DOES A LATIN-AMERICAN SECURITY COMMUNITY EXIST?

Abstract

Since the creation of the South American Defense Council of the Union of South American Nations (UNASUR) a debate on the process of regional integration on security and defence has been brought up. This article demonstrates how progress involves the consolidation of a genuine Latin American security community due to the work of the South American Defense Council. The article examines the importance that interstate cooperation presents within the dynamics of regional integration in relation to the issues of security and defence.
Similarly, the article points out the main characteristics that the Latin American security community would present, and the challenges and handicaps to overcome. To conclude, the article demonstrates how the integration process in this special field continues on, even though the existing context characterized by austerity and a low level of insecurity.