The Colombian Military Forces’ Joint Special Operations Command (CCOES, in Spanish) began operations in April 2009. Its commander, Colombian Army Major General Jorge Isaac Hoyos Rojas, spoke with Diálogo during a visit to the CCOES headquarters in Bogotá in August 2021, to discuss the command’s mission and interagency work, among other topics.
Diálogo met with Colonel Henri van Axeldongen, commander of the Suriname National Army at the South American Defense Conference held in Miami, Florida on August 17-18, where he spoke about regional challenges, the COVID-19 pandemic, and the effects of the space domain on national security.
The Command Against Drug Trafficking and Transnational Threats (CONAT, in Spanish) began operations in Colombia on February 26, 2021, as an elite force consisting of 7,000 men and women of the Colombian Army to lead the fight against armed groups, carry out interdiction operations against narcotrafficking organizations, conduct strategic eradication operations of illicit crops, and combat illegal mining. To talk about CONAT, Diálogo visited the command premises and spoke with its commander, Colombian Army Brigadier General Juan Carlos Correa Consuegra.
In July 2021, Colombia launched the Unified Action Acceleration Plan (PAAU, in Spanish) to strengthen interinstitutional coordination and reinforce the State’s presence in some areas of the country, with the aim of bringing social investment, low-complexity public works, tools to improve coexistence in these areas, and security. Diálogo spoke with Colombian Vice Minister of Defense for Policies and International Affairs Sandra Álzate Cifuentes about this plan and its implications for the country.
Diálogo interviewed Colombian Army General Luis Fernando Navarro Jiménez, commanding general of the Colombian Military Forces, during the South American Defense Conference 2021, in Miami, Florida, August 17-18.
The U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM), Women, Peace, and Security (WPS) Breaking Barriers podcast features in each episode guests from the Defense and Security forces of Latin America and the Caribbean. This platform shares powerful stories and valuable insights on gains being made to recognize women as equal partners in preventing conflicts and building peace.
MBA Heidi Carolina Portillo Lagos, undersecretary of State with the Honduran Office of National Defense, is the first woman in her country to hold this position. Diálogo spoke with Undersecretary Portillo about progress for gender equality and the topic of human rights within the Honduran Armed Forces, among others.
Honduras is committed to eradicating narcotrafficking. Since 2014, drug transit through the nation has dropped from 80 percent to 3.7 percent. According to Honduran Minister of Defense General (ret.) Fredy Santiago Díaz Zelaya, these results come from the joint work of the Honduran Armed Forces and State agencies. Diálogo spoke with Gen. Díaz about the topic and the progress of combined international operations.
On July 14, 2021, U.S. Navy Admiral Craig S. Faller, commander of U.S. Southern Command, visited Guatemala and met with Lieutenant General Juan Carlos Alemán Soto, minister of National Defense, to talk about continued cooperation in security matters and future engagements between regional partner nations’ militaries. To learn more about that meeting and discuss other relevant issues, Diálogo spoke with Minister Alemán Soto in his office in Guatemala City.
Diálogo interviewed Brigadier General Miguel Ángel Rivas Bonilla, deputy head of the Salvadoran Armed Forces’ Joint Chiefs of Staff, during the Central American Security Conference 2021, which took place in Panama City, June 22-23.
Diálogo interview with Brigadier General Steven Ortega, Belize Defence Force commander, during the Central American Security Conference 2021 in Panama City, June 22-23.
Costa Rican Minister of Public Security Michael Soto Rojas took part in the Central American Security Conference 2021 in Panama City, on June 22-23. Diálogo spoke with Minister Soto about Costa Rica’s role in the fight against narcotrafficking.
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