Democracia y defensa nacional. Una perspectiva latinoamericana.

Abstract

The preparation of the military budget is one of the most important aspects in the elaboration of the national budget.Defense presents the disadvantages of its opacity and the lack of knowledge civilians have of the subject. This subject is especially difficult in Latinamerica where the recent existence of dictatorships and economic crisis have contributed, on the one hand, to the fact that socities of the region have the armed forces under suspicion and, on the other hand, to the fall of expenditure.These two facts lead to the pressure and concealment of data in order to avoid the loss of power and privileges. New democratic realities demand a public accountability in the elaboration of the budget and some effort to increase the confidence of the civil society in their armed forces.