Records of the Department of State Relating to Political Relations between the United States and Ecuador, 1945-1959
Much of the 20th century history of Ecuador involved internal struggles between liberals and conservatives, and a territorial dispute between Peru and Ecuador that evolved into armed conflict in 1941 and was settled with the Protocol of Peace, Friendship, and Boundaries between Peru and Ecuador, or Rio Protocol for short, signed in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on January 29, 1942. Publications relating to political relations between the United States and other states generally include cables, memoranda, and correspondence addressing the political affairs and concerns affecting the particular state. Covering primarily the early Cold War documents, this collection gives researchers a unique insight into American foreign policy during one of its most stressful periods in international relations. After World War II, with only two superpowers vying for influence, access, and control, the United States looked to its state department to provide detailed analyses and insight into political affairs. As such these records are bound to be of great interest to diplomatic historians and historians studying these countries, seeking to understand American foreign affairs during this period.