This article suggests that the lack of advancement in both the actual protection of citizens’ rights and institutional democratic reforms of the security sector in Latin America is due to a complex and intertwined set of political conditions. Three sets of conditions are key: (1) the political context (institutional and political constraints and opportunities); (2) social perceptions and demands on security; and (3) the institutional development of security forces. While policymakers and academics have focused mostly on security institutions themselves, this article argues that they need to be situated within a broader set of incentives and constraints within the political system. The challenge for civil society groups is how to advance a pro?civil rights agenda under such an unwelcoming set of incentives.