Political Dimensions of Security Transformation in Latin America

  • Claudio Fuentes
Volume 40 Number 2
Published: March 1, 2009
https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1759-5436.2009.00026.x
This article suggests that the lack of advancement in both the actual protection of citizens' rights and institutional democratic reforms of the security sector in Latin America is due to a complex and intertwined set of political conditions. Three sets of conditions are key: (1) the political context (institutional and political constraints and opportunities); (2) social perceptions and demands on security; and (3) the institutional development of security forces. While policymakers and academics have focused mostly on security institutions themselves, this article argues that they need to be situated within a broader set of incentives and constraints within the political system. The challenge for civil society groups is how to advance a pro‐civil rights agenda under such an unwelcoming set of incentives.
From Issue: Vol. 40 No. 2 (2009) | Transforming Security and Development in an Unequal World