Military dictatorships in Latin America and Operation Condor: repression, political control, and transnational coordination during the Cold War
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.63688/z28gvx65Keywords:
military dictatorships, Operation Condor, transnational repression, human rightsAbstract
This study analyzes military dictatorships in Latin America and Operation Condor as political phenomena linked to state repression, social control, and transnational coordination during the Cold War. The research was conducted through a systematic review of the scientific literature, using a qualitative descriptive-analytical approach. Studies related to authoritarianism, National Security Doctrine, state terrorism, transnational repression, transitional justice, and historical memory were reviewed. The findings show that Latin American dictatorships did not operate in isolation, but rather developed repressive apparatuses supported by military forces, intelligence services, secret police organizations, and national security discourses. Likewise, Operation Condor represented a regional network of political persecution that enabled surveillance, kidnapping, torture, forced disappearance, and the elimination of opponents beyond national borders. The review also shows that the consequences of these regimes continued after the formal return to democracy, due to the persistence of impunity, disputes over memory, exile, forced disappearance, and demands for truth, justice, and reparation. It is concluded that the study of military dictatorships and Operation Condor is essential for understanding human rights violations in Latin America and for strengthening a democratic culture aimed at non-repetition.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Jesús Sebastián Villafuerte Villacrés, Evelyn Silvana Layedra Andino, Mirian Patricia Caiza Yungan, Joffre Stalin Valle Carpio, Eduardo Santiago Moncayo Vaca (Autor/a)
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