A South American Defence Structure: Problems and Prospects

Abstract This article discusses the process of building a South American defence architecture over the past two decades, culminating in the formation of the South American Defence Council (Consejo de Defensa Suramericano, or CDS). It discusses the main proposals for a regional security mechanism, primarily made by Brazil and Venezuela, analyses the debates around them, and characterises them as different models of regionalism, namely a pluralistic and amalgamated model. I argue that the differences between these models, and the different agendas underpinning them, constitute obstacles to the progress of regional co-operation and integration in the military field. Other obstacles include the overlap of regional defence initiatives, the different options for operationalising ‘extra-regional deterrence’, the relationship between regional countries and extra-regional actors, the inclusion of security issues in the CDS agenda, and the idea of demilitarising borders.