Plan Colombia and the Mérida Initiative are the two most significant US Security Assistance efforts in Latin America in the twenty-first century.
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..
It answers why Plan Colombia achieved its objectives and why the Mérida Initiative underdelivered in Mexico.
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 Mexico Security forces.
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.
Crucially, private sector support, interparty consensus on Security policies, and the centralization of the Security bureaucracy underpinned Colombia\'s success.
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.
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.
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.
Plan Colombia and the Mérida Initiative are the two most significant US Security Assistance efforts in Latin America in the twenty-first century
