Laura Solano, Author at Diálogo Américas

Operation Neptuno Delivers Decisive Blow to Narcotraffickers in Eastern Pacific

July 14, 2026

In a powerful display of international cooperation, the United States, Guatemala, and Mexico recently joined forces to execute interdiction operations as part of Operation Neptuno, a targeted effort against maritime smuggling routes in the Eastern Pacific. The operation sends a clear message to narcotrafficking networks: The international community is united and relentless in its efforts to dismantle illicit operations. Coordinated…

Hemispheric Capabilities Strengthen Earthquake Response in Venezuela

July 13, 2026

The earthquake that struck northern Venezuela on June 24 triggered a broad mobilization of hemispheric humanitarian assistance and disaster response (HADR) capabilities, with urban search and rescue teams, medical personnel, aircraft, search dogs, emergency supplies, communications specialists, and logistical support deployed from countries across the Americas. More than a collection of bilateral aid efforts, the operation demonstrated how advance preparation,…

Restoring State Presence in Cauca: Colombia’s Long-Term Security Challenge

July 13, 2026

Colombia’s department of Cauca remains one of the country’s most challenging security environments, where guerrilla factions born from the remnants of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) continue to exploit coca-producing areas, strategic trafficking corridors, and difficult terrain despite sustained government security operations. The department sits at a critical nexus of drug trafficking routes, connecting Colombia’s interior with departure…

Chile Hosts 5th Iteration of Exercise Salitre

July 07, 2026

Aircraft, crews, and support personnel from across the Americas are converging in northern Chile as Exercise Resolute Sentinel–Saltire 2026, a premier multinational air combat exercise hosted by the Chilean Air Force, kicked off June 28, 2026, at Cerro Moreno Air Base in Antofagasta, Chile. U.S. participation in the fifth iteration of Salitre is led by U.S. Air Forces Southern/12th Air…

Maritime Security: The Hemisphere’s New Front Line Against Transnational Crime

July 07, 2026

Maritime corridors in the Caribbean and Eastern Pacific have become one of the Western Hemisphere’s principal security frontiers. In addition to sustaining global trade and regional fishing industries, these routes now operate as logistical arteries for transnational organized crime involved in drug trafficking, arms smuggling, chemical precursor trafficking, and other illicit activities. According to the United Nations Office on Drugs…

From Search and Rescue to Humanitarian Relief: The US Mobilizes for Venezuela

July 06, 2026

The U.S. response to the earthquakes that struck Venezuela on June 24 represents one of Washington’s largest humanitarian and disaster relief operations. Led by the State Department’s Bureau of Disaster and Humanitarian Response (DHR) and carried out in close coordination with the Department of War and U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM), the operation has combined search-and-rescue efforts, military logistics, and international…

Drones: Accessible Technology Reshaping Threats and Strategies in Latin America

July 06, 2026

In recent years, commercially available drones have transformed capabilities once largely associated with advanced militaries into accessible tools reshaping security dynamics across Latin America. Lower costs, rapid technological diffusion, and growing weaponization of commercial drones by non-state actors have turned these platforms into an increasingly important factor in regional security and defense. According to the Florida International University (FIU) and…

China’s Global Strategy: Port Infrastructure as a Tool of Power

July 02, 2026

China’s global expansion of port infrastructure is widely regarded as part of a broader strategy to expand geopolitical influence, secure access to strategic supply chains, and strengthen its long-term positioning. According to the report, Anchoring Global Ambitions, published by AidData in partnership with the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), Beijing has spent the last two decades building an…

Inside PANAMAX 2026: Behind the Planning to Protect Critical Infrastructure

July 01, 2026

As the officer responsible for the planning and execution of PANAMAX 2026, Panama’s National Air and Naval Service (SENAN) Commissioner Luis Rodríguez plays a key role in coordinating the exercise with Panamanian institutions and participating partner nations. Drawing on extensive experience in operational leadership and security coordination, Commissioner Rodríguez oversees efforts to integrate national and international capabilities in one of…

A Strategic Megaproject: Chinese Infrastructure Expands in Peru

June 30, 2026

China’s growing role in Peru’s strategic infrastructure is raising new questions about economic dependence, control of critical logistics networks, and Beijing’s expanding influence in South America. In early 2026, the Peruvian government awarded Power Construction Corporation of China (POWERCHINA) a $420 million engineering, procurement, and construction contract to develop a 120-kilometer railway line, connecting the Port of Chancay, on Peru’s…

Honduras, US Expand Cooperation Against Organized Crime

June 29, 2026

Cooperation between Honduras and the United States against transnational criminal organizations is increasingly focused on operational coordination, intelligence sharing, and maritime security as authorities confront evolving drug trafficking networks in Central America. Recent meetings and joint initiatives reflect a broader regional effort to strengthen the fight against organized crime, particularly as trafficking routes, criminal structures, and illicit economies continue to…

American Air Chiefs Reaffirm Commitment to Regional Security, Address Shared Challenges at CONJEFAMER 2026

June 29, 2026

Air chiefs and senior military leaders representing air forces from 19 nations across the Western Hemisphere gathered in the Dominican Republic June 15-19 for the 66th annual Conference of the American Air Chiefs (CONJEFAMER), reinforcing a shared commitment to regional security, cooperation, and interoperability through the System of Cooperation Among the American Air Forces (SICOFAA). The annual conference serves as…

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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 […]