ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses a picture of the reality and presents status of arms control measures in Latin America; and, hopefully, will make a small contribution to promoting more effective verification of such measures. The arms control treaties in force have little or no effect on general military capability of states. These agreements tend to deal piecemeal with particular types of weapons systems or type of warfare and with specific parts of the world or of space. The component called Infrastructure is composed of three variables: defense expenditure per capita, arms exports and government revenue as a percent of Gross Domestic Product. Implications for arms-control measures in the ‘A-yacucho’ community revolve around the potential for conflict in the area. There are at least three extremely volatile disputes--the Beagle Channel, the Marafion Region, and the Atacama Desert--which threaten the peace and security of that part of the Hemisphere.
