International policing in the Cold War: The case of Interpol

Abstract

This article analyzes the political influences on the functioning of Interpol, the main institution of international policing, in the  beginning of the Cold War, between 1946 and the mid-1960s. Initially, we seek to understand the origins of the relationships between  national police forces  and their subsequent influences on the establishment of the International Criminal Police Commission in 1923,  as well as its reorganization after 1945, now known as Interpol. We then analyze the role of Interpol as an international organization  from the end of the Second World War, in the  context of the Cold War. This work explores how the institution develops as a center of  police cooperation focused on Western interests. The notion of political commitment of its main members was reflected in the daily  functioning of Interpol, allowing us to understand how this organization was used for purposes of political influence by powers of the  capitalist bloc.