On October 13, I presented work on foreign deepwater fishing fleets in Latin America, to a virtual event held by the highly respected World Commission on Environmental Law (WCEL). The event was held as 340 fishing vessels, mostly Chinese, moved from the Galápagos Islands, where they were believed to have illegally fished in a United Nations World [ … ]
The Russian Federation considers the Latin American (LATAM) region one of the main areas of its ongoing global outreach. Despite a relatively light footprint in terms of manpower and materiel, Russia has managed to maintain and strengthen its military-security relationship with three key states: Venezuela, Cuba, and Nicaragua. Moscow is [ … ]
On the 90th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA), August 1, 2017, China opened its first overseas naval base in the eastern African country of Djibouti. Questions regarding China’s future intentions quickly ensued: Would China open another such facility? If so, where and how soon? Though [ … ]
Over the last 10 years, China has flooded Latin America with money, with more than $117 billion in loans, making the region one of the world’s most indebted to the Chinese government. The conditions of these loans, which some politicians have described as predatory, worry economists. Latin America, along with [ … ]
When federal prosecutors in New York unsealed an indictment against a former Venezuelan lawmaker in May 2020, it included the stunning charge that the accused, Adel El Zabayar, was part of conspiracy by the Nicolás Maduro regime to assist Middle Eastern terrorist groups Hezbollah and Hamas to commit attacks against [ … ]
According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), an agency with the mandate to protect refugees, more than 4.5 million Venezuelans have left their country, escaping difficult economic, social, and political conditions over a period of seven years. The exodus can be divided into two waves. The first [ … ]
At the 2018 United Nations General Assembly, U.S. President Donald Trump boasted, “It has been the formal policy of our country since President [James] Monroe that we reject the interference of foreign nations in this hemisphere.” In 1823, Monroe was referring principally to Western European powers whose imperial designs knew [ … ]
Nicolás Maduro and his cronies remain in control in Venezuela despite intense diplomatic pressure to move to a democratic transition, economic sanctions, and international recognition of Juan Guaidó as the acting president of Venezuela since January 23, 2019. The Maduro regime oppresses the population, destroyed the legitimate economy, engages in [ … ]
Ambassador Jean Manes, U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) civilian deputy to the commander and foreign policy adviser, led a discussion on “Women, Peace, and Security in the Hemisphere" during Florida International University’s (FIU) fifth annual Hemispheric Security Conference (HSC) on May 19. The discussion was moderated by Dr. Cristina Rodriguez-Acosta, assistant director for Institutional [ … ]
May 8, 2020, marked the 75th year since V-E Day, the Allied victory in Europe, during World War II. On this anniversary we pay tribute to Brazilian efforts in defeating evil and restoring peace, as we cannot overlook the importance of military bonds of comradery. Accounts of Allied contributions cited [ … ]
The United States announced a $15 million reward for information leading to the arrest of Nicolás Maduro on drug-trafficking charges, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on March 26. Pompeo announced the reward as the Justice Department unveiled charges against Maduro, indicting him and top members of his regime for [ … ]
The Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) worldview and quest for domestic and international hegemony threaten to reverse Latin American and Caribbean’s democratic and market-based economic principles that have facilitated regional stability for nearly 30 years. Beijing’s Latin America and Caribbean policy is based on China’s economic power, leading many observers to [ … ]
For more on security and defense issues around the globe, click on the links below:
