Epilogue: The Long-Term Consequences of the Fall of the Confederation

Summary

The failure of the Confederation had far-reaching consequences that continue to be relevant today. The fight for the control of the port of Arica, as well as of the cities of Tacna and Tarapacá, has been at the center of the difficult relationship among Bolivia, Peru, and Chile that emerged in the western part of South America at the end of the colonial period. These republics have all laid claim to this area, and even today the control of Arica remains an issue of contention, discussed in bilateral and multilateral meetings of presidents and ministers. The vision that Santa Cruz put forward of joining Bolivia and Peru in a confederation was for him, and for many of the people of this region, the ideal option that would have allowed the people from the Altiplano access to the most suitable port. His failure, caused in no small measure by the intransigent opposition of Chile, and parts of Peru left the issue to simmer for decades, only to resurface when natural resources made the area ever more desirable. After the defeat of the Confederation, Chile had been content with the assurance that Bolivia and Peru would never be united politically. With time, as Chile's economic interests in the region grew, this changed, and their desire for control of the area increased.