The Struggle over Security

Based on over a decade of research across Central America, the United States, Israel, and Spain, The Struggle over Security analyzes Guatemala’s security governance reforms following the end of its civil war in 1996. Drawing on in-depth interviews with police and military officers, policymakers, and security advisers, it shows that, in the aftermath of war, a transnational security reform field emerged.

The book argues that the competing politicians, bureaucrats, and experts have entrenched a security reform process that perpetuates failure in post-war Guatemala, leaving citizens exposed to violence and security institutions persistently fragile.

Challenging the very logic of security reform, the book invites scholars and practitioners to radically rethink security governance in the Global South.