New roles for the armed forces in security. Experiences from Mexico, Colombia, and Peru

Abstract

This article analyzes cases in Latin America of Mexico, Colombia, and Peru to understand the participation of the armed forces in public security efforts. Currently, various countries employ their armed forces to support the police. Especially when the police are overwhelmed, or there are serious problems of institutional corruption, they are assigned a direct role. Although each country has the sovereignty to assign these roles, in situations of political and social crisis, they are ascribed without having a legal framework to support the decisions. This article analyses the possibility of the armed forces combating new security threats based on these three cases. It also explains the pros and cons of this alternative.