ABSTRACT
Effectively integrating large but previously marginalized indigenous populations to state institutions is one of the greatest challenges to consolidating democratic governance in the Andean region. This is particularly true in the highly diverse central republics of Bolivia, Peru and Ecuador. Integration is significantly complicated by native people’s and organizations’ legitimate desires to retain meaningful elements of their cultures and identities while acquiring the material and symbolic benefits of first-class citizenship. Dominant groups, on the other hand, often assume that indígenas (indigenes) will – and, more importantly, should – become more like them as a result of the process. Previous state policies premised on acculturation or assimilation are simply incapable of reconciling the competing expectations of these groups. Tensions are particularly salient and vexing in the armed forces, given their traditional emphasis on cultural homogeneity and important role in the region’s socio-political milieu. This makes their study both intellectually alluring for scholars and significant for all those involved in the process.
