“Shoot Against the Waves”: Securitization and Militarization of Natural Disasters and Humanitarian Help in Latin America

Abstract

The attention placed on natural disaster has obtained an unusual relevance in the security agenda of Latin America. In great part, this is due to the reconfiguration of threats produced after the Cold War and the questioning of the security policies of the United States in the region. In this context, Washington has sought to install new themes of cooperation that will allow it to maintain its presence in the region. The aim of this article is to analyze the securitization of natural disasters as an issue of regional cooperation, comparing the initiatives undertaken at the hemispherical and regional level. To take on said study, this article proposes two models of approaches to disasters – called physicalist and constructivist– based on the premise that the first of these models has obtained prominence in the region, generating a conducive scenery for the militarization of these issues.

Keywords

• Natural Disasters
• Secularization
• Regional Security
• Armed Forces
• New Threats