The Colombian Navy’s Pacific Naval Force reported the destruction of three cocaine hydrochloride labs, each capable of producing 2 metric tons per month, in an offensive against the narco-guerrilla group National Liberation Army (ELN, in Spanish). The operations took place in Chocó department, May 11-22. “Delegations of this war front, [ … ]
Rapid Response
Honduran Service Members Fight Forest Fires that Afflict the Country
About 5,000 elements of the Ecosystem and Environmental Management Support Command (C-9) of the Honduran Armed Forces deployed in different parts of Honduras to fight forest fires that have been devastating the country since early 2020. From January to mid-May, 835 forest fires damaged nearly 55,000 hectares, the Honduran National [ … ]
Brazilian Service Members Combat COVID-19
The Brazilian Armed Forces are employing their logistics structure to combat the COVID-19 pandemic. The work of service member has been crucial in fighting problems in the vast national territory with 8.5 million square kilometers. Ten joint commands, strategically activated across the country, carry out these operations. An example of [ … ]
Armed Forces and International Agencies Combat the Spread of Coronavirus Among Venezuelan Refugees in Brazil
Boa Vista, in Roraima state, now has facilities specifically dedicated to providing services to refugees and vulnerable Brazilians. The state, in northern Brazil, has about 5,500 Venezuelans, who in addition to the crisis in their home country, face the threat of the coronavirus. The Protection and Care Area (APC, in [ … ]
SOUTHCOM, US Embassy Security Cooperation Office, Assist Honduras During COVID-19 Pandemic
Some 700 Honduran families are benefitting from humanitarian aid kits delivered by U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) to the National Risk Management System (SINAGER, in Spanish) of Honduras on May 8. These 700 hygiene kits contain soaps, toothpastes, brushes, sanitary napkins, toilet paper, and shampoo and were taken to prioritized sectors [ … ]
Brazilian Armed Forces Take Actions Against the Coronavirus
In the fight against the pandemic, the Brazilian Armed Forces are undertaking several activities, including ensuring the water supply, transporting protective equipment, disinfecting areas, food distribution, blood donations, and guidance for the population. The Brazilian Air Force (FAB, in Portuguese), launched its initiative on May 4. FAB’s Logistics Support Operations [ … ]
Fight Against Coronavirus Mobilizes Service Members Specialized in Biological Defense
In Brazil, service members specialized in Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear defense (CBRN) carry out hundreds of activities for Operation COVID-19 that the Brazilian Ministry of Defense launched to fight the spread of coronavirus in the country. “Specialized personnel focus on disinfecting high traffic areas or locations where people tested [ … ]
Honduran Service Members Deliver Food to People Amid Coronavirus Lockdown
About 4,000 elements of the Honduran Armed Forces deliver food to the most vulnerable populations in the country, who are on lockdown as part of the government’s measures to curb the coronavirus spread. Food distribution efforts, which began on March 25 in Tegucigalpa, will continue in other departments to deliver [ … ]
Central America Resorts to Isolation Against COVID-19
With the advance of the coronavirus in the western hemisphere, Central American countries are under states of emergency and curfews. Their armed forces are taking several measures to halt the advance of the global threat in their territories, without neglecting their daily duties to counter crime. El Salvador was the [ … ]
Brazil Increases Fight Against Novel Coronavirus
Since January 2020, when the world went on alert about the coronavirus, Brazilian service members have been intensifying the fight against the pandemic. The same has happened in the majority of Latin American countries that rely on the armed forces to strengthen measures against the spread of the virus. Assignments [ … ]
COVID-19 Fuels Economic Depression In Nicaragua
Nicaragua’s economy contracted 10 percent in the last two years, and is expected to continue its decline due to the endless socio-political crisis. Furthermore, the coronavirus (COVID-19) impact could hasten the economy’s collapse, says nongovernmental organization Nicaraguan Foundation for Economic and Social Development (FUNIDES, in Spanish) in its report Economic [ … ]
Colombia Deploys Service Members to Contain COVID-19 Spread
Colombia is fighting to contain the coronavirus spread with a robust package of measures authorities took after declaring a state of national emergency focused on a lockdown, which started at 12 a.m. on March 23. The mandatory order will last until at least April 13. The country reported its first [ … ]