We experimentally evaluate the social and political consequences of a military policing intervention in Cali, Colombia, one of the world’s most violent cities. Despite null or adverse effects on crime and human rights, we show that Plan Fortaleza improved citizen’ attitudes towards the military and increased their demand for military involvement in domestic law enforcement. It also strengthened citizens’ support for extrajudicial punishment and—alarmingly—for military coups in response to rising crime, potentially signaling a diminished commitment to democracy and the rule of law among the program’s intended beneficiaries.

Speaker: Michael Weintraub, Associate Professor of Government, Universidad de los Andes.

Moderated by Steven Levitsky, Professor of Government, Harvard University; Director of the David Rockefeller Center for Latin American Studies.