Military identity and civil-military relations in Colombia: the 2014 presidential campaign case

Abstract

Civil-military relations must go beyond civilian control based primarily on the risk of a coup d’état. An important concept in this regard is military identity. However, literature explicitly discussing how military and civilian identities shape behaviors in civil-military relations is scarce. This article addresses the role of military identities in the structural challenges involved in these relations in Colombia, based on the case study of the 2014 presidential campaign, its main political, security, scandals, and public debates. It discusses how these identities are both an asset and a liability to strengthening civil-military relations and proposes a means of improvement through citizen identity.