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In the first part of this interview, Leonardo Coutinho, director of the Center for a Secure Free Society (SFS), painted a disturbing picture: Organized crime in Latin America is no longer a marginal phenomenon, but has become a potent political actor capable of disrupting economies, institutions, and regional stability. He highlighted Venezuela as the most extreme case of this transformation,…
Leonardo Coutinho, director of the Center for a Secure Free Society (SFS) and expert on drug trafficking, corruption, and transnational crime, spoke exclusively with Diálogo about the profound transformation of organized crime in Latin America. Coutinho warns that these structures are no longer just illicit businesses, but political actors with global influence. The most obvious case is Venezuela, where the…
In the first part of this interview, Carlos Sánchez Berzaín, director of the Inter-American Institute for Democracy (IID) and former Bolivian Defense minister, provided an assessment that reinforces the hemispheric debate on security and democracy in Latin America and the Caribbean. Sánchez Berzaín revealed how Venezuela went from being a failed state to becoming the operational epicenter of a continental…
Venezuela is facing a crisis. What began as a failed state under the Nicolás Maduro regime has metastasized into a functional criminal machine that threatens regional stability. Such is the assessment of the transformation and its geostrategic implications provided by Carlos Sánchez Berzaín, director of the Inter-American Institute for Democracy (IID) and former Bolivian Defense minister, in an exclusive interview…
In this in-depth interview with Diálogo, Ryan C. Berg, director of the Americas Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), discusses how China’s engagement with Latin America has evolved from a seemingly benign economic partnership into a complex web of strategic, political, and security entanglements. Over two decades after Beijing’s first major push into the region, China’s influence now…
In the first part of this interview, Luis Fleischman, an expert in international relations, sociology professor at Palm Beach State College, and founding co-chair of the Palm Beach Center for Democracy, revealed the criminal roots that sustain the Nicolás Maduro regime and its close collaboration with armed groups and illicit structures operating inside and outside Venezuela. In this second part,…
In this exclusive interview with Diálogo, Luis Fleischman, an expert in international relations, sociology professor at Palm Beach State College, and founding co-chair of the Palm Beach Center for Democracy, reveals the complex and murky criminal architecture that sustains the Nicolás Maduro regime. With a highly detailed perspective, Fleischman describes how Venezuela went from being an oil power to becoming…
Captain Érick Othmaro Granados Morán is a highly decorated officer with extensive experience in the Salvadoran Armed Forces. After serving as the commander of the La Unión Naval Base, he assumed command of the Salvadoran Naval Infantry. His career reflects a deep commitment to national defense, which is currently highlighted by the Salvadoran Navy’s record-breaking counternarcotics achievements. Under his command,…
Brigadier General Werner Kioe A Sen has led the Suriname Armed Forces (SAF) since late 2022. As only the second officer in SAF history to attain the rank of Brigadier General, he has successfully established the force as a reliable partner in regional security during his tenure. Brig. Gen. Kioe A Sen advocates for education as the foundation of military…
Captain Carlos Humberto Mota Ramírez is the officer leading the charge for the Guatemalan Armed Forces Naval Infantry Brigade, a role he assumed in 2024, after serving as the commander of the Pacific Naval Command. His mandate is not just to secure the nation’s critical coasts, but to execute a fundamental doctrinal transformation, turning a conventional unit into a true…
Army General César Augusto Moreno Landaira, commander of the Paraguayan Military Forces, assumed the nation’s highest military leadership post in late 2023. As a seasoned career officer, he has been tasked with spearheading the essential modernization and professionalization of Paraguay’s armed services amid a dynamic and complex regional security environment. Diálogo had the opportunity to speak with Gen. Moreno during…
Colonel (Capitán de Navío) Luis Kon Becerra, commander of the Ecuadorian Marine Corps, is a highly experienced officer whose career has been marked by strategic influence both domestically and abroad. His previous assignments include crucial diplomatic service as the Naval Attaché in Santiago, Chile, and a significant role in the military doctrine as the former director of the Ecuadorian Naval…
