Democratic Security and Defense Policy: A Successful Counterinsurgency Model
Abstract
By 2002, the insurgent group the FARC (Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia) had become a major threat to the Colombian political system. In response to this threat, the government of Alvaro Uribe designed and implemented the Democratic Security and Defense Policy (DSDP). After 8 years of application, the DSDP was successful in reducing the FARC's political and military capabilities to a point where today, the FARC is still a threat to the country's security, but its chances of changing the political system has disappeared. There are two reasons why the DSCP was successful: (1) the design of the DSDP, which adapted different counterinsurgency (COIN) principles to the Colombian environment; and (2) the implementation of the DSDP, which included the unique leadership style of Uribe, the creation of an interagency organization, the development of special operations capabilities, the periodic publicity of statistics and achievements, and long-term application. The policy had some disadvantages as well, which when analyzed with the above factors provide valuable lessons that can contribute to improving the ongoing COIN strategy in Colombia. In addition, the DSDP can serve as a base model for implementation in other regions of the world.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jun 08, 2012
- Accession Number
- ADA563260
Entities
People
- Juvenal D. Mateus
Organizations
- United States Army Command and General Staff College