War Transitions and the New Civilian Security in Latin America

Abstract

During the 1970s and 1980s Latin America and the Caribbean experienced some of the most notorious human rights violations of the late twentieth century. From the disappearance of thousands in Argentina, to the arrest and torture of one-fifth of Uruguay's adult population, to the infamous death squads of El Salvador and Guatemala, Latin America became synonymous with state violence under military rule. The sweeping onset of democracy in the past two decades makes it possible to examine crucial questions about the transformation of repressive security forces. Does democratization automatically democratize internal security forces that turned on their own citizens? Can police forces which were brutal, powerful, and unaccountable under authoritarian rule be supplanted by new security systems rooted in respect for citizen rights, elected civilian control, accountability, and professionalism? These questions highlight the importance of internal security forces-police forces, domestic intelligence agencies, and their controlling agents-rather than conventional military forces in the quality of political democracy. They also reflect important theoretical debates about democratic transitions and their relevance for the quality of citizens' everyday lives under democracy. Some scholars argue that democratization holds little possibility for significant changes in military and political power. Others argue that democratization leads to a reduction in military power and to more civilian security systems. Still others believe that outcomes are path-dependent, reflecting international factors or domestic processes during the transition period. These competing views offer very different answers to the question: does democratization change how states treat their citizens?