April 4 marked the International Day for Mine Action Awareness and Assistance, established in 2005 by the United Nations (U.N.) General Assembly. The Brazilian Army is a benchmark in demining and deactivating explosive devices. In this article, Captain Davyson Anderson Cavalcanti Sobral, of the Brazilian Army’s Engineering Wing, discusses Brazil's [ … ]
Academia
The Host Nation Liaison Officer – A Tactical Force Multiplier
Introduction The integration of host nation Liaison Officers (LNOs) into U.S. Security Cooperation Organizations (SCOs) serves to meet U.S. strategic and operational objectives. The concept of integrated deterrence, as outlined in the U.S. National Defense Strategy, stresses a holistic approach combined with our allies and partners to increase shared understanding, [ … ]
Risks of PRC Security Engagement for Latin America and the Caribbean
This article was adapted from a piece published on The Diplomat on February 23, 2024. Introduction Activities by the People’s Republic of China (PRC) in the security and defense sector in Latin America and the Caribbean are a small, but strategically significant portion of its engagement with the region. The [ … ]
China’s Charm Offensive in Latin America and the Caribbean: A comprehensive Analysis of China’s strategic Communication Strategy Across the Region [Part III: Image, Academia, and Technology]
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY This paper explores China’s public relations strategy in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) through diplomacy, promoting study networks, cooperation among academies, and establishing a significant number of Confucius Institutes. This is supported by a vast network of print, audiovisual and digital media owned by China or LAC [ … ]
China’s Charm Offensive in Latin America and the Caribbean: A Comprehensive Analysis of China’s Strategic Communication Strategy Across the Region [Part II: Influencing the Media]
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY This report explores China’s strategy to influence Latin American and Caribbean (LAC) populations through the Chinese and local media. Both are vital in shaping local opinion in favor of the Communist Party of China’s (CCP) ideological objectives. News outlets such as the Xinhua News Agency, the People’s Daily, [ … ]
Is China Cornering the Green Energy Transition in Latin America?
A key element of China’s economic advance over the past four decades has been the government’s promotion of its companies’ acquisition of capabilities and market share in sectors seen as strategically important to the country. In recent years, that emphasis has increasingly focused on digital technologies and green energy. The [ … ]
China-Latin America Space Cooperation – An Update
This article was originally published in The Diplomat on February 16, 2024. In September 2023, during a visit to China, Venezuela’s Nicholás Maduro announced an agreement in which China would transport Venezuelans to a research base it plans to build on the moon, the International Lunar Research Station (ILRS) [ … ]
China’s Charm Offensive in Latin America and the Caribbean: A comprehensive Analysis of China’s Strategic Communication Strategy Across the Region [Part I: Propaganda and Politics]
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY This paper analyzes the expansion of Chinese media and public diplomacy in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC). Through its “discourse of power” and an attempt to extend its soft power across the continent, Chinese and some LAC media (print, audiovisual, and digital) sustained, amplified, and exalted the [ … ]
Multinational Logistics in Times of Accelerated Technological Evolution
In this time of uncertainty, where technology grows exponentially and today's society quickly adopts changes to their lifestyle, a new scenario comes up with new digital and electronic tools which may facilitate and streamline communication, but also new challenges for the information management, organization and interface, which represents a notable [ … ]
China’s Advance in Chile
Introduction In October 2023, Chilean President Gabriel Boric traveled to the People’s Republic of China (PRC) to participate in a forum commemorating the 10th Anniversary of the Belt and Road Initiative, and for bilateral meetings with Xi Jinping and senior members of his government. President Boric was accompanied by a [ … ]
China, the US, and Latin America: Pursuing Self-Interest Shouldn’t Imply Self-Destructive Choices
This article was originally published on Infobae on October 26, 2023. From October 22-25, 2023, I had the honor to be a speaker in an event on the relationships of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) and the U.S. with Latin America and the Caribbean. The event was hosted [ … ]
Iran’s Re-engagement with Latin America
This article was initially published in the Magazine Poder Terrestre y Seguridad Vol. 2 No. 4 (2023): October to December, of the Peruvian Army CEEP think tank Abstract The article presents the resumption of Iran’s relations with Latin America and the opportunities this offers for political and economic interaction. It [ … ]