Assisting Professional Militaries in Latin America. National Security Strategy Development Workshop, La Paz, Bolivia 28 July - 1 August 2003
Abstract
Professionalization of their nation s military establishment is a challenge for some Latin American democracies because of the historical baggage carried by their armed forces. The populations of the countries concerned are often suspicious of providing these former repressive organizations with modern equipment and techniques . However, the reality is, that the region s military organizations existing with less than adequate training and professional standards as well as operating in an under resourced environment are susceptible to corruption and politicization, and in that way pose a threat to further democratic development. Success of military to military engagement in Latin America must be measured by the growth of professionalism within the armed forces of the region. Engagement for engagement s sake has some valuable paybacks, but alone these can no longer justify the expense. Today the armed forces of the region must be capable of effective military support to civilian authorities in addressing narco-trafficking, terrorism, and disaster response. This is not a short-term effort, but calls for a long-term investment to improve the military culture of the region. As the representative governments within the region mature, it is vital for the individual militaries to become recognized as part of the national solution. To accomplish this they must develop a system that will allow them to identify their role in support of the national interests and to compete for the resources required for professionalization and force modernization. This challenge is complicated in many countries by the absence of definitive national security guidance from their government. The US Southern Command (USSOUTHCOM) identified this problem and is aggressively pursuing a program promoting the development of defense strategies or defense white papers within their AOR.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Oct 01, 2003
- Accession Number
- ADA606420
Entities
People
- Bernard F. Griffard
- Todd M. Wheeler
Organizations
- United States Army War College