Latin America and the Illusion of Peace

by David R. Mares

Overview

This book explores interstate conflict and its dynamics in the context of Latin America‘s contemporary conflict management experience. The myth of Latin America as a region of peace means that each time the use of force rises to the level of global attention (e.g., Ecuador-Peru 1995 or Colombia-Ecuador 2008) analysts and the press ask, "how could that happen here?" Yet the official uses of military force in interstate relations are significantly more prevalent than most analysts within and outside the region understand, and the region is facing new and potentially destabilizing challenges. It is the contention of this book that mitigating the threat raised by militarized interstate relations requires understanding the various ways in which military force can be employed short of war; this in turn requires illuminating the decision making process that produces militarization of a disagreement, considering options for dissuading the decision makers from choosing to militarize and limiting escalations when militarization does occur.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781138452473
Publisher:	Taylor & Francis
Publication date:	06/30/2017
Series:	Adelphi series
Product dimensions:	6.12(w) x 9.19(h) x (d)

About the Author

David R. Mares holds the Institute of the Americas chair for Inter-American Affairs, has been Professor of the Centro de Estudios Internacionales at El Colegio de Mexico, Fulbright Professor at the Universidad de Chile and Visiting Professor at FLACSO-Ecuador. His books include Violent Peace, War and Peace in the Amazon and Coming in from the Cold: Chile-US Relations at the Millennium

Table of Contents

Introduction Inter-state conflict in Latin America Latin America’s security architecture Significance of Latin American conflict Chapter One Sources of conflict Inter-state controversies The domestic drivers of foreign policy Chapter Two The dynamics of militarisation Understanding militarisation Political–military strategies Strategic balance Characteristics of force Constituency’s willingness to pay costs Leader’s accountability Chapter Three Latin American hot spots Colombia–Ecuador, with Venezuela contributing to tensions Nicaragua–Costa Rica Bolivia–Chile Dominican Republic–Haiti Argentina–United Kingdom Chapter Four Preserving the illusion: managing conflict in Latin America United States: preoccupied elsewhere Brazil’s paradox: global aspirations limit regional impact The multilaterals: going against the grain Conclusion Appendix One Selected unresolved inter-state disputes in Latin America Appendix Two Memberships Appendix Three Latin America boundary settlements 2000–2011

Editorial Reviews

'This highly useful survey of contemporary Latin American security demonstrates how growing sub-national security threats and persistent inter-state disputes combine to make military disputes more likely. Integrating domestic politics and international strategy, it provides a nuanced explanation for when and where states in Latin America resort to force, and what regional states and international organisations can do to diminish the risk of war.’ Harold Trinkunas, Professor, National Security Affairs, Naval Postgraduate College, Monterey, California

‘A thorough and useful contribution to the understanding of contemporary conflicts in Latin America.' Andres Serbin, President, Coordinadora Regional de Investigaciones Economicas y Sociales

From the Publisher