New WOLA report: "Arms-R-Us: South America Goes Shopping" http://justf.org/blog/2010/03/16/new-wola-report-arms-r-us-south-america-goes-shopping

Here is an excerpt from the report. The report is available to download as a PDF in both English and Spanish.Brazil, Venezuela, Ecuador, Chile and the rest of the countries in South America are entitled to arming and modernizing their defense systems. Recent expenditures are, in part, intended to update and modernize military equipment, which in some countries had long been neglected.

But these purchases do not take place within a vacuum. Old and new regional tensions exist. U.S. maneuvers, to increase effectiveness or flex its muscle — depending on how you look at it — through activation of the 4th Fleet and the new base agreement with Colombia, have exacerbated, not enhanced the regional security environment.

The move toward increased defense expenditures and increased U.S. military presence is likely to have a negative impact — and undoubtedly will — if not accompanied by communication, transparency and dialogue.A true arms race may be avoided if countries reveal their purchases through official channels, communicate their intentions, and establish initiatives to build trust and confidence within the continent.