Laura Solano, Author at Diálogo Américas

LAMAT 2026: US Air Force Medics Deliver Care in the Amazon

U.S. Air Force medical teams operated in a remote Amazonian environment, delivering care alongside Surinamese healthcare professionals while sharpening expeditionary readiness under real-world conditions. Working from the Medische Zending Primary Health Care Center in Brownsweg, U.S. and Surinamese medical teams executed Lesser Antilles Medical Assistance Team (LAMAT) 2026, an Air Force Southern-led health security cooperation that expands access to care…

May 01, 2026

Chancay Port: A Geopolitical Challenge for Peru

The case of the Port of Chancay, developed by the Chinese state-owned company COSCO Shipping, has sparked legal and political controversy in Peru. Following a court ruling that excludes it from oversight by the Supervisory Agency for Investment in Public Transport Infrastructure (Ositrán), risks to the country’s sovereignty, geopolitical stability, and institutional fragility have come into sharper focus. This conflict,…

May 01, 2026

CENTAM Guardian 2026 Strengthens Readiness and Interoperability

Military and civilian personnel from Central America and the United States concluded CENTAM Guardian 2026 (CG26), a multinational exercise aimed at enhancing regional security cooperation, disaster response, and interoperability among partner nations. During the CG26 closing ceremony, participants from all partner nations came together to mark the successful completion of the exercise. They celebrated the collaboration and combined achievements over…

April 30, 2026

Colombia-Brazil Cooperation in the Amazon Delivers Results Against Transnational Crime

A newly formalized intelligence-sharing agreement between Colombia and Brazil is already translating into operational gains across the Amazon, as both countries deepen coordination against narcotrafficking and illegal mining along their shared waterways. Colombia and Brazil have formalized procedures for the exchange of intelligence information through a bilateral protocol supported by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). The…

April 29, 2026

Chile Bolsters Space Leadership with First National Space Center

Chile marked a major milestone in late 2025 with the inauguration of its first National Space Center (CEN). The facility is designed to strengthen the country’s satellite and space support capabilities in the coming years and advance the development of its own systems in a field critical to national security and territorial management. This new step positions the country among…

April 28, 2026

Ecuador, Kentucky Guard Share Disaster Response Tactics

Seven members of the Ecuadorian Armed Forces visited Kentucky recently to learn more about how the Kentucky National Guard responds to emergencies and to share their own disaster response techniques. The Ecuadorian service members attended capabilities briefings with the Guard’s 41st Weapons of Mass Destruction Civil Support Team (WMD-CST), at the Kentucky Air National Guard Base in Louisville before observing…

April 28, 2026

China’s Space Expansion in Latin America Raises Strategic and Transparency Risks

A network of ground stations and satellite tracking centers linked to China is expanding in Latin America. Although many of these projects are presented under the banner of scientific or commercial cooperation, their development coincides with the advancement of China’s space capabilities, raising concerns about their potential dual-use nature and implications for regional security. In its report, Pulling Latin America…

April 27, 2026

From Skills to Security: How Partnerships Support Ecuador’s Response

Ecuadorian-led operations against transnational criminal organizations (TCOs) have intensified in 2026, supported by expanded training and coordination efforts that are strengthening how national forces plan and execute missions. The effort, described by Daniel Noboa as “a new phase against narcoterrorism and illegal mining,” signals a shift toward more coordinated, intelligence-led operations driven by Ecuador’s own security priorities. President Noboa, who…

April 27, 2026

Wings of Blue Highlight US Partnership and Precision at FIDAE 2026

The U.S. Air Force Academy’s parachute team, Wings of Blue, represented the team’s core values on a different continent during the International Air and Space Fair (FIDAE) 2026 in Santiago, Chile, April 7-12. The primary mission of the Wings of Blue, which falls under the 98th Flying Training Squadron, is to run the U.S. Air Force Academy’s Basic Freefall Parachuting…

April 24, 2026

China Expands Gold Mining Footprint in Latin America

Chinese mining companies are steadily expanding their presence in Latin America, acquiring major mineral assets across the region and consolidating their position in the gold sector. As global competition for natural resources intensifies and gold prices remain elevated, Chinese state-linked mining groups are accelerating efforts to secure control over significant deposits in South America. For governments and industry observers in…

April 24, 2026

Tradewinds 26 Planning Conference Sets Conditions for June Exercise

Military and security leaders from across the region convened in Antigua and Barbuda March 16-20, 2026, for the final planning conference of Tradewinds 26 (TW26), a U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM)-sponsored exercise. The meeting brought together participating nations and partner organizations to coordinate scenarios, align objectives, and finalize preparations for the multinational training event. Hosted at the American University of Antigua,…

April 23, 2026

Child Recruitment Fuels Gang Control in Haiti

The recruitment of minors by armed gangs in Haiti has evolved into a key mechanism for sustaining territorial control and operational capacity. A February report by the United Nations (U.N.) indicates that this practice not only reinforces gangs’ presence in contested areas but also complicates security operations and weakens already fragile state authority. Javier Oliva Posadas, a researcher at the…

April 23, 2026

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Special Report

For decades, Ecuador was perceived as an exception in a region plagued by drug trafficking, armed violence, and criminal capture of the state. While neighboring countries faced open wars between cartels and state forces, Ecuador seemed to remain on the sidelines of these dynamics. That image began to slowly crack and finally collapsed in January […]