Diálogo interviewed Guatemalan Defense Minister General Juan Carlos Alemán Soto. Diálogo: How has the pandemic affected illicit trafficking activities? Are there any new illicit routes in your country? Guatemalan Defense Minister General Juan Carlos Alemán Soto:During the current pandemic in Guatemala we have seen a reduction in narcotrafficking activities; however, there [ … ]
Capacity Building
Brazilian Officer Named U.S. Army Training & Doctrine Command’s Instructor of the Year
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2020 U.S. Army Training & Doctrine Command's (TRADOC) recognition of their best of the best was celebrated via a virtual ceremony, hosted by U.S. Army General Paul E. Funk II, TRADOC commanding general, on August 6. Out of more than 10,000 instructors, 68 candidates [ … ]
US Government Launches $300,000 Project to Fund UNICEF Emergency Response Initiatives for Children in Belize Affected by COVID-19
The U.S. government, through the U.S. Embassy in Belize and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), announced the launch on August 6 of a $300,000 project to fund UNICEF’s work to reduce the risk and impact of COVID-19 for vulnerable children and adolescents in Belize. Areas of intervention [ … ]
SOUTHCOM, South American Defense Leaders Meet Virtually to Discuss Partnering During Pandemic
U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) hosted defense leaders from South America August 27 during the first virtual South America Defense Conference (SOUTHDEC), focused on how to strengthen defense partnerships in a pandemic environment. The command invited chiefs of Defense from Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Peru, Paraguay, Suriname, and [ … ]
SOUTHCOM Hosts New US Space Force ‘US-Brazil Space Engagement Talks’
U.S. Southern Command hosted U.S. Space Force and Brazilian counterparts for the newly established virtual U.S.-Brazil Space Engagement Talks. This is the first senior space flag officer event between the U.S. and Brazil and the first such event for the U.S. Space Force. The talks, held during separate virtual sessions [ … ]
US Donates Vehicles and Equipment to Ministry of National Security in Belize
On August 6, the United States government donated an ambulance, six vehicles, and aircraft and vehicle parts valued at $1 million to the Belize Ministry of National Security in a handover ceremony at Force Headquarters on Price Barracks. The donation was funded by U.S. Southern Command’s Building Partner Capacity and [ … ]
SOUTHCOM Donates Field Hospitals to Support COVID-19 Response in Costa Rica; 24 Field Hospitals to Be Donated in the Region
U.S. Ambassador to Costa Rica Sharon Day delivered three field hospitals, purchased by U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM), to the Costa Rican government during an official donation ceremony August 24 in San José. The donation of $1.1 million is part of SOUTHCOM’s ongoing assistance to nations responding to the global pandemic [ … ]
JTF-Bravo Donates COVID-19 Supplies for Municipalities in La Paz, Comayagua in Honduras
Joint Task Force Bravo (JTF-Bravo) donated personal protective equipment and medications, through U.S. Southern Command’s Humanitarian Assistance Program to support the municipalities of Villa de San Antonio, La Paz, Ajuterique, and Lejamani in Honduras. The donation includes KN95 masks, gloves, gowns, booties, head covers, disinfecting supplies, and medication to benefit [ … ]
US NGOs Bring to El Salvador Donation of 64,000 Pounds in Food and Hygiene Kits
U.S. support for El Salvador to meet the challenges created by the COVID-19 pandemic and post-tropical storms Amanda and Cristobal recovery continues to arrive. U.S. nongovernmental organizations (NGO) People Helping People and Convoy of Hope sent a donation of 64,000 pounds (29,030 kilograms) in food and hygiene kits to benefit [ … ]
US Government Donates New Batch of Ventilators to Honduras
The U.S. government, through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), donated an additional 160 ventilators on July 31 to support Honduras’ response to the COVID-19 crisis. The ventilators, produced in the United States, are highly specialized medical equipment and an essential resource for treating intensive care patients, to help [ … ]
USS Kidd and El Salvadoran Forces Unite for PASSEX
The Arleigh Burke class guided-missile destroyer USS Kidd (DDG 100), partnered with El Salvador Maritime Patrol Vessel (PM-13) to conduct a passing exercise (PASSEX), July 29. PASSEXs are unit exercises requiring cooperation, communication, and interoperability between two or more navies, testing advanced ship maneuvering and tactics. It affords the opportunity [ … ]
El Salvador Receives Speedboat to Strengthen Narcotrafficking Fight
The U.S. government donated a Boston Whaler speedboat to the Salvadoran Navy’s Trident Naval Task Force (FTNT, in Spanish) to strengthen border security and drug interception operations in the Pacific Ocean, the U.S. Embassy in El Salvador said in a statement on June 18. The donation is worth $1.5 million [ … ]