Ungoverned Spaces in Guatemala and U.S. National Security

A nation's inability to enforce sovereignty over its territory and the ungoverned spaces that this problem engenders pose clear threats to both the developing and the developed world. This paper argues that ungoverned spaces in Guatemala have serious implications for that Central American nation's internal security and threaten vital interests and. ultimately, the national security of the United States. The paper begins with an examination of the negative implications that ungoverned spaces have for the political, economic and social development of Guatemala's weak democracy. After demonstrating the problems that ungoverned spaces pose for Guatemala, the paper draws clear links between ungoverned spaces in Guatemala and contemporary threats to the national security and homeland defense of the United States. The paper examines transnational crimes, which thrive in Guatemala's ungoverned spaces, such as narcotics trafficking, arms smuggling, and trafficking in persons, and details the threats that they pose to U.S. national security. Finally, it suggests that the current mix of policies being used to confront these threats is not working and offers recommendations on how to more effectively confront these challenges. USAWC Program Research Project.