Battle of Boquerón

Overview

The Battle of Boquerón was fought on 16 July 1866 and the Battle of Sauce on 18 July 1866, between an allied force of Uruguayans, Brazilians, and Argentines on one side and Paraguay on the other in the Paraguayan War. The Spanish-born Uruguayan officer León de Pallejas (1816–1866) and the Paraguayan officer Elizardo Aquino were killed in the battle.

Overview adapted from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Significance

The Battle of Boquerón was the first major engagement of the Chaco War, fought over the Bolivian-occupied fortín of Boquerón. Bolivian forces had seized the outpost in late July 1932 on orders from President Daniel Salamanca, a move that escalated a border dispute into full-scale war between Bolivia and Paraguay. The battle thus marked the point at which localized frontier tension became open conflict between the two nations.

Forces & casualties

Commanders (6)