Peru along with most other countries in Latin America has a history of authoritarian rule and repression. Since 2000, the country has undergone democratic reforms which prove to be slow in progress...Show morePeru along with most other countries in Latin America has a history of authoritarian rule and repression. Since 2000, the country has undergone democratic reforms which prove to be slow in progress and obstructed by the legacy left behind by Fujimori and Montesinos’ regime in the 1990s. With the purpose of contributing to a currently scarce pool of literature on intelligence studies in Latin America, this paper seeks to assess to which extent these authoritarian legacies continue to persist in Peru’s intelligence services after its official transition to democracy in 2000. Using press material, official documents, academic literature and further secondary sources, this paper collected information on scandals and controversies involving the intelligence services and its practices. By drawing comparisons to aspects mentioned in the historical context and conceptual framework, this paper was able to illustrate the extent to which authoritarianism still remains within the intelligence apparatus. Based on the results that show instability in combination with a general lack of interest in reform and hence a continuation of intelligence practices deemed undemocratic, illegitimate, disorganized, and highly politicized, it can be concluded that authoritarian legacies still remain in today’s intelligence services to a large extent. Furthermore, the paper reflects on its reliability and validity in regards to its research design and data, stating that due to Peru’s lack of legal frameworks concerning intelligence agencies, it remains challenging to clearly outline their structure and functions.Show less
