The Battle of Pantoja and Rocafuerte, known also simply as the Battle of Rocafuerte, was a military confrontation between Peru and Ecuador that took place on August 11, 1941, during the Ecuadorian–Peruvian War.

Background

Hostilities between Peru and Ecuador began on July 5, 1941, when fire was exchanged between both parties. By late July, a full-on

offensive Offensive may refer to: * Offensive, the former name of the Dutch political party Socialist Alternative * Offensive (military), an attack * Offensive language ** Fighting words or insulting language, words that by their very utterance inflict inj ...

was being carried out by Peru in the coastal region of southern Ecuador, and fire was being once again (hostilities had occurred in the past) exchanged in the disputed Amazon as well. A ceasefire had been declared by Ecuador, effective on July 31, but skirmishes between both parties continued nevertheless.

Battle

Both parties started exchanging fire at 4 a.m. according to Peru. Who started the attack, however, is disputed by both parties as well. The Ecuadorian outpost, ''Rocafuerte'', was well supplied and in a good position, and the Peruvian outpost, ''Cabo Pantoja'', was on a small island with trees blocking the view located in the Napo– Aguarico

confluence In geography, a confluence (also: ''conflux'') occurs where two or more flowing bodies of water join to form a single channel. A confluence can occur in several configurations: at the point where a tributary joins a larger river (main stem); o ...

. At the time, both outposts were located in what was known as the ''

Status quo is a Latin phrase meaning the existing state of affairs, particularly with regard to social, political, religious or military issues. In the sociological sense, the ''status quo'' refers to the current state of social structure and/or values. W ...

'' line, agreed upon by both countries in 1936 to serve as a provisional border, and were separated by an eponymous bridge. During the battle, Major Arias attempted to negotiate a ceasefire but was unsuccessful in doing so as the Peruvians demanded an unconditional surrender, something he was not authorized to approve. According to Peru, Arias also unsuccessfully attempted to communicate with Major Escalante, who had fled the scene. According to Ecuador, Peru used air support in addition to its frigate to heavily bombard the outpost. The battle went on for hours, and the Ecuadorian forces were eventually forced to retreat, with Peru eventually overrunning the outpost and capturing several men, including Arias, and by 12 p.m. the

Flag of Peru The flag of Peru was adopted by the government of Peru in 1824, and modified in 1950. According to the article 49 of the Constitution of Peru, it is a vertical triband (flag), triband with red outer bands and a single white middle band. Dependi ...

had been risen on the Ecuadorian outpost, ending the battle. Ecuadorian accounts claim that the men had to leave almost naked and extremely unprepared, and that due to the harsh nature of the local environment, six children drowned.

Aftermath

The government of Ecuador, led by Dr.

Carlos Alberto Arroyo del Río Carlos Alberto Arroyo del Río (27 November 1893 – 31 October 1969) was President of Ecuador from 1940 to 1944. He was a member of the Ecuadorian Radical Liberal Party. During his term, the country lost the 1941 Ecuadorian–Peruvian War. A ...

, signed the

Rio de Janeiro Protocol The Protocol of Peace, Friendship, and Boundaries between Peru and Ecuador, or Rio Protocol for short, was an international agreement signed in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on January 29, 1942, by the foreign ministers of Peru and Ecuador, with the p ...

on January 29, 1942, with which Ecuador officially renounced its claim to a sovereign outlet to the

Amazon River The Amazon River (, ; es, Río Amazonas, pt, Rio Amazonas) in South America is the largest river by discharge volume of water in the world, and the disputed longest river system in the world in comparison to the Nile. The headwaters of t ...

Rosa Panduro District Rosa Panduro District is a district of the Putumayo Province in Peru, and one of the four districts that comprise that province. History Rosa Panduro was part of Maynas Province until April 17, 2014 when it was created as District by Law N° 30 ...

was created in 2014, named after

Rosa Panduro Carmen Rosa Panduro Ramírez was a Peruvian housewife who fought against Ecuadorian troops in the Battle of Rocafuerte during the 1941 Ecuadorian–Peruvian War. Early life Panduro was born in 1918 in Requena to parents María Ramírez Coral a ...

, a housewife who participated in the battle along with her husband.

References

{{reflist Ecuadorian–Peruvian War 1941 in Ecuador 1941 in Peru Wars involving Peru Wars involving Ecuador Pantoja and Rocafuerte Pantoja and Rocafuerte Pantoja and Rocafuerte History of Loreto Region