Studying civil-military relations in the post-dictatorship era: An analysis of the Chilean experience

This article discusses the nature and scope of civil-military relations in the context of the democratic transition occurring in Chile. It argues that such relations are defined by the dramatic changes in the polity and society introduced by the military dictatorship. One of those changes is that the armed forces have become another power of state, along with the executive, legislative and judiciary. The paper contends that the security establishment in Chile, and possibly in other Latin American countries, is a pervasive, unelected, political organization which is directly and indirectly involved in governmental functions while also continuing to play its role as "guardian," "protector," and "custodian" of the polity and society. In exercising these roles, the military and security apparatuses influence politics and the social and political correlation of forces in ways that undermine the ability of civilian regimes to build and consolidate a democratic society.