U.S. Marine Corps General Francis L. Donovan, commander of U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) visited Peru, October 13-15 to advance joint efforts to combat narcoterrorism and hemispheric threat networks (HTNs) in support of the Americas Counter-Cartel Coalition (ACCC) and strengthen the U.S.-Peru security partnership.
This was Gen. Donovan’s first visit to Peru as SOUTHCOM commander.
During the visit, Gen. Donovan joined U.S. Ambassador to Peru Bernie Navarro to travel to Iquitos with Defense Minister Rafael Belaúnde Llosa and General César Augusto Briceño Valdivia, chief of the Peruvian Armed Forces Joint Command, to meet with senior Peruvian military officers and personnel conducting operations against narcoterrorist networks. The agenda also included a tour of the Loreto region.
The U.S. and Peruvian leaders also laid the groundwork for greater cooperation against the narcoterrorist networks that spread violence and threaten stability in the Apurímac, Ene y Mantaro Rivers Valley (VRAEM).
“In the Western Hemisphere, narcoterrorists’ complete lack of respect for humanity, authority, or sovereignty represents one of the greatest threats to our people and our communities. Peru and 18 regional nations formed the Americas Counter-Cartel Coalition to take decisive action against these narcoterrorists — a coalition committed to ending their terror, violence, and corruption,” Gen. Donovan said.
“Peru brings extensive experience in countering narcoterrorists to the coalition. As we work to dismantle these hemispheric threat networks, Peru’s expertise will strengthen joint efforts to enhance regional security, while the coalition’s combined capabilities will bolster Peru’s efforts to protect its citizens and safeguard its sovereignty,” he said.
All bilateral initiatives strictly uphold Peruvian constitutional authority and national sovereignty, focusing shared capabilities on partner-requested priorities to impose systemic friction on illicit networks.
Under the ACCC framework, coalition partners are expanding actionable intelligence sharing, reinforcing border and critical infrastructure security, and severing adversary supply lines to dismantle threat networks.
The visit underscored more than two centuries of bilateral friendship and reaffirmed the U.S. Department of War’s and SOUTHCOM’s steadfast partnership with the Peruvian Armed Forces.
“Peru is a vital member of the Americas Counter-Cartel Coalition and an enduring security partner,” Gen. Donovan said. “Both of our nations share a mutual commitment to defending national sovereignty, protecting citizens, and ensuring security and prosperity across our hemisphere.”
