Las Evidencias, lo evidente y lo visible: el uso de dispositivos visuales en la argumentación diplomática argentina sobre la Cordillera de los Andes (1900) como frontera natural

Abstract

The evidence, the evident and the visible: visual devices in the diplomatic argumentation about the Andes (1900) as a natural border.The territorial formation of Chili and Argentine involved the establishment of a line along the Andes to separate the two territories. In a context of conflicts and discords, texts and images were put in circulation in order to persuade both domestic and international audiences. This article examines a document (Argentina Evidence, 1900) presented by Argentine to the British crown, which had been chosen to arbitrate the border. Beyond the discussion of the legitimacy of the claims of both countries, the focus here is on the relations between the geographic arguments and the use of visual devices in processes of territorial vindication. Specifically, the article analyzes the way in which texts, photographs and maps formed a diplomatic document based on geographic arguments. The axes that are explored are: arguments used by the Argentine delegation, visual sources used, and ways of arranging those sources to support the territorial claims in diplomacy.