Latin American military and politics in the twenty-first century : a cross-national analysis / edited by Dirk Kruijt, Kees Koonings

SIP2305

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Introduction: The Latin American military and politics in the 21st century / Dirk Kruijt and Kees Koonings -- Peru -- The armed forces in search of a place in the world / Martín Tanaka -- Chile -- A democracy with semi-autonomous armed forces: a history of civil-military relations since 1990 / Jaime Baeza Freer and Francisco Rojas Aravena -- Uruguay -- the military and politics in the twenty-first century: the chronicle of a conflictive relationship / Constanza Moreira -- Argentina -- The re-invention of the armed forces in the face of the challenge of demilitarizing the nation-state / Sabina Frederic -- Costa Rica -- The de-militarization of politics: an exceptional story / Luis Guillermo Solís -- Brazil -- The military and politics at the end of the 'new republic' / Celso Castro -- Mexico -- The armed forces : revolution, one-party rule, and the uncertainties of democratization and insecurity / Wil G. Pansters -- Guatemala -- The sword of Damocles : deficient civilian control and relative military autonomy / Bernardo Arévalo de León -- El Salvador -- The armed forces in politics : support and tutelage / Alberto Martín Álvarez -- Honduras -- The militarization of politics or the politicisation of the military? The armed forces in times of political crisis, corruption, drug trafficking and the covid-19 pandemic / Leticia Salomón -- Colombia -- Civil-military relations in the twenty-first century / Armando Borrero -- Venezuela -- The osmosis between the dominant political party, the military and the public administration / Dirk Kruijt -- Cuba -- The Cuban armed forces : from revolutionaries to entrepreneurs / Rut Diamint and Laura Tedesco -- Nicaragua -- The changing ethos of the Nicaraguan army : from a revolutionary army to an advocate of democracy and, finally, a financial emporium and silent accomplice to the new dictatorship / Roberto Cajina -- Bolivia -- The armed forces and the crisis of the plurinational state of Bolivia : neoconservatism versus the popular movement in the twenty-first century /Jhohan Oporto -- Military officers for democracy : the OMIDELAC in the 1970s and 1980s / Raúl Vergara Meneses -- Conclusions -- Latin America's new civil-military politics / Dirk Kruijt and Kees Koonings.

"This volume offers a comparative analysis of the role of the military in Latin America in domestic politics and governance after 2000. Divided into four parts covering the entirety of Latin America, the book argues that the Latin American military as semi-autonomous political actors have not faded away since 2000 and may even have been making a comeback in various countries. Each part outlines scenarios which effectively frame the various pathways taken to post-military democratic society. Part 1 critically examines textbook cases of political demilitarization in the Southern Cone, Peru, and Costa Rica. Part 2 contrasts the role of the military in the post-2000 politics of two regional powers: Brazil and Mexico. Part 3 examines the political role of the military facing 'violent pluralism' in Colombia and the Northern triangle of Central America. Finally, Part 4 identifies country cases in which the military have been instrumental in the rise, sustenance, and occasional demise of left wing revolutionary projects within Venezuela, Cuba, Nicaragua, and Bolivia. Latin American Military and Politics in the 21st Century will be of interest to scholars, students and professionals in the fields of Latin American History, International Relations, Military Studies and studies concerning democracy, political violence and revolution in Latin America elsewhere"--