Colombia–Peru War

Colombia–Peru War
Part of the Colombian–Peruvian territorial dispute

Colombian Army on manoeuvres during the conflict.
Date1 September 1932 – 24 May 1933
(8 months, 3 weeks and 2 days)
Location
Result

Resolved by the League of Nations:

Territorial
changes
Status quo ante bellum
Belligerents
 Peru  Colombia
Commanders and leaders
Luis Miguel Sánchez Cerro  X
Oscar R. Benavides
Manuel E. Rodríguez
Antonio Beingolea Balarezo
Fernando Sarmiento Ramírez
Víctor Ramos
Enrique Olaya Herrera
Alfredo Vásquez
Carlos Uribe Gaviria
Efraín Rojas Acevedo
Roberto Domingo Rico Díaz
Amadeo Rodríguez Vergara
Manuel Balcázar
Units involved

V Division:

  • 17th Mixed Infantry Regiment
  • 19th Mixed Infantry Regiment
  • 21st Artillery Battalion
  • 23rd Artillery Battalion
  • 25th Artillery Battalion
  • 27th Artillery Battalion
  • 1 sapper sector
III Military Division
Strength
17,500+ troops (1932)
2 gunboats
3 transport ships
4 auxiliary launches
9 seaplanes
6,000+ troops (1932)
7 gunboats
3 transport ships
14 aircraft
Casualties and losses
60 combat casualties approx.
150–250 (mostly from jungle diseases)
60 combat casualties approx.
140–200 (mostly from jungle diseases)

The Colombia–Peru War, also called the Leticia War, was a short-lived armed conflict between Colombia and Peru over territory in the Amazon rainforest that lasted from September 1, 1932, to May 24, 1933. In the end, an agreement was reached to divide the disputed area between both countries.

The conflict was rooted in the Boundary Treaty of March 24, 1922, which transferred the Leticia district to Colombia, giving Colombia access to the Amazon river. The district was mostly inhabited by Peruvians, which fueled grievances among Peruvians and led them to seek to modify the treaty.