Latin American National Security Doctrines: Hard and Softline Themes

Abstract

Conventional wisdom has it that the Latin American militaries of the 1960s and 1970s were under the strong influence of a single, cohesive, self-reinforcing, and conservative National Security Doctrine. This doctrine, once placed in the hands of military governments, provided them with a justification to stop progressive social and political change movements and to enforce their version of the national security state. This article contends that the NSD is multithematic, laced with both conservative and progressive ideology. Clear "hardline" as well as "softline" positions can be found with different assumptions and arguments about the state, national security, and strategy. Moreover, these positions are sufficiently coherent to suggest that there really are two distinct doctrines. Comparisons between the Southern Cone, on the one hand, and Brazil and Peru, on the other hand, will demonstrate how these views, in turn, gave shape to differing military perceptions and policies.