The Diffusion of Mllitarism? : Assesing the relationship between the militarization of public security in Mexico and the Northern Triangle of Central America

Abstract: Latin America has experienced a new militarization in the last five years despite its history filled with military dictatorships and authoritarian governments. Due to their high rates of violence and crime worldwide, the countries with the most severe militarization process are Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras. Therefore, this work seeks to find the relationship between the militarization of public security in the four countries.  To address the research question posed by this study, a mixed methodology based on quantitative and qualitative data was employed in conjunction with the theoretical framework of policy diffusion, a subdiscipline of International Relations that has gained relevancy for the past two decades. The findings indicated that a diffusion process occurred in multiple dimensions, first involving the United States and stemming from the interaction between the four countries. Furthermore, this work discusses the relationship between the diffusion process among the four countries with international norms.