Militarism, integration and border conflicts: the cases of Peru, Ecuador and Mexico

Abstract

The severe economic shocks, made in the decade throughouth the region, have generated a series of domestic and international conflicts, which in turn have put back the Armed Forces into the scene. This development, not only weakerns what little has been accomplished in terms of cooperation and integration, but also threatens the incipient democratic Latin American regimes. The latest Peruvian-Ecuadoran border dispute a clear example; however, the Chiapas and the Popular Revolutionary Army (EPR) uprisings in Mexico offers a better ilustration of the Armed Forces intervention in politics due to the weakening of governmental institutions.