A Conversation With

Ecuadorian Army Colonel Rodrigo Peñaherrera serves on the Ecuadorian Armed Forces’ Joint Chiefs of Staff as an Operations officer for Joint Task Force Esmeraldas. The force was created in early June 2022 to support the National Police in the fight against narcotrafficking in the province of Esmeraldas, on the border [ … ]

Paraguayan Navy Chief Petty Officer Lilian Soledad Avalos Dielma dedicated her 15 years of military service as a paramedic, combat nurse, and first aid instructor. Chief Petty Officer Avalos is the first Paraguayan noncommissioned officer (NCO) to serve as an instructor at the Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation (WHINSEC) [ … ]

Admiral Alberto Alcalá Luna assumed command of the Peruvian Navy on August 3, 2021. Since then, his mission has beento ensure the defense of Peru’s seas, rivers,and lakes. Adm. Alcalá spoke with Diálogo about the Navy’s institutional advances in the fight against criminal organizations, illegal mining, as well as its [ … ]

The Brazilian Armed Forces’ Joint Peacekeeping Operations Training Center (CCOPAB) is recognized internationally for its excellence in training Brazilian and foreign military personnel who participate in United Nations (U.N.) peacekeeping missions worldwide. CCOPAB also offers courses (called internships) for civilians from several areas, among which, the Internship for Journalists and [ … ]

Leadership, discipline, and a fighting spirit are the qualities that make Peruvian Navy Lieutenant Lucía del Rosario Granda Ticona, deputy commander of the Maritime Patrol Vessel (MPV) BAP Río Tumbes, unique. She graduated from the Peruvian Naval School in 2012 and since then has directed her efforts to the professionalization [ … ]

Monitoring weather conditions to create a reliable forecast is part of her life. Warnings about thunderstorms, cloudy skies, and any other weather conditions are the day-to-day work of Peruvian Air Force Captain Cynthia Hidalgo Cárdenas, head of the Aeronautical Meteorology Directorate Forecasting Department. Together with her team, Capt. Hidalgo analyzes [ … ]

Peruvian Minister of Defense José Luis Gavidia Arrascue took office on February 1, 2022. As minister, his focus is on managing, coordinating, executing, and evaluating his country’s security and defense policy. Diálogo visited the Ministry of Defense in Lima to talk with Minister Gavidia about his defense policy and progress [ … ]

Peruvian Army Colonel Sandor Gálvez is one of 11 partner nation military advisors (PNMA) at U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM). Throughout his 30-year career, Col. Gálvez, who was born in Lima, has held command positions at various levels and brings a wealth of experience in the field of counterterrorism, most recently [ … ]

Strolling through hallways and listening to students discuss peacekeeping missions or wandering in a classroom during an international humanitarian law lecture are part of daily life at Chile’s Joint Peacekeeping Operations Center (CECOPAC). Its students are members of the Chilean Armed Forces, Carabineros, Investigative Police, and civilians, who are preparing [ … ]

The southern part of Quito, Ecuador, is home to the Armed Forces University, better known as ESPE. The school was originally established in 1922 as an engineering school for Army officers with a focus on military engineering. The school has gone through several changes since then, including the admission of [ … ]

With 31 years of military service, Chilean Marine Corps Captain Daniel Opazo is one of 11 partner nation military advisors (PNMA) to U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM). Throughout his career, Capt. Opazo has held command positions at the platoon, company, and rifle battalion levels in the Chilean Marine Corps. He also [ … ]