Territorial loss and national image: the case of Ecuador

Fighting between Ecuador and Peru broke out in January 1995, making this the most active border dispute in Latin America. The conflict involves Ecuador's loss of extensive Amazonian territories in 1941. This paper briefly reviews the history of the conflict, after which it examines how Ecuador's government uses maps, monuments of historical events, slogans, and other means constantly to remind citizens of its lost Amazon lands and elicit their support for its attempts to regain the lost territory. The principal conclusion is that public symbols help to shape citizens' image of the country, which, in turn, limits the government's ability to settle the border dispute without loss of face.