战略与国际研究中心-Policy-Papers-on-the-Americas_14页_189kb

U.S. Security Policy Towards South America: Origins and Options

Core Content

This document, authored by William Perry and published by the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) in 1999, examines the U.S. security policy towards South America, focusing on its origins and potential future options. It is part of the broader "South America 2005" initiative, which aimed to explore the political and economic dynamics of the Western Hemisphere in the context of a proposed Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA) by 2005.

Main Themes

1. Background and Context

• The U.S. has historically prioritized Europe, Russia, the Middle East, and East Asia in its foreign policy, with less attention to South America.
• Domestic concerns and skepticism about overseas involvement have led to a reactive rather than proactive approach to security policy in the region.
• Security issues have taken a secondary role to economic considerations, despite the increasing interdependence and shared challenges among hemispheric nations.

2. Economic Realm

• The Enterprise for the Americas Initiative (1990) and hemispheric summits (1994) laid the groundwork for economic integration.
• The U.S. initially promoted the NAFTA model for expanding trade, but this approach has faced resistance due to the complexity of South American economies.
• Brazil advocated for MERCOSUR expansion into a South America Free Trade Area, which would then negotiate with NAFTA nations.
• The U.S. remains hesitant, despite repeated commitments, due to the difficulty of integrating a large and diverse set of countries into a single framework.

3. Security Issues

• Security concerns in South America have shifted from conventional warfare and ideological movements to non-state actors such as drug traffickers, criminals, and illegal immigrants.
• These issues often transcend national borders, requiring international cooperation.
• There is a lack of effective security institutions and limited reform of military and police forces in South American countries.
• The U.S. has a clear interest in how South American nations address these security challenges, both internally and internationally.

4. Options for U.S. Security Policy

A. Incrementalism from the Status Quo

• Focus on consolidating democratic institutions and expanding economic cooperation.
• Security issues are addressed gradually as institutions like the OAS become more institutionalized.
• U.S. engages in bilateral cooperation with countries like Argentina and Colombia.
• Disadvantages: Lacks foresight and leadership; risks delaying necessary reforms and worsening security challenges.

B. Military Minimization

• Advocates for reducing military roles in favor of police and civilian-led security.
• Assumes that conventional military forces are no longer essential for defense or international cooperation.
• Risks: Many South American countries have strong military traditions, and reducing their role could be politically unpopular and harm civil-military relations.

C. Forging a Comprehensive New Security Partnership

• Suggests enhanced politico-security cooperation as part of a broader hemispheric economic integration.
• Inspired by the Spain-NATO-EU model, where economic integration follows political cooperation.
• Calls for reform of institutions like the OAS and the Rio Treaty to meet current needs.
• Challenges: These reforms have not been seriously considered, highlighting practical and political obstacles.

D. Proactive Improvisation

• Involves expanding the 2005 trade integration process and accelerating institutional development.
• Proposes functional-based initiatives, such as anti-drug alliances or bilateral security arrangements.
• Could reactivate economic integration prospects while promoting hemispheric security cooperation.
• Risks: May lead to division within the hemisphere and tensions between partners.

Key Information

• The U.S. public and policy elites have not fully embraced the growing importance of South America.
• Security collaboration is necessary but has been underdeveloped due to a lack of institutional reform and strategic focus.
• Non-state actors now pose the greatest security threat, requiring new approaches to law enforcement and international cooperation.
• The CSIS Americas Program played a key role in analyzing these issues, with support from the Ford Foundation.
• The author, William Perry, has a long history of involvement in U.S.-Latin America relations, including roles in the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and the National Security Council.

Conclusion

The document underscores the need for the U.S. to move beyond its reactive stance and develop a more strategic and comprehensive security policy towards South America. It highlights the complexity of the region’s security challenges and the importance of institutional reform and international cooperation in addressing them.