Helion & Company Air Wars Between Ecuador & Peru Vol 3 - Latin America @ War No.22 - Helion & Company via Casemate UK

[Julien]

Air Wars Between Ecuador & Peru

Vol 3 Aerial Operations over the Cenepa River Valley 1996

Latin America @ War No.22

ISBN : 9781914057-10-0

Helion & Company via Casemate UK

 

 

There have been wars / border conflicts between Ecuador and Peru for a long time around whether Ecuador's territory extended beyond the Andes mountain range to the Amazon river, including the Amazonian basin. As early as 1829 Peru was fighting over this. There had been numerous conflicts in the late 1800s not helped by a civil war in Ecuador. Despite treaties tensions simmered between the two countries into the 20th Century with another treaty in 1936. This did not last long with tensions and skirmishes in 1938 followed by a Coup in Ecuador the same year. In January 1941, alleging that the Ecuadorians had been staging incursions and even occupations of the Peruvian territory, the Peruvian president, ordered the formation of the North Grouping, a military unit in charge of the Northern Operational Theatre. This would then lead to war in July of 1941 with both sides claiming the other had started it. This would be the first of three wars between the protagonists. The 1941 was was covered in Volume 1 or this series. Volume 2 covered the war of 1981 which was left largely unresolved; and now volume 3 covers 1995. This conflict was fought over control of an area in Peruvian territory near the border between the two countries. The two nations had signed a border treaty following the War of 1941, but Ecuador later disagreed with the treaty as it applied to the Cenepa and Paquisha areas, and in 1960 they declared the treaty null and void.  With both countries having sizable (for the region) Air Forces there was a fair deal of Aerial operations. A peace was finally put together by Chile, Brazil, and Argentina with US help in 1999 ending one of the longest disputes in the region. 

 

 

The book is A4 Soft cover and 88 pages long. It is illustrated throughout by maps and many black and white photos many of which have not been published before.  There are 5 pages of colour aircraft profiles, two pages of colour photos, and one colour map at the centre.  The author has done extensive research into both countries archives and has produced a detailed work without any normal bias. As well as the combat it looks into the equipment & training of the forces and the back ground to the conflict. also considered in the volume is the MOMEP which was the military observers from deployed to monitor the end of the conflict, and the continued re-arming of the countries forces after the conflict.

 

 

Conclusion

This book will give the reader a good understanding of the History of this conflict between two seemingly similar neighbours. Again the @ War series brings us an an incisive look at a conflict often ignored by the west. Highly recommended. 

 

 

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