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Building Democracies With Southern Command’S Legal Engagement Strategy, Jeffrey F. Addicott, Guy B. Roberts

Faculty Articles

Fostering democracies and encouraging military establishments, which are subject to the rule of law, is vital to United States national security interests. In this regard, the American warfighting unified commands mirror the overall U.S. national security policy of peacetime engagement, not only by maintaining close contacts with friendly governments for the purpose of imparting democratic ideals and principles, but by focusing this commitment to support new democracies through detailed engagement plans.

U.S. Southern Command’s engagement plan for Latin America creates a “community of democratic, stable, and prosperous” nations. This plan also provides a blueprint for democracy-building in the context of …