Get the latest security and defense stories from across the Americas.
In a recent report, the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) warns about China’s progress in construction, operation, or financing of ports in Latin America and the Caribbean and their more complex array of security risks than previously understood. The study, No Safe Harbor, identifies at least 37 projects in 15 countries, a notable increase over the previous decade,…
China’s footprint in Latin America and the Caribbean is becoming increasingly sophisticated, moving beyond traditional infrastructure projects into areas of political influence, elite capture, ideological positioning, and institutional penetration. In this second part of our interview, Vladimir Rouvinski, director of the Laboratory of Politics and International Relations (PoInt) at Icesi University, explains how Beijing is transitioning from hard infrastructure to…
In this exclusive interview with Diálogo, Vladimir Rouvinski, director of the Laboratory of Politics and International Relations (PoInt) at Icesi University in Cali, Colombia, offers a clear-eyed assessment of China’s growing influence in Latin America and the Caribbean. Rouvinski warns that Beijing’s presence, which began with trade and infrastructure, extends deep into the region’s most sensitive sectors, raising long-term implications for…
The Mercy-class hospital ship USNS Comfort (T-AH 20) returned to Naval Station Norfolk (NSN), August 17, marking the successful completion of Continuing Promise 2025 (CP25). The 79-day deployment focused on providing medical care, humanitarian assistance, and strengthening relationships with partner nations in the Caribbean, Central America, and South America. During CP25, Comfort conducted port visits in Grenada, Panama, Ecuador, Dominican…
Soldiers from the District of Columbia National Guard (DCNG), Jamaica Defence Force (JDF), Jamaica National Reserve (JNR), and Barbados Defence Force Reserves recently participated in the Caribbean Regional Training Camp (CRTC) 2025, a joint exercise aimed at bolstering regional security, enhancing disaster response capabilities, and strengthening interoperability among the participating nations. The July 12-27 training, took place at various sites…
The Mercy-class hospital ship USNS Comfort (T-AH 20) arrived in Port of Spain, Trinidad, August 5, 2025, for the final mission stop of Continuing Promise 2025 (CP25). The Comfort team is working alongside Trinbagonian medical professionals to provide medical care, including adult care, pediatric care, dental services, optometry, women’s health services, and various ancillary support services. “Our presence in…
The Dominican Republic and the United States share a robust security and defense partnership, cooperation, working together to combat common threats. This alliance is evident in their joint efforts against organized crime and drug trafficking, enhancement in emergency management, and specialized training for security personnel, strengthening cooperation among the institutions of both nations. Building over 140 years of bilateral relations,…
In the first part of this interview, Leland Lazarus, a leading expert on China-Latin America relations and transnational crime and founder and CEO of Lazarus Consulting firm, discussed the expansion of Chinese organized crime networks across Latin America and the Caribbean. In this second part, he delves deeper into this growing threat, exploring how Beijing may be pursuing broader strategic…
The Mercy-class hospital ship USNS Comfort (T-AH 20) arrived in Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic for the fourth mission stop of Continuing Promise 2025 (CP25), July 15. “It is an honor and a privilege to leave our footprint in the Dominican Republic,” said U.S. Navy Captain Grace Key, commanding officer, Medical Treatment Facility aboard Comfort. “From the medical site and community…
In an eye-opening interview with Diálogo, Leland Lazarus, a leading expert on China-Latin America relations and transnational crime and founder and CEO of Lazarus Consulting firm, discussed the alarming rise of Chinese organized crime networks in Latin America and the Caribbean. Lazarus detailed how these networks engage in drug trafficking, money laundering, wildlife smuggling, and human trafficking, often blurring the…
Rear Admiral Jo-Ann F. Burdian, a distinguished Coast Guard Permanent Cutterman, assumed leadership of Joint Interagency Task Force South (JIATF-South) in June 2024. Her extensive career, including commanding cutters and shaping strategic response policy, uniquely positions her to lead JIATF-South’s complex detection and monitoring operations against illicit trafficking. In this exclusive interview with Diálogo, Rear Adm. Burdian highlights JIATF-South as…
The Mercy-class hospital ship USNS Comfort (T-AH 20) concluded its seven-day mission in St. George’s, Grenada, June 16, as part of Continuing Promise 2025 (CP25). This visit marked the third CP mission stop to Grenada since 2007, and the second visit to Grenada by Comfort. “Our ability to provide life-changing medical and dental care alongside our Grenadian counterparts is a…
