Get the latest security and defense stories from across the Americas.
A division of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army, dedicated to intercepting communications of other world powers, operates the scientific base in Patagonia. The Argentine province of Neuquén is known for its lakes, volcanoes, ski slopes, and oil fields. Its latest feature, however, clashes with the Patagonian landscape: a 450-ton, 48-meter high by 35-meter wide antenna, operated by the Chinese military.…
Overindebtedness, corruption, and loss of strategic infrastructure are some of the dangers the region is exposed to. China’s advance into the Central American region is undeniable. In the last decade, half of the countries belonging to the Central American Integration System (SICA, in Spanish) broke off relations with Taiwan to establish diplomatic ties with China. The rational of Central American…
Russian interest in Latin America increased in 2008 and 2014 to distract attention from crises in Georgia and Ukraine. Since the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, the Russian Federation’s interest in Latin America has steadily declined, except for two activity spikes in 2008 and 2014. Both were associated with the Russians’ need to distract attention from crises in…
Following Jean Manes’ statements, the private sector cautioned the Salvadoran government not to start a trade war. Manes warned of “geopolitical” consequences. U.S. Ambassador to El Salvador Jean Manes said that China seeks to expand in Central America and the Caribbean by way of countries’ vulnerabilities to “militarize the region.” In the case of El Salvador, the point of access…
U.S. Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis has cautioned South American allies against Chinese aggression, slamming what he called China’s “predatory economics” and its militarization of increasingly important areas in both sea and space. Speaking to a group of military students in Rio de Janeiro, Mattis called for partnering with Brazilians to defend American assets in space, adding that steps toward…
In a speech for an international audience at the Brazilian Army War College, U.S. Secretary of Defense James Mattis reinforced democracy as an inherent right of people in the Americas. U.S. Secretary of Defense James Mattis visited South America for the first time. His first stop August 13, 2018 was Brazil, where he held meetings with Brazilian Defense Minister Joaquim…
High-profile U.S. officials have visited South America in recent weeks to signal strength in inter-American alliances amid U.S. competitors’ increased interest in the region. High-profile U.S. officials have visited South America in recent weeks to signal strength in inter-American alliances amid U.S. competitors’ increased interest in the region. Speaking to reporters while traveling to Brazil Sunday, U. S. Secretary of…
Fake news sponsored by the Kremlin aims to weaken western sources of information, democratic institutions, and reduce the overall influence of the West. Russia’s rebound in international politics after the collapse of the Soviet Union has roused many in America’s foreign policy establishment. Longtime Russian experts are warning Washington about Moscow’s growing threat to democracies around the world—including democracies in…
Networked threats in Latin America pose a danger to U.S. national security and erode stability in the region. Addressing these threats goes beyond stopping drug trafficking, the smuggling of weapons and other illicit goods and human trafficking, Navy Adm. Kurt W. Tidd told the Center for Strategic and International Studies in a discussion on maritime security on October 18. "Instead,…
A top Argentine prosecutor formally accused Iran on May 29 of opening secret intelligence stations in several South American countries to plan and conduct terror attacks.
Chinese hackers have gained access to secret designs for a slew of sophisticated U.S. weapons programs, officials said on May 28, possibly jeopardizing the U.S. Military’s technological edge.
The U.S. Department of the Treasury is taking action against 20 individuals and entities for their involvement in Iran’s nuclear and missile proliferation networks and its continued attempts to circumvent sanctions.
