CENTAM Guardian 24, Preparing Against Threats in Central America
Multinational military exercise CENTAM Guardian 2024 concluded in Honduras at the Soto Cano Air Base in Comayagua. Phase one of the U.S. Southern Command- (SOUTHCOM) sponsored exercise, carried out April 1-12, saw the participation of 284 military personnel from El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras, as well as 212 U.S. troops. [ … ]
Brazil to Inaugurate International Amazon Security Center
Brazil is moving forward with the creation of an international Amazon security center, which will coordinate the region’s security forces in the fight against environmental crimes and drug trafficking. Based in Manaus, the Center for International Police Cooperation in the Amazon (CCPI-Amazon) will bring together officers from the eight countries [ … ]
Paraguayan Navy Marines Hosts US Counterparts to Plan Future Training, Build Security Cooperation
In a move to increase collaboration and partnership the Marine Infantry Command (COMIM) of the Paraguayan Navy hosted members of the U.S. Marine Corps Forces, South (MARFORSOUTH), for collaborative planning between militaries, April 8-11. The staff planning working group, held in the city of Asunción, Paraguay, marks an important step [ … ]
Ecuador, Peru, Combat Transborder Illegal Gold Trafficking
Each day, some 100 tons of raw material, use to process gold, extracted from Peru is smuggled into Ecuador along a route in the Amazon that illegal miners control in cahoots with transnational criminal organizations, Peruvian daily El Comercio reported in a recent investigation. The route starts in the province [ … ]
China Erodes Latin America’s Democracies
China’s economic, diplomatic, political, and security activities in the region are contributing to democratic backsliding in Latin America and the Caribbean. Such is one of the conclusions of the report Exporting Autocracy, China’s Role in Democratic Backsliding in Latin America and the Caribbean, of U.S. think tank Center for Strategic [ … ]
Guatemala Hosts Central American Security Conference, Focuses on Cyber Security
For this year’s Central American Security Conference (CENTSEC), defense and public-security leaders from the United States and Central America discussed the central theme to the conference, which was using innovations to protect borders in all domains. Guatemala City was the location this year as the Minister of Defense Brigadier General [ … ]
SOUTHCOM Commander Meets with Guatemalan Leaders, Central American Security Chiefs in Guatemala
U.S. Army General Laura J. Richardson, commander of U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM), visited Guatemala April 15-18, meeting with President Bernardo Arévalo and senior defense leaders, as well as taking part in the Central American Security Conference 2024 (CENTSEC). The trip to Guatemala was Gen. Richardson’s first official visit to the [ … ]
Ecuador Fights Back Against Organized Crime
The government of Ecuador is intensifying its fight against the financial structures of organized crime through a specialized financial crime investigation unit, Argentine news site Infobae reported. This unit will pursue those involved in tax and customs fraud, money laundering, and tax evasion. “This initiative makes it possible to target [ … ]
Brazil and Paraguay Join Forces Against Organized Crime
The armed forces of Brazil and Paraguay, with the support of police and judicial agents, joined forces in their fight against organized crime, seizing more than 6 tons of marijuana, confiscating weapons, and destroying 33 narco camps in February, authorities from both countries said in statements. These results were achieved [ … ]
The Russian Cyberthreat
Countries worldwide have denounced Russia’s increase in cyberattacks, calling its actions “intolerable,” and the cause of tensions and mistrust, Spanish newspaper La Razón reported. These actions affect individuals, as well as governmental and private companies alike and electoral processes in several nations. “Russia and China are recognized as advanced cyberthreats [ … ]
Experts Warn about Risks from China’s 5G Technology in Colombia
As Colombia deploys its 5G network, experts warn about the potential cybersecurity challenges due to lack of adequate infrastructure and legislation. Experts say that the country needs to build capabilities to adequately adapt to the complexities inherent to these networks, especially to protect itself from the risks associated with the [ … ]
Panama, Colombia, US, Allies Against Transnational Crime
Colombia and Panama, with the support of the United States, increased their efforts to secure their common border through international cooperation. The Darién region, historically plagued by illicit activities, represents major challenges for the authorities of these countries. Transnational criminal groups commit crimes that include drug, arms, and human trafficking, [ … ]