Paper prepared for the 2001 meeting of the Latin American Studies Association, Marriott
Wardman Park Hotel, Washington DC, 5-8 September 2001.Almost all countries in the Andean region have experienced increased civil-military
conflict during the last decade. Venezuela has elected a former coup leader as president who has
swiftly militarized public administration, placing over 170 active duty and retired military
officers in senior ministerial and vice-ministerial positions (Machillanda 2001). Ecuador
witnessed a coup d’etat in January 2000 that led to the deposal of a legitimately elected president
and his replacement by his vice-president (Weidner 2000). Peru led the region in this area,
experiencing a civilian-led self-coup in 1992 by President Alberto Fujimori, and a transition to
democracy from a deeply corrupt civilian semi-authoritarian regime in 2001. A thoroughly
complicit military played a leading role in both events (Garcia Calderón 2001). Even Colombia,
which has made substantial progress towards democratic control of the armed forces by
establishing a civilian Ministry of Defense, has dealt with civil-military tensions over its internal
conflict. Over 200 officers were recently dismissed for their suspected links to right wing
paramilitary organizations. Even Bolivia, were former dictator, Gen. Hugo Banzer, had served as
an elected president, has witnessed some military tension over internal conflicts between the
state and indigenous communities over coca policy (Weidner 2000). Taken together, these events
suggest that the Andean region may be experiencing a crisis in civil-military relations