Democratic Security for the Americas: Intelligence Requirements

This pioneering study by senior security specialists and practitioners from the region highlights the interdependence of democracies in the Americas, and particularly the need for regional cooperation of their intelligence and security services. No one country in the Hemisphere can collect the requisite information and make sense of and manage the security challenges of local and transnational hybrid armed groups criminals, gangs, traffickers, militias, terrorists, and authoritarian leaders and movements from both inside and outside this vast region. Hence, the need is for unprecedented regional understanding, skills, and collaboration.

But these specialists and practitioners also point to the need to establish criteria, set boundaries, and enhance professional education as key issues become the subject of intelligence. Priority issues discussed are:

• Popular disaffection with democratic governance
  
• Authoritarian and opportunistic leaders and networks, and the disaffected
  
• Armed groups in the region criminals, gangs, militias, and terrorists
  
• Strengths and weaknesses of the police, public security and intelligence services
  
• Post-Fidel Cuban struggles and spillover
  
• Adversarial external actors in the region