Militarized Democracy in the Americas: Faces of Law and Order

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