Civilian reservists and democratization in Argentina: knowledge, networks and militarization in peace times

FREDERIC SABINA; MARTINEZ ACOSTA, MARINA

Workshop; Military Reserves in the ?New Wars?: Between Transmigration and Military Compacts; 2018

The long delay on the creation of the civil reserve corps was conditioned by the loss of prestige of the Argentine Armed Forces. This was a result of its defeat in the Malvinas / Falklands War (1982) and its responsibility in the crimes perpetrated during the State terrorism (1976-1983). The Armed Forces democratization process advanced since 1983 with a deep reduction to its budget and personnel, and a question: Why should we keep them? This reduction was prompted to avoid a new military coup. The decision was based on the loss of prestige of the military as a result of what they called the "dirty war" or counterinsurgency war against the "subversive guerrilla." The thousands of disappeared, murders, tortures and the robbery of children born in captivity, forced to named State Terrorism the last military dictartorship, and its crimes were classified as "against humanity". In the midst of its loss of prestige and weakness, the fear of another military coup led to the enactment of two laws (1988 and 1991) to exclude the military from intervention in internal security. Having limited its margin of action, the number of conscripts was reduced from 100,000 to 20,000 between 1985 and 1991. The suspension of compulsory military service in 1995, considered a landmark in that process, renew the Parliament commitment to a further law about ?reserve mobilization?. The last one was abolished in 1988.