Accountable to whom? An assessment of international private security companies in South America

This article counters the contention that international private security companies (PSCs)¹ are not subject to accountability mechanisms. It identifies four mechanisms — political, administrative, market and judicial — and instead asserts that the key issues are the effectiveness and appropriateness of these mechanisms. Using cases of US‐based PSCs operating in South America, the article reveals the attributes of PSC accountability mechanisms, but also suggests that change is needed for the sake of uniformity and proper applicability. In particular, the article focuses upon improvements in political accountability as a potential first step.