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U.S. Southern Command’s (SOUTHCOM) commitment to the region will be on full display starting in early June with the launch of its signature humanitarian mission. Continuing Promise will deploy the U.S. Navy hospital ship USNS Comfort to bring crucial medical, dental, veterinarian, and engineering support to Grenada, Panama, Colombia, Ecuador, Costa Rica, and the Dominican Republic. Simultaneously, mission AMISTAD will…
Caribbean military forces, law enforcement agencies, and humanitarian organizations worked together during Tradewinds 25 (TW25), a U.S. Southern Command-sponsored multinational exercise designed to strengthen disaster response and security coordination across the region. A major component of the exercise is the Caribbean Task Force (CTF), a training track where command teams from Caribbean Community (CARICOM) nations engage in scenario-based drills, strategic…
Military and civilian planners from the United States and six partner nations met in Norfolk, Virginia, in late April, to make final plans for the upcoming Continuing Promise 2025 deployment. U.S. Navy hospital ship USNS Comfort (T-AH 20) will deploy in support of Continuing Promise 2025, with the ship scheduled to conduct mission stops in Grenada, Panama, Colombia, Ecuador, Costa…
Long-standing U.S. Southern Command- (SOUTHCOM) led multinational exercise Tradewinds remains a key component for regional security in the Caribbean, focused on strengthening interagency cooperation to face a wide spectrum of threats, including natural disasters and transnational organized crime. In its 2024 edition, held in Barbados, Tradewinds brought together representatives from more than 25 countries to conduct joint operations in…
In the last decade, China has significantly strengthened its penetration in the Caribbean, driven by a strategic combination of economic investments, diplomatic initiatives, and infrastructure projects. In 2018, Trinidad and Tobago became the first island country to join the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), followed by Suriname, Guyana, Dominica, Antigua and Barbuda, and Barbados. In 2019, the two largest economies…
For the past 40 years, Caribbean nations and the United States have come together yearly to strengthen cooperation and improve operational readiness to respond to threats, from natural disasters to terrorist organizations. Under the aegis of U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM), exercise Tradewinds has served as a platform for productive dialogue and collaboration, symbolizing the collective resolve of nations to enhance…
In the turbulent waters of the Caribbean, the fight against narcotrafficking has taken on an international dimension, mobilizing the French Armed Forces in the Antilles (FAA) alongside their U.S. partners. Part of a permanent cooperation program between the European Union and the United States, Operation Narcops reflects the commitment to establish coordinating efforts in order to curb the flow of…
U.S. and St. Kitts and Nevis officials gathered at Joseph N. France General Hospital to kick off the third phase of the Lesser Antilles Medical Assistance Team (LAMAT) 2025 mission, March 24, 2025. LAMAT 25, led by U.S. Air Forces Southern (AFSOUTH) Surgeon General, is a collaborative effort that brings together Air Force Reserve medical teams and host nation…
U.S. Air Force medical professionals are delivering vital dental care to residents of Canouan Island as part of the Lesser Antilles Medical Assistance Team (LAMAT) mission. The LAMAT mission in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines is providing essential care to a community while testing the team’s readiness and adaptability. U.S. Air Force Reserve Command medical professionals from the 433rd Aerospace…
Trinidad and Tobago kicked off the new year under a state of emergency, following an alarming rise in violence and retaliatory gang killings. “The gangs in Trinidad and Tobago are growing and competing with each other for control of illicit businesses, territory, access, routes, and control of illicit goods,” Guillermo Holzmann, defense analyst and academic at the University of Valparaíso,…
Iran and Cuba kicked off the year committing to enhancing their relationship and crafting a decade-long strategic partnership. In early January, senior officials from both countries met in Tehran to define the terms of this collaboration, the Jewish Breaking News (JBN) reported. The rapprochement comes at a critical time for both nations. Iran is facing a severe energy crisis and…
U.S. military medical professionals and their partner nation counterparts launched the latest iteration of the Lesser Antilles Medical Assistance Team (LAMAT) mission in Saint Lucia February 24, 2025, underscoring the ongoing commitment to strengthening partnerships and enhancing military readiness. The multidisciplinary team including surgeons, cardiologists, anesthesiologists, and dentists, drawn from both reserve and active-duty units, are working alongside local healthcare…
