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 [ … ]
The United States-Colombia Action Plan is one of the farthest-reaching programs the United States promotes, with the support of Colombia. The United States-Colombia Action Plan (USCAP) for Regional Security is a cooperation agreement Colombia and the United States signed during former U.S. President Barack Obama’s visit to the April 2012 [ … ]
In the volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous environment in which we live today, partnerships become the most important operational approach to face global and regional challenges. Threats to our regional security and prosperity are not delineated by physical borders; they operate across multi-domains (land, maritime, air, space, and cyberspace) within [ … ]
Latin American and Caribbean countries should force China to follow the rule of law to preserve the integrity of its institutions. Chinese involvement in Latin America is largely a result of China’s 21st century rise as a global economic and political power. China’s total trade with the region grew from [ … ]
Bigfoot, a 53-foot, self-propelled semi-submersible (SPSS) traveled full speed on the Eastern Pacific waters. The U.S. Coast Guard cutter Steadfast interdicted it off the west coast of Costa Rica in November 2006 and found 4.1 tons of cocaine. The Costa Rican Coast Guard towed the vessel into port and later [ … ]
For more on security and defense issues around the globe, click on the links below:
