#204 Redefining National Security in Latin America: A Workshop Report

By Paul C. Psaila

From the Introduction

The Cold War provided a framework for the interpretation of national security and conflict resolution in Latin America. The definition of a nation's security interests and goals was profoundly influenced by the superpower rivalry for global hegemony. With the end of the Cold War and the disintegration of bipolarity, Latin America confronts a new and evolving international system. How will the nations of Latin America redefine their national security interests in the post-Cold War world? Will the United States continue its dominant role in the region? Will effective regional and national security agendas for peace and security develop and what are the most effective mechanisms for the resolution of conflict in the hemisphere?

Global Transformations and Peace: Arms Control, Disarmament and the Resolution of Conflicts in the Western Hemisphere is an ambitious project conducted by a group of Latin American and United States scholars in an endeavor to reach an understanding of current and future Latin American national security interests. Based in Chile's Facultad Latinoamericana de Ciencias Sociales (FLACSO) and the Latin America Program of the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, and funded by a generous grant from the MacArthur Foundation, Latin American scholars initiated the project by examining the current security agenda in several countries. Papers were prepared on Argentina, Brazil, Peru, Venezuela and the Caribbean, and Central America, based on national or subregional meetings of policymakers and representatives of the private sector, government, and academia. In the second stage of the project, the conclusions of the national and subregional analyses were brought together and compared. During the Redefining National Security in Latin America workshop held at the Woodrow Wilson Center, November 16-17, 1992, members of the team presented the results of their research. The goal of this workshop report is to describe the issues raised during the individual country presentations and discuss the major themes developed by the workshop participants.

The Redefining National Security in Latin America workshop allowed scholars the opportunity to explain and discuss their findings with other researchers and experts in the field. Workshop participants sought to identify commonalities and to integrate the views of regional and national analyses in an effort to prepare for the last stage of the project: the formulation of a collective agenda of critical national security issues for Latin America in the post-Cold War era.