As the countries of the Americas slip deeper into an economic model of growth and development that exacerbates inequality and social disorganization, the region's elected civilian governments are turning to a variety of military-style options to keep the lid on growing social disorder—including higher crime rates—and social discontent. Civilian leaders have been turning to the armed forces to take on a number of non-military tasks, militarizing domestic safety and intelligence and actively tolerating violent paramilitary behavior. This has produced a kind of militarized democracy throughout the Americas, and that is the subject of this Report.
November/December
1998
Volume:
32
Number:
3