The Cuban regime is going through its worst crisis since the 1990s, when it lost all its subsidies from the Soviet Union after the demise of the superpower. With a growth forecast of 2 percent in 2021, versus an 11 percent contraction in 2020, according to the Cuban Ministry of [ … ]
Sky Fallout
On the heels of the second anniversary of the Nyonoksa radiation disaster, the Russian federation is continuing development of the weapon at the heart of the tragedy. In March 2018, Russian President Vladimir Putin unveiled his plan to develop six new advanced weapons systems. The crown jewel of these weapons [ … ]
Paraguayan Armed Forces Cast Futuristic Vision
Army General (ret.) Bernardino Soto Estigarribia, Paraguayan minister of Defense, met with Diálogo at the Ministry of National Defense to talk about the progress of the Military Forces and their projects for the future. Diálogo: What is your greatest challenge? Army General (ret.) Bernardino Soto Estigarribia, Paraguayan minister of Defense: I [ … ]
9/11, Latin America, and the Impermanence of Strategic Concepts
On September 11, 2001, then US President George W. Bush had just completed a historic summit with his Mexican counterpart, Vicente Fox, the week prior. The interaction built on the “special friendship” between the two nations and the intertwined commercial, security, and other strategic interests binding the United States and [ … ]
Colombian Military Forces Destroy Cocaine Mega-lab of FARC Dissident Group
In mid-October, the Colombian Navy led a riverine operation, with the support of the Colombian Army and Air Force, in which they managed to locate and destroy a mega-lab with the capacity to produce more than 3,000 kilograms of cocaine per month. The complex, found in the Tumaco municipality, in [ … ]
Colombia Captures 41 Members of Clan del Golfo
In late September, Colombian Minister of Defense Diego Molano announced the capture of 41 members of the criminal organization Clan del Golfo, in the southwestern part of Antioquia department. Among those captured is alias El Zurdo, who as leader of the Jairo de Jesús Durango substructure was responsible for supervising [ … ]
Official Account of Death in Prison of Venezuela’s Former Defense Minister Called into Question
The United Nations, international human rights organizations such as Amnesty International, and the United States have demanded clarification on the death in prison of former Venezuelan Minister of Defense, General (ret.) Raúl Isaías Baduel. On October 12, Venezuela’s Attorney General Tarek William Saab announced via Twitter the death of Baduel, [ … ]
Paraguayan Drug Leader Involved in Containerized Cocaine Shipments Arrested
On October 9, Paraguayan authorities announced the capture of Miguel Ángel Servín, leader of a narcotrafficking organization involved in containerized cocaine shipments to Europe and the Middle East, the Paraguayan National Anti-Drug Secretariat (SENAD, in Spanish) said in a statement. According to SENAD, authorities had been investigating Servín for years [ … ]
Criminals Plan Attacks on Colombia from Venezuela
Some 1,900 Colombian criminals are allegedly living in Venezuelan border cities, where they plan criminal activities against Colombia and in favor of narcotrafficking, General Luis Fernando Navarro Jiménez, commander of the Colombian Military Forces, told the Chilean newspaper La Tercera in September 2021. Gen. Navarro estimated that around 1,200 members [ … ]
Maduro’s Ally Faces 20 Years in Prison
On November 1, two weeks after the extradition of Alex Saab, businessman and alleged financier of the Nicolás Maduro Venezuelan regime, from Cape Verde in Africa, to the United States, federal prosecutors in Miami dismissed seven of the eight money laundering charges against him. According to media outlets, such as [ … ]
Peruvian Armed Forces Face New Security Challenges
Diálogo met with General Manuel Jesús Martín Gómez de la Torre Araníbar, chief of the Peruvian Armed Forces’ Joint Command (CCFFAA, in Spanish) to discuss military advances in the fight against criminal organizations. Diálogo: What are your main goals as chief of the CCFFAA? General Manuel Jesús Martín Gómez de la [ … ]
Argentina Deals Blow to Narcotrafficking
The Argentine National Gendarmerie (GNA, in Spanish) and Naval Prefecture (PNA, in Spanish) seized 11,643 kilograms of marijuana and 2,610 kg of coca leaf October 9-16, 2021. On October 22, the GNA confirmed seizing 397 kg of marijuana in a truck carrying wooden logs near Tapebicuá, Corrientes province. A drug [ … ]