Latin American armed humanitarianism in Haiti and beyond

Abstract

MINUSTAH represents a benchmark in the link between global securitization and humanitarian practices in Latin America and the Caribbean. Regional military responsibilities in Haiti turned useful to improve and expand capabilities employed in international humanitarian crisis.  Engagement in natural disaster has been the dominating terrain in which military humanitarian action takes place in Latin America and the Caribbean. Military presence in Haiti has also contributed for experimentation in the fight against organized crime and gangs, a growing concern on the radar of international humanitarian organizations and actors. Armed humanitarianism in the region has benefitted from ties with the US, particularly the South Command, and with the UN System, particularly the DPKO. Domestic and international involvement in humanitarian assistance has become major topic in regional intra-military initiatives, stimulated by exchange of new expertise and the expansion of teamwork programs. Simultaneously, armed humanitarianism has amplified the spectrum of civil-military relations by broadening interaction with local population and organizations in different parts of Latin America and the Caribbean. Yet, armed humanitarian is controversial in the region in face of its implication for human rights protection and the strength of democratic institutions. This text intends to trace a middle ground around military and humanitarian studies conceptualization by interlacing the concepts of postmodern military and armed humanitarianism. It parts from the assumption that both concepts, while focusing on different objects, may knit well to explain post-MINUSTAH Latin American military developments.