The Influence Of The Global Democratic Community Of Nations

United States Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) has been working to build regional and interagency partnerships to ensure the continued stability of the Western Hemisphere and the forward defense of the U.S. homeland for more than fifty years. U.S. Southern Command is responsible to the Secretary of Defense and the President of the United States for national security interests through roughly one half of this hemisphere – 31 countries, 16 dependencies and areas of special sovereignty, and approximately four hundred and sixty million people. SOUTHCOM’s area of responsibility includes the land mass of Latin America south of Mexico; the waters adjacent to Central and South America; and the Caribbean Sea. (United States Southern Commamd n.d.) SOUTHCOM priorities are: (1) Countering Transnational Organized Crime; (2) Counterterrorism; (3) Building Partner Capacity; (4) Contingency Response; (5) Detainee Operations. SOUTHCOM missions are carried out by its component commands: (1) U.S. Army South; (2) 12th Air Force (AF South); (3) U.S. Marine Corps Forces South; (4) U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command; (5) Special Operations Command South; (6) Joint Task Force Bravo, Soto Cano Air Base; (7) Joint Task Force Guantanamo; and (8) Joint Interagency Task Force South. (114th Congress Senate Armed Services Committee 2016)

Latin America is a continent that is constantly struggling between governmental abuse and oppression of its citizens. In Latin America, it is very common for non –democratic systems to be enforced. During recent years, the continent has experienced a governmental shift from an absolute to a more democratic system. This era is called the democratic third wave, which brought about democratic like tendencies to Latin America. Many factors such as corruption, poverty, and inequality pushed the people to favor this new democratic system. The abuse of power is also very common, and the citizen’s unrest is highly noted. Most citizens are in favor of doing away with the old system of government, and establishing a new efficient political system.

Nicaragua and Venezuela each pose a significant threat to the safety and security of the U.S. Both countries are seeking avenues to improve failing economies by siding with U.S. adversaries, specifically China, Iran and Russia. By doing so, the diplomatic influence, economic impact and military presence of each country will only expand further throughout Central and South America, contradicting the expansion of democratic values and causing regional instability.

All throughout the 20th century we can observe the marked presence of totalitarian regimes and governments in Latin America. Countries like Cuba, Chile, Brazil, Argentina, Nicaragua and the Dominican Republic all suffered under the merciless rule of dictators and military leaders. Yet the latter country, the Dominican Republic, experienced a unique variation of these popular dictatorships, one that in the eyes of the world of those times was great, but in the eyes of the Dominicans, was nothing short of deadly.

Since the mid-1980s, the three most powerful and wealthiest countries in South America have experienced trends toward peace and stability. These countries are Argentina, Brazil, and Chile, also known as the “ABC Triangle.” However, relations among the ABC powers were not always cordial; from rivalry and conflict to alliance and camaraderie, this intertwining and complex relationship has spanned centuries. Given the anarchic structure of the international system, how and why did peace unfold? Scholars believe that as a result of democratization, international institutions, and economic interdependence, cooperation and nonviolence has emerged among the ABC Triangle. By applying one of the major paradigms of international relations, liberalism,

Throughout the Cold War the United States considered the installation in Latin America of radical regimes-socialist, Marxist-Leninist, or “leftist” in any way- to be utterly intolerable. Any such development would represent an advance for the communist cause and a vital loss for the West. Acceptance of this outcome could weaken the credibility of the United States as the leader of the west and as a rival for the USSR. In the eyes of Cold Warriors, the consolidation of any left-wing regime in the Western Hemisphere would have dire and perilous implications for U.S. national security and for the global distribution of power. It was therefore crucial to resist this possibility by

NORTHCOM must reassess its role in providing regional security for the United States. It is not able to fulfill its mandate as the “only US organization focused on homeland security.” (NORTHCOM Strategic Vision, 5) This is evident with the increase in violence within Mexico due to Transnational Organized Crime (TOCs) and Drug Trafficking Organizations (DTOs) since the creation of NORTHCOM. (Beittel, 19) NORTHCOM failed to establish a State Partnership Program with Mexico. This is a lost opportunity to improve Mexico’s capabilities and capacity to fight criminal organizations.

High priority issues for SOUTHCOM and partner nations can differ despite their long history of working together. For SOUTHCOM, a heavy focus is on ensuring that the limited funds made available are used wisely. In contrast, the partner nations would like to see: (1) the establishment of regional impunity commissions with the highest priority nations being in El Salvador and Honduras, where everyone is charged with crimes and those found guilty could be held accountable regardless of their political affiliation; (2) the reformation of political institutions to increase governability due to corrupt executive, judicial, and legislative branches that are driving armed non-state actors to gain territorial control away from each nation-state

Latin America is important to the United States economy and politics, but why should we care about it? The United States has supported several authoritarian regimes that have swiped through Latin American countries. The United States’ main goal regarding Latin American politics is to fight and prevent communism from taking over the region. Additionally, Latin American countries contribute to the American economy through its numerous resources and exports.

Central and South America both hold strategic importance to the United States. However, organized crime is rampant, corruption is prominent, and universal networks involved in illicit drug trafficking and human smuggling operate regularly with limited intervention. This activity transpires on a causeway that heads directly towards the United States. By that rational, in order to counter transnational organized crime (CTOC), instill regional stability, and to improve partner nation capacity, the United States Military should increase bilateral and multilateral military exercises near Nicaragua and Venezuela.

“The question shouldn't be what we ought to do, but what we can do” said Rory Stewart and in this decade, US and Latin American policy makers should do just that; think about what they can do instead of what they ought to do. So the question becomes, what issue has brought both the US and it’s Latin American neighbors together to enter into a current Inter-american relation? Throughout the many decades military force between the USA and Latin American countries has seen many changes. In this current era, these changes have lead and brought with them new factors that have developed into the current issue of military cooperation between countries in the Western Hemisphere. Those factors that led up to this cooperation have given both the US

After many years of continuous democracy throughout the 20th century, Uruguay’s government later fell to a repressive authoritarian military regime. Eventually, the rule of a hierarchical military facilitated the reemergence of robust political parties and a democratic government institution, succumbing to domestic and international pressure for government change. Uruguay now boasts the title of “country of the year” for 2013, as The Economist cites Uruguay’s tolerant and progressive society. Despite Uruguay’s democratic government, a democratic reversal remains possible. Stagnant economic growth, a fractionalized party system, and poor civil-military relations after the democratic

Now days democracy has been establish in every Latin America country except Cuba, which is still a socialist state. It seemed that every other alternative form of government such as Marxism or Leninism has failed and been replaced by democracy. Furthermore it looks like people in Latin American really enjoy democracy and its’ benefits, as they also consider it to be the best form of government. After the failure of authoritarian leaders and the military intervene their lives, Latin American citizens wanted to change their system into a more fair and honest system, democracy. Democracy is usually defined as a system of honesty, equality, freedom of rights, though for Latin America countries it means gains, welfare and patronage. Latin

From the other hand Uruguay was ranked 18 and Chile 26 (Democracy Index, 2017, pág 5). Therefore is clear that these four countries have strong political

Although evidence has shown that civil society is developing in Cuba, the country will probably not undergo a democratic transition in the near future. Civil society is still repressed by the government, independent media is mostly silenced, and many of Cuba’s citizens appear understandably apathetic. Cuba will only transition to democracy, develop a democratic political culture, and consolidate its democracy only when civil society develops to a position of organization, strength, and mass support. This essay seeks to analyze the major impediments in Cuba’s prospects for democracy.