The Ecuadorian Armed Forces seized more than 8 tons of cocaine and arrested 12 criminals in just five days, Ecuadorian daily Primicias reported. “This is part of the joint efforts that Ecuador is carrying out with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration [DEA] and the U.S. Coast Guard,” the daily added [ … ]
News
South American Army Commanders, United to ‘Preserve Peace on the Continent’
Combined exercises and the fight against cross-border crime were some of the topics South American Army commanders discussed during their latest gathering. The objective of the meeting carried out at the Brazilian Army (EB) headquarters in Brasilia was to further strengthen interoperability, address issues of mutual interest, and deepen institutional [ … ]
SOUTHCOM Donates $3.1 Million to Ecuador to Combat Narcotrafficking
The United States delivered $3.1 million to the Ecuadorian Armed Forces in military, communications, and infrastructure equipment to support the strengthening of their capabilities in the fight against crime, the U.S. Embassy in the South American country said. “Support between both countries is vital to combat situations that affect the [ … ]
SOUTHCOM Aims to Create Maintenance Partnerships with Latin America Nations
As part of its Theater Maintenance Partnership Initiative, or TMPI, U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) will work with Latin American partner and allied nations to develop maintenance expertise, which runs the gamut from equipment-level maintenance all the way to life-cycle management, said Marine Corps Lieutenant Colonel Gabriel Christianson, multinational logistics officer [ … ]
Nicaragua Increases Dependence on China
Since the launch of its Belt and Road Initiative a decade ago, China has sought to expand its geopolitical and commercial influence in Latin America, a region rich in natural resources, Voice of America reported on October 17. Beijing’s reach expanded in the region through predatory loans, trade agreements, and [ … ]
Guyana Seeks UN Court Protection in ‘Sinister’ Venezuela Territorial Claim
Guyana has asked the U.N.'s highest court to stop a Venezuelan referendum on whether or not to annex the oil-rich Essequibo region both South American nations lay claim to. Venezuela has for decades argued that the 160,000-square-kilometer (62,000-square-mile) region administered by Guyana should fall within its borders -— a contention [ … ]
Brazil: Cocaine Exports from Santos Port at All-Time High
Criminal groups are increasingly using the Santos Port in São Paulo state, Brazil, the largest in Latin America, to send cocaine to West Africa, the Global Initiative against Transnational Organized Crime indicated in a new report. According to the report, seizures on the Brazil-West Africa trade route increased dramatically from [ … ]
Coast Guard Cutter Crews Conduct First High-Seas Boarding off Coast of Peru under New Measure
The crews of the U.S. Coast Guard Cutters Alder, Terrell Horne, and an HC-130 Hercules aircraft recently completed the first high-seas boardings and inspections, in the Eastern Pacific Ocean, under a newly adopted conservation and management measure to monitor and inspect fishing and transshipment operations at-sea in the South Pacific [ … ]
Cubans Recruited to Fight in Ukraine with False Promises from Russia
Hundreds of Cubans have been recruited to join Russia in its war against Ukraine, motivated by the promise of financial rewards and Russian citizenship offered by online recruiters, CNN reported on September 19. Two young Cubans, Alex Vega and Androf Velazquez, were duped into believing they could get jobs in [ … ]
Iran Increasingly Turns to Latin America
Historically, Latin America’s relations with Iran have been nearly nonexistent. But in recent years, this region has become a priority for Iran in which to expand its influence and sphere of action. Such was confirmed by Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi in late 2021, following a meeting in Tehran with then [ … ]
Chile and Argentina Strengthen Interoperability with Viekaren 2023
Combined naval exercise Viekaren 2023, carried out in Puerto Williams, Chile, saw the deployment of Chilean and Argentine navy units in the waters of the Beagle Channel, at the southern tip, an area shared by both nations. The objective was to increase combined response capabilities in the event of a [ … ]
Brazilian Service Members Conduct Exercise Tápio with New York Air National Guard
Members of the Brazilian Army, Air Force, and Brazilian Navy conducted Joint Exercise (EXCON) Tápio 2023 with members of the New York Air National Guard, August 16-27. Participants conducted combat search and rescue activities around Campo Grande Air Base (BACG), in the Brazilian state of Mato Grosso do Sul. “EXCON [ … ]