Crop cultivation and the chemicals used to produce drugs have a direct impact on the hemisphere’s flora, soils, fauna, and rivers. Countries like Colombia and Peru are rapidly losing their natural resources and ecosystems due to narcotrafficking, which clears forests to grow marijuana, as well as coca to produce cocaine [ … ]
Transnational Threats
Colombian Navy Seizes $9 Million Worth of Cocaine
In the early morning hours of May 21, the Colombian Navy seized a large shipment of cocaine off its southern Pacific coast, valued at more than $9 million. Acting on information from naval intelligence, a Colombian Coast Guard unit from the Tumaco station was deployed. The unit detected a boat [ … ]
Pompeo Announces Additional $200 Million Aid to Venezuelans
The United States announced a new $200 million aid package for Venezuelans, both inside and outside the country, including $138 million for humanitarian assistance. “The United States continues to be a catalyst for the international response to help the Venezuelan people and the region to respond to the ongoing humanitarian [ … ]
ELN Dealt Serious Blow as Colombian Security Forces Neutralize High Ranking Leader
Colombia’s relentless assault against narco-terrorist organizations and other guerilla groups continues to pay dividends as the Ministry of Defense announced the death of another high-ranking terrorist leader. During an operation on May 14 involving Colombian security forces in the northern Bolívar department, a man known as Gallero from the National [ … ]
Venezuela Turns to Iran to Revive Oil Production
Amid nationwide gasoline shortages that have prompted fuel rationing and protests at gas stations, Venezuela has turned to Iran for help reviving its ailing oil industry. In late May, four of five Iranian tankers carrying fuel to Venezuela arrived to the South American country and docked at ports serving its [ … ]
US Coast Guard Cutter Offloads 13 Metric Tons of Drugs
Units assigned to U.S. Southern Command’s (SOUTHCOM) enhanced counternarcotics operations, which launched on April 1, continue to support operations, in cooperation with 22 partner nations, to increase surveillance, disruption, and seizures of drug shipments and strengthen eradication efforts in the Caribbean Sea and Eastern Pacific Ocean. The U.S. has deployed [ … ]
The Cuban Threat in Latin America
The Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation held the digital conference “The Cuban Threat in Latin America” on May 14. Among the topics discussed were the influence of Cuba in Venezuela and Nicaragua, and how disinformation campaigns promoted by Havana have been destroying democracies and maintaining military interventions in those countries. [ … ]
Colombian Forces Destroy Massive Cocaine Laboratory
In late April, the Military Forces of Colombia, with support from the Office of the Attorney General’s Technical Investigation Corps and the United States, found a large complex for the production of cocaine in a rural area of Nariño department, in the Pacific coast of Colombia. The complex, consisting of [ … ]
Colombia Neutralizes ELN Commander
The Colombian government announced on May 14 that four members of the National Liberation Army (ELN, in Spanish) including the left-wing terrorist armed group’s commander had been neutralized by units of the Colombian Military Forces, in coordination with the National Police and with the support of the Attorney General’s Office. “Alias [ … ]
Colombia to Offer Benefits to Members Leaving Armed Groups
In late April, the Colombian government announced it would offer benefits to members of organized armed groups (GAO, in Spanish), who want to reenter civil society. The policy would apply to members of the National Liberation Army (ELN, in Spanish), dissidents of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC, in [ … ]
Cuba to Join Venezuela on US Blacklist for Not Cooperating on Counterterrorism
Cuba has been placed back on the list of countries that do not cooperate fully with the United States’ efforts to counter terrorism, the U.S. State Department announced on May 13. The move comes after the communist government continues to harbor Colombia’s leftist National Liberation Army (ELN, in Spanish) guerrillas, [ … ]
How to Prevent Another Failure of Democracy in Venezuela
It’s been two years since the illegitimate election of Nicolás Maduro, during which time Venezuela has plunged into even greater turmoil and suffering. Within five days of the May 20, 2018, election, 46 countries declared the results illegitimate, according to the Electoral Integrity Project. The Project is an independent academic [ … ]