TOWARDS AN HISTORIC AND IMPERATIVE RAPPROCHEMENT. CIVIL MILITARY – RELATIONS IN THE LATIN AMERICA OF THE 21ST CENTURY

Abstract

In order to present a common front to the problems of the 21st Century, Latin-American democracies need to foster and tighten the institutional links between civilians and the military according to the present paradigmatic scenario that has two special features: democratization and globalization. Having lost a lot of opportunities a century ago, to advance towards a positive construction of the nation-state, is imperative that, both the leadership of the State as well as the leadership of the defense and security establishment, work together in order to achieve an stable, manageable and secure future. The big problems of today and in the future will be the transnational, asymmetric, multilevel and simultaneous threats and challenges. Those problems will not be solved without the actions of the civilian and military authorities working with a close coordination framework and pragmatism from the lower levels to the top in the state as well as in the Hemisphere levels.