Publication

This analysis explores the changing role of the military in Latin America, asking whether the military should safeguard national political stability or restrict themselves to external defense. The paper addresses the search for appropriate missions for the military, examines efforts to identify such missions and analyzes the implications for the control of the armed forces in Argentina, Brazil and Chile. The paper argues that if Latin American governments want to redefine the historical role of the military, they should create conditions for objective control, for instance, by encouraging professional development and discouraging involvement in extramilitary functions.