Keeping the peace, outside and in: Argentina's UN missions

Abstract

In the early 1990s, Argentina's military was participating extensively in international peacekeeping missions, a radical departure from the military's traditional focus. This article explores the domestic implications of this participation and shows that while the government's and the military's motivations for participation differ considerably, peacekeeping has coincided with the priorities of both. Peacekeeping fits neatly with the internationalist perspective of the government at the same time as it facilitates the military's professional goals. UN participation has thus provided a much needed point of convergence for Argentina's government and armed forces.