Get the latest security and defense stories from across the Americas.
The rapid expansion of illegal gold mining in Peru’s Amazon and border regions is reshaping criminal dynamics across the country as traditional coca-producing networks in the Apurímac, Ene and Mantaro Rivers Valley (VRAEM) and elsewhere increasingly invest capital and manpower in illicit mining operations. High global gold prices, the ease with which illicit gold can be laundered into legal markets,…
Chile is strengthening a growing network of regional and international partnerships as it confronts the expanding challenge of transnational organized crime. Through cooperation agreements with the United States, joint mechanisms with Argentina and Bolivia, and broader coordination initiatives with neighboring countries, Santiago is enhancing the intelligence, investigative, and operational capabilities needed to address criminal organizations that operate across borders. The…
Criminal organizations are increasingly adapting commercial drones across Latin America to bypass security measures, monitor law-enforcement activity, transport illicit materials, and support criminal operations from prisons and remote territories. Their growing accessibility and versatility present an evolving challenge for security, defense, and law enforcement agencies throughout the region. The threat in Ecuador’s prisons In late April, Ecuador’s Interior Minister John…
As concerns grow over China’s dominance of global rare earth and strategic mineral supply chains, Brazil is emerging as one of the world’s leading alternatives. According to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), the country holds approximately 11 million metric tons of rare earth reserves, the second largest in the world after China, in addition to significant deposits of other critical…
Weeks after two powerful earthquakes struck Venezuela on June 24, the international response has moved beyond the race to find survivors. The priorities now include sustaining displaced families, restoring essential services, assessing damaged buildings and infrastructure, expanding health care, and maintaining the logistics networks that allow assistance to reach affected communities. As those needs evolve, U.S. assistance is also moving…
As space becomes increasingly important to security and defense, Argentina is strengthening its aerospace capabilities to enhance surveillance of its territory, integrate satellite-derived information, and expand cooperation with regional and international partners. Leading that effort is Major General Plinio Guillermo Poma, commander of the Argentine Armed Forces Joint Aerospace Command (COCAE). An Argentine Air Force officer and fighter pilot, Maj.…
In the early hours of March 13, 2026, a small team of counternarcotics agents entered a residence in the Las Palmas neighborhood of Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia. The operation, the result of weeks of coordination and intelligence sharing between Bolivian authorities and international partners, had been prepared under strict information compartmentalization. Only a limited number of officials knew…
The two powerful earthquakes that struck Venezuela on June 24 once again underscored the enormous challenges countries face when a catastrophe overwhelms national response capabilities. Beyond the scale of the disaster itself, such events also test the speed, coordination, and effectiveness of regional and international cooperation. In an exclusive interview with Diálogo, retired Chilean Army General Ricardo Toro, former director…
U.S. Marine Corps General Francis L. Donovan, commander of U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM), met with President Daniel Noboa and senior Ecuadorian defense officials on March 2 in Quito, Ecuador, to discuss security cooperation and reaffirm the United States’ strong commitment to supporting the nation’s efforts to confront narco-terrorism and strengthen regional security. The March 1-2 trip to Ecuador was Gen.…
Demonstrating an unwavering commitment to ongoing disaster relief efforts, the amphibious transport dock USS San Antonio (LPD 17) arrived pierside in La Guaira, Venezuela, on July 9. The San Antonio seamlessly relieved the USS Fort Lauderdale (LPD 28) as the primary maritime component center in support of the U.S. Department of State-led humanitarian assistance mission following the devastating June 24…
When ABC News reported the rescue of a dog and her puppies from the rubble of the earthquake that devastated Venezuela, the story seemed like one of many moving accounts to emerge from the tragedy. But the dog did more than lead rescuers to her puppies. Her persistent barking drew their attention to a section of the rubble, where they…
Over the past several decades, security in Latin America and the Caribbean has seen both progress and setbacks in the face of increasingly sophisticated threats. While some countries have made significant progress in reducing violence, others continue to face the expansion of illicit economies and transnational criminal organizations. In an exclusive interview with Diálogo, former Minister of Defense of Colombia…
