Artificial intelligence (AI), cybersecurity, and digital infrastructure are becoming increasingly important components of national security in Latin America. As government modernize public services and expand digital networks, concerns about cyberattacks, data protection, technological dependence, and the security of critical systems are moving closer to the center of national security planning.
In response, several countries are expanding technology partnerships designed to strengthen digital resilience and sovereign capabilities. Recent initiatives in Paraguay and Guatemala, supported by Taiwan and the United States, illustrate how cooperation on AI, cybersecurity, and digital infrastructure is becoming part of broader efforts to protect sensitive information, modernize government institutions, and reduce strategic vulnerabilities.
The growing emphasis on trusted technology partnerships reflects a broader concern among authorities and security experts about cyberespionage, dependence on foreign technologies, particularly those linked to China. and vulnerabilities within critical digital ecosystems. As critical government services, communications networks, and digital infrastructure become more interconnected, digital resilience is increasingly viewed as a national security priority rather than simply a technological issue.
Paraguay invests in strategic AI infrastructure
In early May, Paraguay and Taiwan announced an agreement to develop an AI center that combines Paraguay’s energy capacity with Taiwan’s technological expertise. The announcement came during Paraguay’s President Santiago Peña’s visit to Taipei and forms part of a broader agenda of cooperation in innovation, security, and digital development.
According to daily Focus Taiwan, the project includes the construction of data-processing infrastructure and the development of AI applications. Paraguay’s newspaper ABC reported that the center will operate under a binational framework similar to that of Itaipú and is projected, in its final phase, to reach a capacity of 1,000 MW, leveraging Paraguay’s abundant energy resources and Taiwan’s expertise in semiconductors and digital infrastructure.
Paraguayan authorities have highlighted the role of energy generated by the Itaipú and Yacyretá hydroelectric dams as one of the project’s key advantages. Reuters reported that government officials believe this capacity could attract investment in data processing and other sectors of the digital economy.
Beyond its economic implications, the initiative reflects growing recognition that data-processing capacity, digital infrastructure, and AI have important national security dimensions. Governments increasingly depend on digital systems to manage critical services, protect sensitive information, and support strategic decision-making. As a result, secure technological infrastructure has become an increasingly important component of institutional resilience.
For Paraguay, the project also represents an opportunity to strengthen national capabilities in emerging technologies while deepening cooperation with Taiwan, one of its closest international partners.
Guatemala strengthens cybersecurity resilience
Taiwan’s technological cooperation with its allies also extends to the field of cybersecurity.
According to the Taipei Times, Taiwan plans to support Guatemala through cybersecurity operations centers and training programs aimed at strengthening the protection of government networks and digital systems.
These efforts complement initiatives promoted by Taiwan and the United States through the Global Cooperation and Training Framework (GCTF). According to Taiwan Today, a workshop held in Guatemala in April, focused on cyber resilience and digital infrastructure, providing a platform for participants to exchange experiences and discuss technological risks, cybersecurity challenges, and regional cooperation.
The event brought together more than 100 experts from Guatemala, Japan, Taiwan, and the United States to discuss the protection of government systems and critical digital infrastructure. Since its creation in 2015, the GCTF has served as a mechanism for international cooperation and the exchange of technical expertise among partner countries.
The workshop took place amid growing concerns about cyber threats targeting government institutions throughout the region. In 2025, U.S. officials attributed a compromise of Guatemala’s Foreign Ministry systems to groups linked to China. Guatemalan authorities clarified the intrusion was associated with an incident originally detected in 2022. The case highlighted the potential consequences of foreign cyber operations and reinforced concerns about the security of sensitive government information.
A vulnerability that crosses borders
The Guatemalan case demonstrates how digital vulnerabilities can have consequences far beyond national borders, Juan Belikow, a political scientist and expert in security and organized crime at the University of Buenos Aires, told Diálogo.
“Those who have access to those networks, to that information, can create vulnerabilities in cyberspace. That is quite serious,” he said.
Belikow warned that a weakness in one country’s digital infrastructure can create risks for neighboring states as well. “The emergence of a vulnerability in Guatemala may be paving the way for other countries in the region, even those with higher levels of technological protection,” he said.
The expert also noted that governments often struggle to keep pace with rapidly evolving technological threats. “Legislation is even further behind than the institutional capacity to understand these issues,” he said.
Digital sovereignty and national security
The expansion of digital infrastructure is also fueling a broader debate about technological sovereignty and national security.
For many governments, the discussion extends beyond technology itself to questions of trust, transparency, control over sensitive data, and the long-term security implications of strategic technological dependencies, particularly as countries evaluate technology ecosystems and digital infrastructure supplied by external actors such as China. As countries evaluate options for expanding digital infrastructure, cybersecurity specialists increasingly emphasize the importance of trusted partnerships, interoperable systems, and clear governance frameworks that reduce exposure to cyberespionage and vulnerabilities within critical networks.
Belikow believes many countries in the region have not yet fully incorporated these challenges into their national security strategies.
“There is great concern in the region about these issues,” he said, while noting that many governments “do not yet consider this issue as part of national security, or not to the extent that they should.”
In his view, the debate also involves the role of private companies that manage critical technological infrastructure and services. “The discussion is not solely about sovereignty among states,” he said, but also concerns the relationship between “the public and the private sectors.”
For Belikow, the cooperation promoted by Taiwan and the United States forms part of broader efforts to strengthen the region’s digital capabilities and resilience. “The United States has made it very clear that it considers Latin America to be its primary area of focus,” he said.
For security, defense, and law enforcement professionals across Latin America and the Caribbean, the experiences of Paraguay and Guatemala offer an increasingly relevant lesson: Digital infrastructure is now critical infrastructure, and protecting it is part of national defense.
A compromised data center, government network, or diplomatic system is not merely a technical problem. It is a strategic vulnerability that can expose sensitive information, disrupt essential services, and create risks that extend beyond national borders.
As long as legislation, institutional capacity, and cybersecurity capabilities continue to lag behind the pace of emerging threats, the region will remain exposed. Incorporating cybersecurity, digital resilience, and technological sovereignty into national security strategies — while strengthening cooperation with trusted partners — is no longer a future requirement, but an operational necessity of the present.
