Blurring the Lines - October 14, 2004
Trends in U.S. Military Programs In Latin America
The U.S. military relationship with Latin America is evolving rapidly, as the "war on terror" replaces the cold war and the "war on drugs" as the guiding mission for Washington's assistance programs in the region. Though U.S. attention is fixed on other parts of the world, the scope of military aid is steadily increasing in our own hemisphere.
The upward trend owes little to post-September 11 initiatives to protect the homeland from international terrorist organizations. Instead, much of the increase comes from ongoing Colombia, counternarcotics and military-training programs that largely resemble the military assistance the United States has offered for decades.
The number of Latin American personnel trained by the United States increased by more than 50% from 2002 to 2003. Almost all of the increase comes from a sharp rise in Colombian trainees as Plan Colombia becomes fully operational and evolves into a larger counterinsurgent effort.
To read the entire report, click here