Dr. Paterson’s article shares the results of the William J. Perry Center for Hemispheric Defense Studies threats survey conducted in late 2022. The survey generated almost 650 responses from Perry Center graduates who selected from 35 threats in the Americas. The results illuminate how leading Latin American and Caribbean scholars – particularly those who work in the security and defense field – see the conditions in the Americas and can help inform policy makers and scholars who follow events in the Americas.
Dr. Patrick Paterson, Associate Dean for Research and Publications at the WJPC, has published a fascinating almanac that compiles the most historically significant events in Latin America and the Caribbean from 1800-2020, containing vignettes of more than 700 events organized per month and specific calendar day. It focuses on major political and security incidents starting from the period of independence—including armed conflicts, famous battles, births and deaths of important figures, military coups, significant presidential elections, and independence dates.
Also included are detailed appendices addressing important economic, political, and social conditions, as well as an index with over 2,000 keywords.
Paterson, Patrick. The Almanac of Latin American History, Political and Security Events from 1800 to the Present, Rowman & Littlefield, 2024.
Only available commercially
Food insecurity is an urgent problem in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC), and the LAC region’s susceptibility to food insecurity is poised to worsen with the accelerating effects of climate change. Food insecurity is not in itself a phenomenon that necessitates a military response. Indeed, food insecurity is “not” a traditional security threat to territorial borders and national sovereignty. Rather, it should be seen as an amplifier of political, economic, social, and ecological strain and vulnerabilities that can be exploited by malign actors and, thus, contributing to heightened security concerns. In this view, investments in food security should be considered as necessary, proactive, and preventative security measures, in support of civilian government agencies and the private and nonprofit sectors. Through a limited role focused on humanitarian assistance, disaster response, and interagency and international collaboration, the United States can leverage the capacities and resources of the DOD to support its regional partners in combating food insecurity. Anything less would risk losing a strategic, humanitarian, and moral imperative.
The interference of external antagonistic groups can destabilize and weaken States, while their operational networks are strengthened. Several factors facilitate the interference of actors such as China, Russia and Iran in Latin America. Facing these risks, some countries in the region, security institutions, and national and international organizations are collaborating to fight this external antagonism. Karina Perez’s paper proposes the idea of combating these threats by inhibiting the influence of external actors, analyzing the key factors that have favored their influence in Latin America, and how their presence has been linked to various transnational threats.
This document was created for the celebration of Perry Center AlumniDay, and its purpose is to share some of the bibliographic contributions published in 2023 by its graduates in various formats and modalities. They contribute to reflect, debate and research security and defense issues, evidencing the impact generated by the Perry Center within the framework of these issues at the national and regional level.
A review of Yale University professor Yanilda Maria Garcia’s book Authoritarian Police in Democracy, Contested Security in Latin America. Focuses on obstacles and enablers of police reform through field research in Argentina, Brazil and Colombia.
