Spanish Empire. The King of Spain appointed a viceroy to oversee the governance of the colony. The 1810 May Revolution staged a coup d'état and deposed the viceroy and, along with the Argentine war of independence, started a process of rupture with the Spanish monarchy with the creation of an independent republican state. All proposals to organize a local monarchy failed, and no local monarch was ever crowned.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Timeline of the Argentine War of Independence</span>

The Argentine War of Independence was fought from 1810 to 1818 by Argentine patriotic forces under Manuel Belgrano, Juan José Castelli and José de San Martín against royalist forces loyal to the Spanish crown. On July 9, 1816, an assembly met in San Miguel de Tucumán, declared full independence with provisions for a national constitution.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dissolution of the Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata</span>

The dissolution of the Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata meant the breakup of the Spanish colony in South America and the creation of new independent countries. Most of the territory of the Spanish viceroyalty is now part of Argentina, and other regions belong to Bolivia, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Second Banda Oriental campaign</span>

The Second Banda Oriental campaign was a military campaign of the Argentine War of Independence, that besieged and captured the Banda Oriental with joint operations against Montevideo by José Rondeau on land and William Brown on water.

Juan Ángel Michelena was a Spanish naval officer, he fought against the Royal Navy in Cape St. Vincent, and participated heroically in the defense and reconquest of Buenos Aires against the English invaders. He also served as Acting Governor of the city of Montevideo (Uruguay).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Finland–Uruguay relations</span> Bilateral relations

Finland–Uruguay relations are the bilateral relations between Finland and Uruguay. Both nations are members of the United Nations.

References

  1. INDEC Archived 2009-11-13 at the Wayback Machine
  2. BBC News: Argentines in pulp mill protest (11 Nov 2007)
  3. La Fraybentina: Las mentiras tienen patas cortas (1 Mar 2010) Archived 30 April 2011 at the Wayback Machine (in Spanish)
  4. Clarín: Hay 115 casos de dermatitis en un balneario ubicado frente a Botnia (22 Feb 2010) (in Spanish)
  5. Uruguayan President Tabaré Vázquez: speech during 2009 Bariloche UNASUR Summit
  6. "Uruguay negó el ingreso a Montevideo de un barco británico que iba a Malvinas" [Uruguay denied entry to Montevideo of a British ship going to the Malvinas]. Clarín (in Spanish). 20 September 2010. Retrieved 24 January 2024.
  7. "Overview: Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay Trade Relations". Biz Latin Hub. 10 April 2020.