The Secret Diplomacy: Colombia's participation in the conflict between Peru and Spain for the guano islands

During the fourth presidency of General Tomas Cipriano de Mosquera, the Colombian government interfered in a diplomatic incident which apparently violated the neutrality that this country had promised to maintain during the war between Peru and Spain in the 1865-1866 period as a consequence of the Hispanic invasion of guano producing islands. In this paper some causes that made a few members of the Colombian government to decide to support Peru's war effort without the consent of Congress are explored. Subsequently, this research identifies the features and characteristics of diplomatic positions that in that time were in conflict within the Colombian government and that marked the course of diplomatic relations with the neighbouring countries, in an international political context that was characterized by European invasions on some Latin American territories.