Page 66 - Across the Andes: Chile’s Atacama Desert & Argentina’s Northwest

territorial claims north of the Río Cuareim, thereby reducing its area to about 176,000 square
kilometers, and recognized Brazil’s exclusive right of navigation in the Laguna Merin and the
Rio Yaguaron, the natural border between the countries.

In accordance with the 1851 treaties, Brazil intervened militarily in Uruguay as often as it
deemed necessary. In 1865, the Treaty of the Triple Alliance was signed by the emperor of
Brazil, the president of Argentina, and the Colorado general Venancio Flores, the Uruguayan
head of government whom they both had helped to gain power. The Triple Alliance was
created to wage a war against the Paraguayan leader Francisco Solano López. The resulting
Paraguayan War ended with the invasion of Paraguay and its defeat by the armies of the three
countries. Montevideo, which was used as a supply station by the Brazilian navy, experienced
a period of prosperity and relative calm during the war.

The Uruguayan War

The Uruguayan War was fought between governing Blancos and alliance of Empire of Brazil,
Colorados who were supported by Argentina. In 1863 the Colorado leader Venancio Flores
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Blanco coalition (Fusionist) government. Flores was aided by Argentina’s President Bartolomé
Mitre. The Fusionist coalition collapsed as Colorados joined Flores’ ranks.

The Uruguayan civil developed into a crisis of international scope that destabilized the
entire region. Even before the Colorado rebellion, the Blancos had sought an alliance with
Paraguayan dictator Francisco Solano López. Berro’s now purely Blanco government also
received support from Argentine Federalists, who opposed Mitre and his Unitarians. The
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through Uruguayan territory, eventually surrounding Montevideo. Faced with certain defeat,
the Blanco government capitulated on February 20, 1865.

The short-lived war would have been regarded as an outstanding success for Brazilian and
Argentine interests, had Paraguayan intervention in support of the Blancos (with attacks upon
Brazilian and Argentine provinces) not led to the long and costly Paraguayan War. In February
1868 former Presidents Bernardo Berro and Venancio Flores were assassinated.

The Batlle Era

José Batlle y Ordóñez, President from 1903 to 1907 and again from 1911 to 1915, set the pattern
for Uruguay’s modern political development and dominated the political scene until his death
in 1929. Batlle was opposed to the co-participation agreement, because he considered division
of departments among the parties to be undemocratic. Blancos feared loss of their power if
proportional election system was introduced and started their last revolt in 1904, which ended
with Colorado victory at the Battle of Masoller.

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