Carlos Calvo
Carlos Calvo
Carlos Calvo (1824-1906), Argentine diplomat, historian, and specialist in international law, born in Buenos Aires. As a diplomat Calvo represented at various times both Paraguay and Argentina as minister to Berlin, Belgium, Paris, London, Saint Petersburg, and Vienna. Today he is remembered for his writings on international law and as one of the founders of the Institute of International Law at Ghent (Gent), Belgium, in 1873. His principal work, The Theoretical and Practical International Law of Europe and America, was first published in 1863. In addition, Calvo compiled a 15-volume collection of Latin American treaties, which was published from 1862 to 1867. In the latter part of his career he enunciated the so-called Calvo Doctrine that has since become a part of several Latin American constitutions. This doctrine states that people living in a foreign nation should settle claims and complaints by submitting to the jurisdiction of local courts and not by using either diplomatic pressure or armed intervention from their own government. The Calvo Doctrine is sometimes confused with the Drago Doctrine, which is a narrower application of the same principle. Calvo justified his doctrine as necessary to prevent the abuse of the jurisdiction of weak nations by more powerful nations. Calvo’s writings had a decided influence on the development of international law in the 20th century. (1)
Carlos Calvo (1824–1906): Life and Work
Within the context of international law, this section explores the context, historical significance and the main work of Carlos Calvo (1824–1906).
Resources
Further Reading
- The entry “calvo, carlos (1824–1906)” in the Parry and Grant Encyclopaedic Dictionary of International Law (currently, the Encyclopaedic Dictionary of International Law, 2009), Oxford University Press
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