Latin-America Doubles Its Military Strength

Since 2003 defense spending in Latin-America and the Caribbean rose 91 percent. The IISS’ recent report, titled Military Balance 2009, indicates that in the last year the armed forces of the region have exhausted approximately $47.2 million in military spending.

Many of these nations are justifying this increase in armaments by saying that they’re simply updating outdated military materials; an excuse which may be justifiable. According to the IISS report, the majority of equipment currently in service date back to the 50’s and 60’s and many of the current programs being instituted by these institutions are aimed at modernizing antiquated systems.

Still the region has been known to be volatile in the past and many watchdog organizations are wary as to what this increase in force could mean for Latin-America. According to the Spanish newspaper, El Pais, some of the areas which are held under closest scrutiny are Venezuela and Colombia who have been close to armed conflict in at least three occasions.

One of Venezuela’s most recent acquisitions, over 100,000 AK-103 rifles, is receiving particular controversy as critics point out that the new rifle is suspiciously compatible with those used by the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC).

On the other hand, Chile has used their military budget to purchase 300 Leopard II tanks, the most advanced heavily armored ground vehicles in the region, and maintains tenuous relations with its immediate neighbors. Meanwhile Bolivia, a country without a coastline, has invested over $10 million in the Bolivian Navy Academy. In Brazil military spending also reached an all time high as the budget surpassed $20.1 million.

Many of these nations maintain strained relations with their neighbors and in some cases have varying degrees of internal struggle as well. Although the countries may well be upgrading their military technologies, as per their official positions, many military analysts are hesitant to pass judgment. But as weapons continue to propagate throughout the region and economic woes continue to bombard the world markets, many are wondering how things will end for Latin-America.

By: Alberto Ramos Cordero

Sources
El Pais, International Institute for Strategic Studies