Civil-Military Relations in Post Cold War Central America
Abstract
As one result of the War on Terror, militaries in a variety of countries will be assisted, rebuilt or built from the ground up. The last time that a variety of militaries was rebuilt was in Central America after the end of the Central American wars of the 1960s-1990s. Some militaries were disestablished, some were totally changed, and some have retained certain characteristics that marked them during the Cold War. What attributes did the United States want these militaries to have in the end? What attributes do they have now compared to what they had during the Cold War? What was done right and what was done wrong? How were these results achieved? This study demonstrates that, due to a variety of circumstances, civil-military relations in Central America have changed quite a bit. Each of the countries has had several successful transitions in democratic governments. Human rights violations performed by the Central American militaries have plunged. Militaries have, to a certain degree, even subordinated themselves to civilian leadership.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Apr 07, 2003
- Accession Number
- ADA415112
Entities
People
- Alexander Crowther
Organizations
- United States Army War College