ABSTRACT
The study of regional security in the Western Hemisphere must consider particular subregional contexts. Regional security issues in South America have been different from those in Central America and the Caribbean during the 1980s. The United States, viewing the settlement of the conflicts in the region critical for its own national security, has developed a policy of active involvement in Central America and the Caribbean. This chapter attempts to clarify the definition of regional security in the South American subcontinent. It addresses the structure of conflicts in South America, in terms of confrontations among South American states and between South American states and states outside the region. The development of nuclear energy and its potential military application influence the structure of regional conflicts. The chapter provides a discussion on security problems, indicating probable trends, possible cooperative policies for managing the problems, and the types of relations with the United States required for the viability of such policies.
