Guerrillas in Latin America

This book is a reference work in the study of the Latin American guerrilla phenomena of the second half of the 20th century. Drawing on both archival research and interviews and using a consistent framework, the volume examines nearly 30 guerrilla groups, allowing for a comprehensive characterization of the groups' ideological and organizational features, as well as their respective contexts. After two introductory chapters, the following 16 chapters identify the guerrilla groups most important to the highlighted country, address the cycle of violence and relationships with other guerrilla groups in the region, and discuss the state’s response. The last four chapters analyze two formal attempts at collaboration between guerrillas and two examples of counterinsurgency-oriented response and collaboration.

The contributions analyze diverse types of violence and state responses, but they all highlight a commonality: despite the camaraderie and formal solidarity of the guerrilla projects, state logics of action prevailed in both the guerrillas' and the states' responses. The volume also highlights collaborations, both at the guerrilla and counterinsurgent levels. All chapters address transnational elements affecting both guerrillas and state actors, focusing especially on the America Battalion, the Revolutionary Coordination Junta, National Security Doctrine and the Condor Plan. The chapters draw on primary sources from archives as well as interviews with members of the Sendero Luminoso, FARC-EP, ELN, Alfaro Vive Carajo, and Tupamaros.