Abstract
ABSTRACTLatin American governments frequently emphasise the democratic and peaceful order in the region. These claims are based on two developments: First, except for Cuba, the region has experienced processes of democratisation since the early 1980s. Second, since the 1990s, a series of long-lasting civil wars have ended with negotiated settlements and without a relapse into war. Based on such a superficial analysis, Latin America can be perceived as a successful example of the liberal peacebuilding model. However, although Latin America has democratised and ended wars, it is still the most violent region in the world. This article argues that democratisation and peacebuilding focussed rather on formal changes than on dealing with the structural problems reproducing different manifestations of violence. A focus on the interaction between both processes provides evidence for the possibilities as well as the limitations of change.
Highlights
Latin American governments frequently emphasise the democratic and peaceful order in the region
The termination of the civil wars in Central America (Nicaragua 1990, El Salvador 1992, Guatemala 1996) and Peru (1998) and the 2016 peace accord between the Colombian government and the region’s oldest guerrilla group, FARC-EP (Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia – Ejército del Pueblo), raised expectations that the cycle of political violence and civil wars underway since the late 1940s could come to an end
During a United Nations Security Council meeting in Bogotá in early May 2017, the Uruguayan ambassador presiding over the meeting even claimed that the American continent is the only one in the world which was ‘free of active conflicts’ (El Tiempo, 4 May 2017)
Summary
Veröffentlichungsversion / Published Version Zeitschriftenartikel / journal article Zur Verfügung gestellt in Kooperation mit / provided in cooperation with: GIGA German Institute of Global and Area Studies. Empfohlene Zitierung / Suggested Citation: Kurtenbach, S. The limits of peace in Latin America. Nutzungsbedingungen: Dieser Text wird unter einer CC BY Lizenz (Namensnennung) zur Verfügung gestellt. Nähere Auskünfte zu den CC-Lizenzen finden Sie hier: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/deed.de. Diese Version ist zitierbar unter / This version is citable under: https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:0168-ssoar-63539-9. Sabine Kurtenbacha,b aGIGA German Institute of Global and Area Studies, Institute of Latin American Studies, Hamburg, Germany; bPhilipps-Universität Marburg, Marburg, Germany
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