Hegemony and military relations: the north-american influence in the military transformation processes of Colombia and Mexico in the post-Cold War era

This dissertation aims to comprehend the motivations behind the changes that occurred through time regarding the North American influence over the military transformation processes in Colombia and in Mexico after the Cold War. The hypothesis is that such changes are due to alterations on the convergence of interests between the political elites of these Latin-American countries and the USA. On one hand, these interests seek to maintain stability and internal order through the repressive use of the Armed Forces, and, on the other hand, this situation enables the continuity of hegemonic relations of power. To accomplish this work, three mains methods of research were employed: quantitative data analysis, collected on international databases such as SIPRI and the Security Assistance Monitor, with the goal of defining both military transformations in Colombia and Mexico as well as the North American influence over such processes; documental analysis of sources produced by state agencies of the USA, Colombia and Mexico to identify the interests of the North American and Latin American political elites; and a literature review on USA-Latin America relations in the security field, on the USA-Colombia and USA-Mexico military relations, and defense political economy. The obtained results confirm the initial hypothesis that the changes on North American influence over these military transformation processes, in both cases, was due to the confluence of the political elites national interests’ – linked to political planning spaces and transnational companies – to engender Armed forces that can secure the implementation of a neoliberal political-economical project in both countries, allowing the persistence of the accumulation process and, thus, maintaining hegemonic relations of power. (AU)