In this article, the authors assert that North America is uniquely positioned to lead the way in WPS implementation. USNORTHCOM is fortunate to have strong, reliable Women, Peace and Security (WPS) partnerships with Canada, Mexico and the Bahamas, as well as strong regional partnerships with the Ted Stevens Center for Arctic Security, the Western Hemisphere Institute of Security Cooperation, the William J. Perry Center for Hemispheric Defense Studies and the Inter-American Defense Board. The lessons learned from USNORTHCOM's unique deployment of gender advisors during Operation Allies Welcome (OAW) (Afghan resettlement) continue to shape the future of the DOD gender advisory workforce and expand the operational contexts considered for the implementation of WPS across the department and interagency. WPS provides an asymmetric advantage in strategic competition. Investing in and leveraging the talents of all our people strengthens our democracy and partnerships with like-minded nations. Modeling diversity and inclusion and prioritizing protection of vulnerable populations bolsters our national resilience. This enhances our credibility on the world stage and ensures our competitive advantages.
Plan Colombia and the Mérida Initiative are the two most significant US security assistance efforts in Latin America in the twenty-first century. At a time when US objectives in the Middle East and Central Asia were flagging, Colombia was a rare US foreign policy victory—a showcase for stabilization and security sector reform. Conversely, Mexico struggled to turn the tide on the country's scourge of crime and violence, even with an influx of resources aimed at professionalizing the country's security, defense, and judicial institutions.
As Washington reconsiders its approach to stabilizing crisis countries after a challenging withdrawal from Afghanistan, From Peril to Partnership's comparative analysis of Colombia and Mexico offers lessons for scholars and policymakers alike, providing insights into the efficacy of US security assistance and the necessary conditions and stakeholders in partner nations that facilitate success. Crucially, private sector support, interparty consensus on security policies, and the centralization of the security bureaucracy underpinned Colombia's success. The absence of these features in Mexico contributed to the country's descent into chaos, culminating in the country's highest-ever homicide rate by the end of the 2010s.
Drawing on extensive fieldwork, From Peril to Partnership evaluates to what extent security assistance programs helped improve the operational effectiveness and democratic accountability of Washington's partners—Colombian and Mexican security forces. It answers why Plan Colombia achieved its objectives and why the Mérida Initiative underdelivered in Mexico. Most importantly, it goes beyond drug war theatrics and the “one-size-fits-all” approach to US-led stabilization—at once, restoring agency to institutions on the receiving end of US security assistance and helping chart a course toward more nuanced and effective US policy.
Angelo, Paul. From Peril to Partnership: US Security Assistance and the Bid to Stabilize Colombia and Mexico. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2024.
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