Partial reforms and new challenges in Latin America
Security is an urgent problem in Latin America and the Caribbean. The topic varies in magnitude and characteristics in each county but is of central concern to citizens. Whether it is organised crime in Colombia and Mexico, youth gangs in Central America, or property crime in Chile, security issues affect the daily lives of individuals, and are at the top of the political and public agenda.
In many countries, the institutions affiliated with the security sector have taken on roles beyond those originally assigned to them. In the past, security sector institutions directly intervened in national political life. With the installation of democratic regimes, however, these institutions have been required to make an effort to ‘adjust’ to new political systems. Reform efforts have arisen in this context but, in many instances, they do not align with the goals of strengthening the rule of law, democracy and the professionalisation of the sector.
The development of a systematic vision of multiple institutions linked to the security sector is one of the remaining critical tasks for consolidating democracy in the region. Advances in this area have been uneven on both a thematic and territorial level. For example, in the 1990s, the armed forces were heavily scrutinised in Central America and the Southern Cone (Argentina, Chile, Paraguay and Uruguay), where they were playing active roles during the civil wars and dictatorships. However, throughout the region, reform and research initiatives relating to the armed forces, police and intelligence services are still very limited. This is particularly true of the intelligence sector—progress is not very evident and, in many instances, reform processes have not yet begun.
Figure 1: Functions of the Armed Forces in Latin America and the Caribbean (See larger version)
Apart from protecting national territory, roles for the military include: police functions (participating in routine public security checks and safeguarding order in specific situations, such as elections); fireman functions during emergencies and disasters; and social worker functions, relating to human development needs.
Source: Report on the Security Sector in Latin America and the Caribbean, Chile: FLASCO, pages 39-40, 2007
The consolidation of democracy in Latin America and the Caribbean requires security services that function within a constitutional framework, and which respect human rights and the decisions of the ruling government. Within a context of high levels of social insecurity, it is necessary to professionalise the institutions affiliated with the security sector.
Comparative studies would highlight political and institutional processes currently underway. They would also identify weaknesses and the necessary conditions for an agenda to strengthen civilian and democratic management of the sector.
There are seven central key elements of this agenda:
- the limited autonomy of the armed and security forces
- strengthened civilian capacities to work in the security sector
- the creation of policies to regulate the intelligence sector
- a better definition of the institutional mandates of the security sector
- the coordination of sectoral policies
- clear boundaries to avoid the political use of the armed forces and the police
- a stronger parliamentary role in security issues.
A comparative South-South agenda also needs to be developed. This will enable learning from experiences from other parts of the world that face the same constraints as many countries in Latin America. The Global Consortium on Security Transformation was created for that reason, to allow greater exchange of experiences and the development of useful tools to enhance the security sector reform agenda.
Lucía Dammert
Global Consortium on Security Transformation/
Security and Citizenship Programme
La Facultad Latinoamericana de Ciencias Sociales (FLACSO)
Av. Dag Hammasrkjold 3269
Vitacura, Santiago de Chile
Chile
T +56 2 2900221
lucia@flacso.cl
www.flacso.cl
The Global Consortium on Security Transformation
The Global Consortium on Security Transformation (GCST) encourages South- South and South-North security and development debates in order to promote a change in the existing understanding of security. It also opens spaces for new voices to be heard in the debate.
GCST builds upon and forges relationships between regional networks, linking researchers and practitioners from the developing world by:
- sharing research findings and policy lessons among regional networks
- promoting cross-regional research
- fostering evidence-based policy dialogue
- reaching out to a broad range of policy constituencies not normally considered in security analysis and policymaking.
The dialogue network takes the form of a partnership between eight institutions located in different regions of the world.
