The armed forces of Latin America: the power potential, new functions and the extraregional factor

Introduction . As a state institution, the Armed Forces of countries in Latin America maintain certain development dynamics in the 21st century. The analysis of those problems gives an opportunity to determine the armed force potential of the Latin American region. Methods and materials . The study is based on distinguishing between the quantitative and qualitative aspects of the transformation of the Armed Forces of the Latin American region. During the analysis of both aspects, the key methodic role belongs to the comparative method. The quantitative parameters are represented in two aspects: national and international. The dynamics of the basic quantitative parameter, the Armed Forces number, and also the positioning of the armies of that region on the global scale are compared. Analysis . Since the eve of the 21st century, practically all the countries of Latin America have demonstrated a tendency toward the growth of the active military staff, proving the increment of the militarization of the region. That process represents one of the macrotendencies characterizing the actual development of the region. Results . According to the criteria of the militarization degree, three groups of countries are singled out: the stable high dynamics group, the middle dynamics indications group, and the low indications group. In the transformation of regional armies in the 21st century, the qualitative change is the appearance of a spectrum of new non-traditional functions. The hypotheses formulated in the study are the following: “The broadening of the sociopolitical functions of the military is related to the changes in attitudes toward security in the countries of the region.” The scrutiny of the military-industrial complexes of the Latin American countries gives a reason to affirm that their potentiality is mainly restricted in its character. The dependent and peripheric character of the region determines its quality as a market for the NATO countries military-technical arsenal.