The Daniel Ortega-Rosario Murillo regime has authorized Russian personnel, ships, and aircraft to enter Nicaragua from July 1 to December 31, 2022. The Russian troops will participate in humanitarian aid, military exercises, and operations against illicit activities on the Caribbean Sea and the Pacific Ocean, the June 7 decree in [ … ]
International Relations
US Army South Hosts 38th Annual US-Brazil Army-to-Army Staff Talks
U.S. Army South (ARSOUTH) hosted army-to-army staff talks with Brazil at ARSOUTH headquarters, June 21-24, 2022. This weeklong series of events served to further strengthen professional partnerships and coordinate bilateral events for the upcoming years. “These bilateral staff talks not only represent the profound friendship and strong partnership between the [ … ]
Resolute Sentinel 22: Sharing Knowledge and Building Partnerships
U.S. military medics arrived in San Salvador, El Salvador, June 5, 2022, to integrate with the Salvadoran military and medical staff at Hospital Militar Central for Operation Resolute Sentinel 22. Resolute Sentinel 22 provides joint training and improved readiness for U.S. civil engineers, medical professionals, and support personnel through humanitarian [ … ]
Moscow Uses Hacker Gangs to Carry Out Cyberattacks
Russia relies on hacker gangs to launch disruptive attacks against Western infrastructure, the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP), an international investigative journalism organization specializing in organized crime, indicated on June 3. “Russia makes agreements with different Russian cybercriminal groups [...], in exchange for leniency on certain crimes, if [ … ]
UN Rights Chief Issues Blistering Report on Nicaragua
U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet has issued a blistering report on Nicaragua’s deteriorating human rights situation, which she said was spurring unprecedented numbers of people to flee to other countries. She presented her report June 16 to the U.N. Human Rights Council, where it remains under review. [ … ]
Fuerzas Comando 2022 Closing Ceremony
Fuerzas Comando 2022 closing ceremony was held at the Honduran military parade field in Campo Marte, June 24, 2022. Honduran President Xiomara Castro was the ceremony’s principal speaker, with U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) International Affairs and Exercise Director Kevin Bostick as the honorary guest speaker. Colombia won the multinational Special [ … ]
USAID Announces Multiple Latin American and Caribbean-Focus Initiatives
At an event on the sidelines of the Ninth Summit of the Americas, a hemispheric meeting of leaders of the region held in Los Angeles, California, June 6-10, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Administrator Samantha Power announced approximately $331 million in humanitarian and long-term development assistance to address [ … ]
Ecuador Increases International Cooperation to Combat Narcotrafficking
Ecuador has been experiencing increased violence, including car bombs and prison riots, which have resulted in nearly 400 death in little more than a year, France 24 reported on May 25. “A series of factors such as geographic proximity to Colombia, a porous border, corruption, new criminal alliances, Mexican cartels, [ … ]
Fuerzas Comando 2022 Kicks Off in Honduras
Honduras hosted Fuerzas Comando 2022 opening ceremony at Campo Marte, Tegucigalpa, June 13, 2022. Seventeen countries will compete in a Special Operations Forces skills competition to earn the title of the Best Special Forces of the Americas, June 13-23. “Without a doubt, this event is an opportunity to strengthen our [ … ]
US and 4 Latin American Countries Commit to Protect Marine Resources
The governments of the United States, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, and Panama signed June 6 a Memorandum of Understanding in support of the Eastern Pacific Tropical Marine Corridor. Senior officials of the governments involved signed the document during the 9th Summit of the Americas in Los Angeles. A U.S. Department [ … ]
US 4th Fleet Conducts Maritime Staff Talks with Peru
U.S. Navy Rear Admiral Jim Aiken, U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command/U.S. Fourth Fleet commander, hosted delegates from the Peruvian Navy for the 28th annual Maritime Staff Talks (MST), at St. Francis Barracks, Florida National Guard Headquarters in St. Augustine, June 1-3, 2022. MSTs with Peru began in the early 2000s [ … ]
US-Guyana Defence Force Noncommissioned Officer Jungle Symposium Cooperation
From June 1-3, 2022, U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) and the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) co-hosted the first ever Noncommissioned Officer (NCO) Jungle Symposium in Guyana. Participants from the GDF, SOUTHCOM Headquarters, U.S. Army 25th Infantry Division, U.S. Army South, Colombia, Brazil, Belize, Guatemala, and Honduras attended the symposium, as well [ … ]