Get the latest security and defense stories from across the Americas.
On May 19, U.S. Navy Admiral Craig S. Faller, commander of U.S. Southern Command, said that he views “with concern” Iran’s activities in Venezuela, with the shipment of crude in tankers and the country’s interest in controlling the Latin American region. “I view Iran’s interests with concern […]; we're tracking that closely and sharing intel with our partners” in the…
The U.S. government is preparing to reopen its embassy in Caracas, as they believe a transition is coming to Venezuela, U.S. Special Representative for Venezuela Elliott Abrams said on April 30. “We think a transition is coming in Venezuela, and we need to be prepared for it,” Abrams said in an online interview with the Hudson Institute research center. On…
Venezuelans’ freedom of expression and information has been exponentially restricted in the digital environment, and the situation continues to escalate amid the COVID-19 pandemic. This is not new. Several international organizations, such as the Organization of American States’ Office of the Special Rapporteur for Freedom of Expression and the Office of the United Nations (U.N.) High Commissioner for Human Rights,…
Boa Vista, in Roraima state, now has facilities specifically dedicated to providing services to refugees and vulnerable Brazilians. The state, in northern Brazil, has about 5,500 Venezuelans, who in addition to the crisis in their home country, face the threat of the coronavirus. The Protection and Care Area (APC, in Portuguese) began operating on April 26. In late March, the…
Spanish authorities announced on April 29 the seizure of 4 000 kilograms (4 metric tons) of cocaine aboard a ship off the coast of Vigo. Law enforcement officials say the ship originated in Venezuela, where the drugs were initially loaded. This seizure was the latest blow to Galician drug traffickers who operate in the Galicia region making it the main…
On February 25, in a combined operation, the Colombian Navy and Aruban security forces seized more than 5 tons of cocaine hidden inside a compartment of the cargo ship Aressa. The vessel that sailed under a Cameroonian flag had departed from Guaranao Port, in the Venezuelan state of Falcón, and was bound for Greece. The Aruban news portal 24ora said…
The Sinaloa Cartel, a Mexican criminal organization that engages in narcotrafficking, is strengthening its power and base in Venezuela to smuggle drugs, with the support of the Nicolás Maduro regime. In its report Mexican Cartels – Venezuela’s Uninvited Guests Here to Stay, InSight Crime, a non-profit journalism and investigative organization specialized in organized crime in Latin America and the Caribbean,…
The massive business shutdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic has caused millions of jobs to be lost. In the case of Venezuelan migrants, faced with a lack of resources to survive far from home, some have decided to return to their country of origin. Upon arrival, however, they are mistreated, discriminated against, and encounter serious problems in health management. In…
With the global pandemic, Cuba is once again promoting its medical missions to other governments facing a shortage of medical professionals. But those governments, while desperate for help, should know what they are getting into. Abusive conditions are the reality for many of the 34,000–50,000 Cuban medical workers in more than 60 countries. According to the Cuban government, it makes…
Iranian academics are faulting Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei for stifling information on COVID-19 and declining foreign aid, allowing the country’s outbreak to grow into “a national disaster.” In a March 29 letter, reported by the Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI), 100 academics call Khamenei “the Number 1 culprit” for COVID-19 sweeping the nation unchecked. Now one Iranian is infected…
The Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) worldview and quest for domestic and international hegemony threaten to reverse Latin American and Caribbean’s democratic and market-based economic principles that have facilitated regional stability for nearly 30 years. Beijing’s Latin America and Caribbean policy is based on China’s economic power, leading many observers to claim that its growing influence is also in the region’s…
Ever since Islamic fundamentalists overthrew Iran’s government in 1979, the world has witnessed acts of aggression against other nations and peoples — and against the Iranian people themselves. From attacks on embassies — the very symbol of diplomacy and peaceful relations between nations — to hostage-taking, the murder of exiles and flat-out terrorism, the mullahs have flouted international law and…
