ABSTRACT
In this age of the internet, Latin American militaries use web sites to advertise many of the missions they conduct. What are their motivations for doing so? This study conducts a region-wide analysis of army operations in twelve Latin American countries. It seeks explanations for why missions have been showcased by drawing on three well-known, general conceptualizations of the armed forces: classic professional, societal and corporatist. From each is derived a separate, plausible account for why the military might be motivated to publicize its actions. The study finds that the corporatist approach offers the most convincing explanation followed by the classic professional approach, with the societal model making the weakest case.
