Iran’s Stealthy Steps in the Region: Latin America under Threat – PART I
The criminal and bloody attack perpetrated against Israel by the Islamist armed movement Hamas on October 7, once again raised the alarm as to the role that the Islamic Republic could be playing in financing and helping to plan and execute this type of terrorist activities worldwide, and particularly in [ … ]
Tradewinds 24 Main Planning Conference Begins
The main planning conference (MPC) for Tradewinds 24 (TW24) was carried out in Bridgetown, Barbados, marking the continuation of detailed preparations for one of the largest multinational military exercises in the Caribbean. The MPC, which convened on January 29, brought together key stakeholders from various nations to strategize and coordinate [ … ]
SOUTHCOM Commander Visits Panama for High-Level Security Dialogue, Visits Darién
The commander of U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM), U.S. Army General Laura J. Richardson, visited Panama January 31-February 2 as part of a U.S. delegation taking part in a High-Level Security Dialogue (HLSD) between Panama and the United States. During her stay, Gen. Richardson also met with Minister of Public Security Juan [ … ]
Brazil Beefs Up Border amid Venezuela-Guyana Tension
Seeking to increase its presence on its border with Venezuela and Guyana, and amid the escalating tension over the Essequibo, the Brazilian Army (EB) sent more troops to the north, keeping up with a strategic deployment initiated in early December. On January 13, some 14 Guaicurus armored vehicles, 18 other [ … ]
Russia’s Influence in the Essequibo Conflict
Nicolás Maduro’s revival of Venezuelan claims over two thirds of Guyana has placed this old dispute in the spotlight of South American geopolitics. More than a territorial disagreement, Maduro’s stance over the Essequibo threatens the security of the region, creating a potential risk of regional conflict. The shadow of Russia, [ … ]
Ecuador Wages War to Transnational Organized Crime
Ecuador has deployed its security forces to combat and dismantle transnational organized crime, as the country faces its most severe wave of violence due to narcotrafficking. The South America country has been under a state of emergency since January 9, declaring war on armed gangs and working on regaining control [ … ]
Russian Disinformation Advances in Latin America
Russian disinformation campaigns are spreading in Latin America, raising concerns about regional stability, and urging for a thorough evaluation of recent events that indicate a growing Russian presence in the information and geopolitical sphere, Spanish news site El Periódico reported. The Kremlin is leading efforts to exert influence in the [ … ]
The Threat of Foreign State Sponsored Cyberattacks in Brazil
In recent years, hacking into technological systems and databases hosted in a virtual environment has become an increasingly recurrent strategy to obtain confidential data. State sponsor actors are the leading cause of cyber concerns, with China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea sponsoring 77 percent of all suspected operations worldwide since [ … ]
Peru Requests US Support to Combat Narcotrafficking
Peru has formally requested support from the United States to develop a plan to combat drug trafficking. The strategy would focus on reducing coca cultivation, cocaine production, and eventual export, while the country intensifies security measures at its borders. Peruvian Foreign Minister Javier González-Olaechea formalized the request in December 2023 [ … ]
Organized Crime Advances in Amazon Basin
As organized crime advances in the Amazon basin in search of land to plant coca, riverine routes for narcotrafficking, and alluvial gold, the rainforest and the security of the region’s communities and defenders are threatened, international nongovernmental organization (NGO) Crisis Group said in a recent report. The late 2023 report [ … ]
Brazil and Paraguay Dismantle International Arms Trafficking Network
The Brazilian Federal Police (PF) and Paraguay’s National Anti-Drug Secretariat (SENAD) dismantled a network trafficking firearms from Europe to South America. “We’re talking about more than 40,000 weapons imported in the last three years,” Brazil’s Minister of Justice and Public Security Flávio Dino said at a press conference. Through Operation [ … ]