A U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations report, accusing China of promoting an authoritarian atmosphere in cyberspace, says that the Venezuelan regime has taken full advantage of China’s hardware and services to control Venezuelans. The report, commissioned by Democrat Senator Bob Menéndez, says that Venezuela owns internet and mobile network [ … ]
Transnational Threats
US, Other Nations to Continue Recognizing Guaidó despite Maduro’s Scheduled Elections
With the announcement by Venezuelan Interim President Juan Guaidó and other opposition parties that conditions do not currently exist for free and fair elections in Venezuela, the United States vowed they will continue to recognize the decisions made by the National Assembly, and Guaidó as the legitimate leader of Venezuela. [ … ]
Guatemalan Army Destroys Coca Crops
On June 25, Guatemalan Army personnel found coca crops and a lab in a hard-to-reach jungle area of Petén, Guatemala’s northernmost department, the Army said on Twitter. The discovery was made following a three-day patrol with about 200 troops of the Army’s First Infantry Brigade, with support from the National [ … ]
The Path to Democracy in Venezuela
What is the best way for Venezuela to restore democracy? Venezuela is at a crossroads. The country has been on the path to authoritarianism since Nicolás Maduro took power in 2013. Since then, he has led Venezuela down a road of economic and democratic destitution. Interim President Juan Guaidó is [ … ]
Panama Seizes More than 1 Ton of Cocaine in Pacific Waters
In two simultaneous operations, units of the Panamanian Air and Naval Service (SENAN, in Spanish) seized 1,049 kilograms of cocaine, a semisubmersible, and a go-fast vessel, and arrested six Colombians in Panama’s coastal Pacific waters. According to SENAN’s Intelligence, during both operations carried out in late June, personnel used SENAN’s [ … ]
Under Maduro, Nearly all Venezuelans Live in Poverty
The illegitimate regime of Nicolás Maduro has thrust 96 percent of Venezuelans into poverty, a new study found. The 2019–2020 National Survey of Living Conditions (ENCOVI, in Spanish), published by researchers at the Andrés Bello Catholic University in Caracas, shows that poverty levels in Venezuela spiked during 2019, officially rendering [ … ]
Uruguay Deals Blow to Organized Crime
On July 8, the Uruguayan Police, with the support of the Uruguayan Navy and Air Force, dismantled a narcotrafficking organization as part of Operation Guaraní. Law enforcement forces carried out more than 23 raids in several cities in Colonia department, as well as in Montevideo. Authorities arrested 29 people, including [ … ]
UN Report Cites Atrocities for Venezuelans in Mining Area
The Orinoco Mining Arc in Venezuela is rife with human rights abuses, including sexual exploitation and trafficking, and killings, according to a United Nations report. U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet released a report on July 15 that collected victim and witness accounts. They detail abuses committed against [ … ]
Guatemala Seizes 335 Kilograms of Cocaine in the Pacific
The Guatemalan National Civil Police (PNC, in Spanish) reported the seizure of 335 kilograms of cocaine on the Pacific coast on July 5. “We received information about a suspicious vessel, and together with international agencies that provide us with information, we proceeded to deploy a vessel from the Pacific Naval [ … ]
Abrams: Conditions for December Elections in Venezuela Worse than in 2018
Venezuela is now less prepared for free and fair elections than it was in 2018, when the results of the presidential elections were rejected by more than two dozen countries, U.S. Special Representative for Venezuela Elliot Abrams said on July 28. “The conditions for free and fair elections are actually [ … ]
Honduran Armed Forces Destroy Coca Field
In early July, following months of investigation, the Honduran Armed Forces, with the support of the Office of the Attorney General against Organized Crime and the Technical Criminal Investigation Agency (ATIC, in Spanish), carried out an operation in the tropical rainforest near Limón municipality, Colón department, where they destroyed a [ … ]
Colombian Military Forces Deal Blow to GAO in Guaviare
In late June, in different operations conducted in the Colombian Amazon, units of Joint Task Force Omega (FUTCO, in Spanish) dealt a heavy blow to the finances of the organized armed group (GAO, in Spanish) Seventh Structure, the Colombian Military Forces’ General Command (CGFM, in Spanish) said. On June 22, [ … ]