Culture and National Security in the Americas

Brian Fonseca is director of the Jack D. Gordon Institute for Public Policy at Florida International University.Eduardo A. Gamarra is professor in the Department of Politics and International Relations at Florida International University.

• 1. Culture and the Formation of National Security2. Venezuela: Between Tradition and Ideology3. Colombia: Ungoverned Territory and the Proliferation of Non-State Actors4. Peru: The Impact of Culture on Peruvian Identity and Security5. Bolivia: Beggar on a Throne of Gold6. Chile: Democratic Tradition, Institutionalization, and Organization7. Argentina: National Security or In-security Policy?8. Brazil: Security and Identity in Latin America9. Panama: The Preeminence of Geography and the Transit Route10. Honduras: New Actors and Strategic Culture in Contemporary Honduras11. Cuba: Culture and National Security Post-Revolution12. Haiti: Caught in a Predatory State13. Dominican Republic: Defending Against Foreign Influence

Fonseca and Gamarra’s focus on strategic culture provides a useful analytic guide for understanding what drives Latin American security policy. Scholars and practitioners alike will find the authors’ insights valuable.