Latin America and the Caribbean face increasing challenges from climate change, including extreme weather events, flooding, and landslides, among others. In recent years, the region suffered major environmental disasters that have affected thousands of people. In November 2020, hurricanes Eta and Iota caused widespread destruction in Central America, leading U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM), as part of its commitment to the region, to deploy hundreds of military personnel to assist in humanitarian aid efforts.
In the wake of these events, in 2022, SOUTHCOM facilitated the first ever aptly named CENTAM Guardian exercise, to build resilience and confidence across the Central American region. The multinational exercise, held yearly since then, seeks to improve rapid response capability to disasters and promote cooperation among participating forces, Guatemalan Army Major Ann Marie Argueta, spokesperson for the Ministry of National Defense, told Diálogo.
“It’s an exercise through which areas of cooperation are identified to meet common objectives, as part of the hemispheric strategy, in addition to offering humanitarian aid to face threats such as narcotrafficking, organized crime, and natural disasters,” Maj. Argueta said. “We seek to improve interoperability among participating armies and develop rapid response joint capabilities to crises.”
CENTAM Guardian evolution
The first iteration of the exercise was carried out in May 2022, in El Salvador, with the participation of security and military personnel from Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Panama. Divided into three phases across three weeks, the first CENTAM Guardian, consisted of disaster response humanitarian assistance field training, table-top, and operational command post exercises, addressing emergency plans for natural disasters as well as operations in the fight against transnational organized crime.
“It’s not a matter of ‘if’ but ‘when,’” said Jesús Escalona, then Costa Rica Red Cross director of operations, a firefighter instructor today, addressing the reality of the region.
In 2023, the second iteration of the exercise was carried out in two stages: one in March in Guatemala, and the second in the Dominican Republic in May. Participating countries trained in multidomain rapid response security operations, while improving their capability for hemispheric cooperation and collaboration.
“CENTAM Guardian has a concept to strengthen the capabilities to plan, support, and coordinate combined actions, which contribute to the deployment of military resources and humanitarian assistance during a natural disaster,” Dominican Army Lieutenant General Carlos Díaz Morfa, then minister of Defense, said during the event’s opening ceremony, addressing the importance of the exercise. “These exercises are crucial before the hurricane season because they increase our response capabilities.”
In 2024, CENTAM Guardian took participants to Honduras first, where they took part in training on cybersecurity, combat skills, and counternarcotics operations, before moving on to Costa Rica. There, participants honed their skills on urban rescue, geospatial mapping, and victim recognition and evacuation, among other exercises.
New edition
The 2025 edition, slated for May 12-23, in Guatemala, returns to its single stage format. While traditionally the exercise has focused on the Central American region, this year’s iteration will see the participation of service members from Argentina, Brazil, and Chile, in addition to their Central American counterparts. For Maj. Argueta, the inclusion of South American countries will be an interesting evolution in the traditional format, expanding the geographical and strategic scope of the exercise.
“In this edition, we will be able to carry out a variety of field exercises, such as earthquake, flood, and pandemic disaster drills, as well as humanitarian assistance training, medical, dental, and veterinary sessions,” said Maj. Argueta. “We will also be able to practice disaster relief operations; construction projects; repairs of schools, clinics, and roads; and training on human rights and assistance to vulnerable populations.”
“In the case of Guatemala, as the host country, it has the opportunity to show its organizational capacity and commitment to the security and defense of the region, as well as to promote the exchange of knowledge and experiences to contribute to the integral development of its citizens,” Maj. Argueta concluded.
