Local looters sell the artifacts to local or regional buyers, who in turn sell to international traffickers. They smuggle the artifacts across borders by bribing authorities and using falsified documents declaring the goods modern Indian-style crafts for legal export, The Associated Press reported. Artisanal workshops in Peru and Bolivia draw upon cultural knowledge to manufacture reproductions of artifacts using original molds, clay and minerals to make the paint for the items. Archeology.org reported that pieces are then marketed and sold as genuinely pre-Columbian. Internet auction sites have provided a hard-to-regulate forum for the illicit trade. Once sold on the Western market, objects continue to circulate for years, perhaps centuries, generating multiple transactions. Global-Regional Concern: Archaeological artifacts are in high demand by private dealers, collectors and auction houses around the world. Antiquities smuggling is estimated to generate as much as $4 billion a year in the global black market, according to Interpol. Grave robbers in poor areas of Latin America loot ancient graves for cash, serving as the first link in the multimillion-dollar black market antiquities trade, The Associated Press reported. Such looting robs countries of their treasures and heritage, and destroys valuable research possibilities. By Dialogo January 01, 2010 For decades, looting has devastated pre- Columbian sites in Guatemala, Brazil, Costa Rica, Mexico, Ecuador and Bolivia. The looting of Peru’s pre-Columbian artifacts began during the Spanish conquest in the 1500s. For centuries, locals have exploited tombs dating back as far as 3,000 B.C., plundering artifacts of gold, silver, precious stones, copper and even mummies. Four tons of fossils were stolen in 2008 from Argentina and later seized in the United States, including 200-million-year-old dinosaur eggs and fossilized prehistoric crabs. Looting of archaeological sites is also widespread throughout Africa and the Middle East. Criminal Method:
To counter Peru’s illicit trafficking of antiquities, the International Council of Museums produces the annual Red List of Peruvian Antiquities at Risk. The list is an appeal to museums, auction houses, art dealers and collectors to provide all the necessary guarantees of origin for every purchase of a cultural antiquity coming from Peru. It also helps police and customs officers identify art market objects whose origin is questionable. U.S. museums and galleries are trying to slow the tide of cultural artifacts entering the country, and have agreed in recent years to repatriate artifacts to their countries of origin. Taking Action: Trafficking Corridor:
By Dialogo November 08, 2010 An international gang of drug traffickers detained by the authorities used a hearse to transport drugs in northern Argentina, near the border with Bolivia, the Gendarmes (the border police) announced. The Gendarmes detained seven drug traffickers, three of whom were Bolivians residing in Argentina, and among the items seized in six simultaneous operations was “a hearse-type vehicle belonging to a border mutual society, which was used for transporting drugs.” The vehicle is one normally used to transport coffins in funeral processions, the security force added. In the operations carried out in the northern cities of San Salvador de Jujuy, La Quiaca, and Salta, the Gendarmes also seized “fifty-five kilos of cocaine, a weapon, ammunition, 250,000 pesos (62,500 dollars), and 50,000 dollars, together with items for processing and cutting narcotics and mixing them with other substances.” The organization had been under investigation for seventeen months, the security force indicated.
The Central American Bank for Economic Integration (BCIE) turned over to Honduras 100 million dollars of a loan for various programs, including the fight against poverty, the regional institution announced in a statement. “In order to back Honduras’s efforts to meet the Millennium Goals, the Central American Bank for Economic Integration (BCIE) disbursed 100 million dollars to the country in a multi-sector loan, which was signed on 29 November,” the announcement noted. BCIE acting president Alejandro Rodríguez indicated that the 100 million dollars is part of a larger fund of 280 million dollars from the so-called “Multi-sector Emergency, Fiscal Strengthening, and Social Equity Program.” He added that the resources will be directed toward meeting six of the eight Millennium Development Goals, with the aim of “eradicating extreme poverty and hunger, supporting primary education, reducing infant mortality, improving maternal health, guaranteeing environmental sustainability, and promoting gender equality and women’s autonomy.” According to Rodríguez, the BCIE has disbursed approximately 160 million dollars to Honduras to finance a variety of projects, including road infrastructure, road signs and signals, hospital equipment, and a variety of social projects, among others. By Dialogo December 02, 2010
By Dialogo December 14, 2010 I think it a good initiative on the part of Brazil, either way congratulations. Maybe in the future all of our South American countries will unite to reinforce our technology and not depend as much on other more powerful countries. It is good that Brazil has that level of development Hurray for Brazil, may this technological advancement it has reached be a benefit not only for the Brazilian people but for humanity and this way hunger, desertification and natural disasters can be fought with better tools, I have great respect for Brazil because it is like our older brother that is mature and balanced. Congratulations. It is excellent that Brazil is working in this area but we must embrace it carefully and with a lot of consideration. Brazil on Sunday, December 12th, successfully launched a midsized unmanned rocket into space, with hundreds of kilograms (pounds) in cargo and experiments in tow, space officials here said. Scientists from the Agencia Espacial Brasilena (AEB) said the VSB-3 rocket took off from the Alcantara Launch Center in northeast Brazil, reaching an altitude of some 242 kilometers (389 miles). Officials said the rocket, designed by Brazilian and German scientists, carried some 400 kilograms (881 pounds) in cargo, as well as various micro-gravity experiments for several academic institutions. The rocket soared for about 18 minutes before splashing down some 145 miles (233 kilometers) off Brazil’s Atlantic coast, where it was retrieved by the air force and marines. Brazil aims to join China and Russia as a top emerging economy with its own space program. The launch is seen as a major accomplishment for a program that has faced setbacks and tragedy over the years — including an August 2003 rocket accident at Alcantara that killed 21 Brazilian technicians and engineers.
By Dialogo January 04, 2011 Dilma Rousseff was sworn in as Brazil’s first female president Saturday, January 1st, in a ceremony which saw her take over from hugely popular leader Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. Rousseff, Lula’s 63-year-old former cabinet chief, assumed the presidency in Brazil’s Congress after a short motorcade ride under steady rain during which she waved to an estimated 70,000 well-wishers lining Brasilia’s streets. She swore an oath to the lawmakers before signing official documents making her Brazil’s head of state. The new leader then gave her first speech to the nation as president. She swore she would protect the most vulnerable in Brazil’s society and “govern for all.” She also paid homage to Lula, saying she had been honored to serve under him and pledged to maintain her predecessor’s “victories.” Rousseff, wearing a white skirt outfit and looking relaxed and happy, was to go from the Congress to the presidential palace, where Lula would be waiting to give her the green-and-gold presidential sash and Latin American presidents were to welcome her. Lula, who was required to step down after serving the maximum two consecutive terms permitted under Brazil’s constitution, threw his formidable popularity and charisma into getting Rousseff elected his successor. He has not said what he plans to do in retirement, though he commented weeks ago that he was a “natural born politician” who would not rule out maybe trying to return to the presidency after Rousseff’s four-year mandate was over.
Legislative delegations from 60 nations of Latin America and the European Union will meet in Mexico next week to draw up recommendations on combating organized crime in advance of the presidential summit to be held in Chile in June, one of the organizers announced on February 13. The legislators who make up the EUROLAT Political Affairs and Security Committee meet twice a year. The last meeting was in Belgium in November, and the meeting this time will be from February 21 to 23 in the Mexican capital. Mexican Senator José Guadarrama, co-chair of the committee, explained that the recommendations they issue will be submitted to the summit of heads of state of the two regions, with the aim that the presidents “know what we’re thinking in the parliaments.” He added that the chosen topic is “of the greatest importance,” pointing to drug trafficking as “so severe a plague around the world, particularly in Mexico.” The meeting will be attended by the Mexican foreign minister, Patricia Espinosa, and other members of the government, in addition to experts from the United Nations and the Organization of American States. EUROLAT was constituted in 2006 and represents 33 Latin American and Caribbean legislatures and the 27 members of the European Union. The interparliamentary meeting will take place in Mexico, which is facing a wave of violence that has left more than 50,000 dead over the last five years, with the majority of deaths attributed to conflicts between drug cartels and to the military offensive launched by the government against those organizations, but also including civilians without ties to organized crime. By Dialogo February 15, 2012
This strategy has drawn praise from United States authorities. The Colombian National Army and the civilian population of Panama’s Darién province are working with the Panamanian Border Service (SENAFRONT) to fight organized crime activities along the country’s border with Colombia. The collaboration is part of a holistic effort to crack down on illegal enterprises by the terrorist Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) and other unlawful groups. SENAFRONT has earned the confidence of the people of Darién in their efforts against the FARC, which maintained a strong presence in the region until 2009. “It’s clear that these strategies are producing good results,”saidthe U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement, William Brownfield. “There is a commitment between the governments of Panama, Colombia, and the United States to combat international crime and improve public safety,” Brownfield said. For example, SENAFRONT offers free medical examinations and nutrition workshops to people in Darién. Officials with SENAFRONT started 2015 by visiting all of the communities in Darién to distribute gifts to children and young people in celebration of Three Kings’ Day. It was not the first time SENAFRONT authorities provided assistance to the people of the Darién community, however. In November, to commemorate SENAFRONT’s sixth anniversary, officials provided wheelchairs, mattresses, tool kits, machetes, shovels, bags of food, and powdered milk to support the community. Community engagement and enforcement To encourage civilian residents to cooperate with SENAFRONT in the fight against illegal activities. As a consequence of such community engagement and strong law enforcement operations, SENAFRONT has routed the FARC from the Darién región. SENAFRONT is also reaching out to the civilian population through the Vecinos Vigilantes (Vigilant Neighbors) program, which encourages the civilian population to provide law enforcement authorities with information about suspicious activities, according to SENAFRONT Deputy Commissioner Luis Trejos. The initiative also provides educational programs and sports activities for children and adolescents. Vecinos Vigilantes has two main objectives: “It’s clear that these strategies are producing good results,”saidthe U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement, William Brownfield. The group used the camp to rest and to organize and launch criminal activities, such as drug trafficking and illegal mining. It was used by 50 to 60 people, according to Ábrego. The alleged members of the criminal group fled. Drug seizures are one important metric that shows that the strategy is working, but SENAFRONT, in cooperation with Colombia and the U.S., will continue to protect Panama’s borders, according to Deputy Minister of Public Security Rogelio Donadío. Panama, Colombia, and the United States cooperate in the fight against drug trafficking and other organized crime enterprises, primarily by sharing information. Panama, Colombia, and the United States cooperate in the fight against drug trafficking and other organized crime enterprises, primarily by sharing information. As a result of these efforts, drug trafficking through Panama to northern markets, including the United States, has decreased by 50 percent, according to Brownfield. In September 2014, Assistant Secretary Brownfield visited various rural communities in the province of Darién and highlighted the efforts by Panamanian authorities to dismantle the settlements used by organizations involved in the trafficking of illegal substances. The Colombian National Army and the civilian population of Panama’s Darién province are working with the Panamanian Border Service (SENAFRONT) to fight organized crime activities along the country’s border with Colombia. This strategy has drawn praise from United States authorities. “There is a commitment between the governments of Panama, Colombia, and the United States to combat international crime and improve public safety,” Brownfield said. COMBIFRON allows law enforcement authorities from both nations to share information, monitor developments in remote areas, such as the Darién region, and develop strategies to improve public safety. It was not the first time SENAFRONT authorities provided assistance to the people of the Darién community, however. In November, to commemorate SENAFRONT’s sixth anniversary, officials provided wheelchairs, mattresses, tool kits, machetes, shovels, bags of food, and powdered milk to support the community. Cooperation between Panama and Colombia in the fight against drug trafficking and other illegal activities was strengthened in 2008, with the creation of the Binational Border Commission (COMBIFRON). The commission, comprised of intelligence and law enforcement authorities from both countries, established a full exchange of information between Panama and Colombia, in the fight against narco-trafficking and other illegal enterprises. As a consequence of such community engagement and strong law enforcement operations, SENAFRONT has routed the FARC from the Darién región. The group used the camp to rest and to organize and launch criminal activities, such as drug trafficking and illegal mining. It was used by 50 to 60 people, according to Ábrego. The alleged members of the criminal group fled. As a result of these efforts, drug trafficking through Panama to northern markets, including the United States, has decreased by 50 percent, according to Brownfield. Panama and Colombia cooperate to fight drug trafficking Cooperation between Panama and Colombia in the fight against drug trafficking and other illegal activities was strengthened in 2008, with the creation of the Binational Border Commission (COMBIFRON). The commission, comprised of intelligence and law enforcement authorities from both countries, established a full exchange of information between Panama and Colombia, in the fight against narco-trafficking and other illegal enterprises. SENAFRONT is also reaching out to the civilian population through the Vecinos Vigilantes (Vigilant Neighbors) program, which encourages the civilian population to provide law enforcement authorities with information about suspicious activities, according to SENAFRONT Deputy Commissioner Luis Trejos. The initiative also provides educational programs and sports activities for children and adolescents. Vecinos Vigilantes has two main objectives: For example, SENAFRONT offers free medical examinations and nutrition workshops to people in Darién. Officials with SENAFRONT started 2015 by visiting all of the communities in Darién to distribute gifts to children and young people in celebration of Three Kings’ Day. Officials from SENAFRONT and Troops with the Colombian Army have worked together on projects that include digging trenches to deter drug trafficking along the shared border between the two nations. Additionally, they’re developing community activities to engage with the population. Panama and Colombia cooperate to fight drug trafficking Community engagement and enforcement To provide positive activities for at-risk young people who might be susceptible to recruitment by the FARC and other organized crime groups. “We decided to strengthen ties with the border communities,” said General Frank Ábrego, SENAFRONT Director, whose team is responsible for developing a variety of social programs to benefit local residents. “We decided to strengthen ties with the border communities,” said General Frank Ábrego, SENAFRONT Director, whose team is responsible for developing a variety of social programs to benefit local residents. The collaboration is part of a holistic effort to crack down on illegal enterprises by the terrorist Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) and other unlawful groups. SENAFRONT has earned the confidence of the people of Darién in their efforts against the FARC, which maintained a strong presence in the region until 2009. In September 2014, Assistant Secretary Brownfield visited various rural communities in the province of Darién and highlighted the efforts by Panamanian authorities to dismantle the settlements used by organizations involved in the trafficking of illegal substances. To provide positive activities for at-risk young people who might be susceptible to recruitment by the FARC and other organized crime groups. COMBIFRON allows law enforcement authorities from both nations to share information, monitor developments in remote areas, such as the Darién region, and develop strategies to improve public safety. “Panama seizes 10 percent of the drugs that are produced in Colombia, which is a result of the work being carried out by the National Aeronaval Service (SENAN) and SENAFRONT, particularly along the coastal regions and the border with Colombia,” according to Panamanian Minister of Public Security Rodolfo Aguilera. “This has led the DEA [U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration) and U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) to congratulate the Panamanian government for these results.” By Dialogo February 23, 2015 Officials from SENAFRONT and Troops with the Colombian Army have worked together on projects that include digging trenches to deter drug trafficking along the shared border between the two nations. Additionally, they’re developing community activities to engage with the population. To encourage civilian residents to cooperate with SENAFRONT in the fight against illegal activities. An example of SENAFRONT’s enforcement initiatives was evident during Operation Nia Sapur, on December 13, when SENAFRONT forces dismantled a camp that allegedly belonged to the criminal group Autodefensas Gaitanistas de Colombia. The camp was located at the head of the Pucuru River, along the border between the provinces of Darién and Colombia. An example of SENAFRONT’s enforcement initiatives was evident during Operation Nia Sapur, on December 13, when SENAFRONT forces dismantled a camp that allegedly belonged to the criminal group Autodefensas Gaitanistas de Colombia. The camp was located at the head of the Pucuru River, along the border between the provinces of Darién and Colombia. “Panama seizes 10 percent of the drugs that are produced in Colombia, which is a result of the work being carried out by the National Aeronaval Service (SENAN) and SENAFRONT, particularly along the coastal regions and the border with Colombia,” according to Panamanian Minister of Public Security Rodolfo Aguilera. “This has led the DEA [U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration) and U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) to congratulate the Panamanian government for these results.” Drug seizures are one important metric that shows that the strategy is working, but SENAFRONT, in cooperation with Colombia and the U.S., will continue to protect Panama’s borders, according to Deputy Minister of Public Security Rogelio Donadío.
Colombian National Army destroys cocaine laboratory belonging to the FARC By Dialogo April 27, 2015 The National Police seized 6.5 tons of narcotics, including cocaine. The National Aeronaval Service (SENAN) confiscated 4.1 tons of mostly the same drugs, and the National Border Service (SENAFRONT) seized 2.1 tons of cocaine along with smaller amounts of heroin. By comparison, the National Police, SENAN, and SENAFRONT removed six tons of narcotics off the streets during the first quarter of 2014. Panama is also participating in Operation MARTILLO, a multinational mission to crack down on illicit drug trafficking routes in coastal waters along the Central American isthmus. Operation MARTILLO combines the forces of 14 countries in the Americas – Belize, Colombia, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama, Peru Canada, and the United States – along with France, the Netherlands, Spain, and the United Kingdom. They work together to combat international drug trafficking, enhance regional security, and promote peace, stability, and prosperity throughout the Caribbean and Central and South America. Since 2009, Panama, a key transshipment point for drug traffickers, has seized more than 276 tons of drugs. About 80 percent of the cocaine that reaches the United States comes through Mexico and Central America, the United Nations International Narcotics Control Board stated in its 2014 report. Panama’s Public Forces and National Police seized more than 13 tons of drugs during the first three months of 2015 — more than double what was seized during the same time frame a year earlier. Drug traffickers intended to transport the narcotics to the United States, Europe, Central America, and throughout Panama. SENAN and SENAFRONT are branches of Panama’s Public Forces that have protected the country since the government abolished the Military in 1990. The Army continues to ask residents to use hotline 146 to report any suspicious activity while they continue to combat violence and the trafficking of illicit goods nationwide. During the operation, they seized 250 kilograms of coca leaves, 24 kilograms of coca paste, 100 kilograms of cement, and two gallons of sulfuric acid, among other supplies and equipment. The Army didn’t immediately report whether Soldiers captured any suspects. SENAN and SENAFRONT are branches of Panama’s Public Forces that have protected the country since the government abolished the Military in 1990. Drug traffickers intended to transport the narcotics to the United States, Europe, Central America, and throughout Panama. Panama’s Public Forces and National Police seized more than 13 tons of drugs during the first three months of 2015 — more than double what was seized during the same time frame a year earlier. Soldiers with the Colombian National Army’s Sixth Division destroyed a cocaine laboratory belonging to the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia’s (FARC) Third Front in the Department of Meta. Panama is also participating in Operation MARTILLO, a multinational mission to crack down on illicit drug trafficking routes in coastal waters along the Central American isthmus. Operation MARTILLO combines the forces of 14 countries in the Americas – Belize, Colombia, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama, Peru Canada, and the United States – along with France, the Netherlands, Spain, and the United Kingdom. They work together to combat international drug trafficking, enhance regional security, and promote peace, stability, and prosperity throughout the Caribbean and Central and South America. During the first quarter of 2015, Public Forces and the National Police collectively conducted 806 drug-related cases, leading to the arrests of 423 suspects. International cooperation was an important component of these efforts; for example, Panamanian law enforcement authorities captured 28 of the suspects during operations with security forces from other countries and the U.S. Armed Forces. The Army continues to ask residents to use hotline 146 to report any suspicious activity while they continue to combat violence and the trafficking of illicit goods nationwide. During the first quarter of 2015, Public Forces and the National Police collectively conducted 806 drug-related cases, leading to the arrests of 423 suspects. International cooperation was an important component of these efforts; for example, Panamanian law enforcement authorities captured 28 of the suspects during operations with security forces from other countries and the U.S. Armed Forces. Since 2009, Panama, a key transshipment point for drug traffickers, has seized more than 276 tons of drugs. About 80 percent of the cocaine that reaches the United States comes through Mexico and Central America, the United Nations International Narcotics Control Board stated in its 2014 report. The National Police seized 6.5 tons of narcotics, including cocaine. The National Aeronaval Service (SENAN) confiscated 4.1 tons of mostly the same drugs, and the National Border Service (SENAFRONT) seized 2.1 tons of cocaine along with smaller amounts of heroin. By comparison, the National Police, SENAN, and SENAFRONT removed six tons of narcotics off the streets during the first quarter of 2014. Colombian National Army destroys cocaine laboratory belonging to the FARC During the operation, they seized 250 kilograms of coca leaves, 24 kilograms of coca paste, 100 kilograms of cement, and two gallons of sulfuric acid, among other supplies and equipment. The Army didn’t immediately report whether Soldiers captured any suspects. Soldiers with the Colombian National Army’s Sixth Division destroyed a cocaine laboratory belonging to the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia’s (FARC) Third Front in the Department of Meta. 
By Dialogo May 09, 2016 As a member of the System of Cooperation Among the American Air Forces (SICOFAA), the Ecuadorean Air Force (FAE) received immediate responses to its request for assistance just hours after the 7.8-magnitude earthquake rocked the Andean nation on April 16th , killing 650 and injuring more than 16,000. Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Peru, and Uruguay were the first to respond to FAE’s request by providing airlifts, food supplies, and personnel to carry out rescues. The Ecuadorean government specifically requested partner nations provide aircraft and rescue personnel to transport Military members, food and medical supplies to the areas most affected by the earthquake, FAE Colonel Mauricio Proaño, Ecuador’s Liaison Officer to SICOFAA, told Diálogo . In the hours and days that followed, SICOFAA nations such as Mexico, Honduras, the Dominican Republic, Canada, and Panama arrived in Ecuador to provide assistance and aid. Ecuador’s operations center oversaw the relief effort, as mandated by SICOFAA’s protocols. “We received the aid solicitation at the SICOFAA Permanent Secretariat (SPS) from the Ecuadorean Liaison Officer very early on [April 17th] and immediately disseminated it through the appropriate channels to the other Air Forces that are part of the organization,” U.S. Air Force Colonel Alberto Moreno, SICOFAA’s General Secretary, told Diálogo . “The members of SICOFAA know that the first 72 hours are vital in these types of tragedies. They acted quickly, following the established protocols.” While providing assistance to Ecuador, SICOFAA accomplished “exactly what is laid out in our doctrine and what we have been practicing over the years with both real and virtual exercises,” Col. Moreno added. “Of course, we would have preferred that this tragedy didn’t happen. But since Ecuador had the courage and the confidence to ask for SICOFAA’s help, we had the opportunity to use what we have learned during training and from other tragedies – like the earthquakes in Chile, Peru, and Haiti.” Col. Moreno remembers when the first support arrived in Haiti after a 7.3-magnitude earthquake that killed more than 230,000 struck in January 2010. “The aid began accumulating in the capital’s airport, and it was difficult to know exactly what the aid consisted of. It became chaos. After that experience, SICOFAA created an aid request booklet that the requesting country must fill out and send to the SPS. This way, we know exactly what the country requires and can, thus, be more efficient.” These lessons also allowed SICOFAA to work on other aspects of humanitarian assistance operations. For example, Spanish was the language used to communicate during the earthquake in Ecuador. Every country’s Air Force that arrived on the scene used the same communications system and software to coordinate their efforts. “In this case, we utilized that of Argentina with the same doctrine we have practiced in four exercises,” Col. Moreno stated. “All these years of experience have helped us to work on a legal framework for these operations. For example, knowing what to do if one of the airplanes that is providing assistance is in a situation that involves civilian deaths, or smaller details, like who bears the costs associated with fuel. All this allows us to operate with greater precision.” Training leads to success Created in 1961, SICOFAA is an apolitical organization comprising 20 members that are represented by officers from the air forces of countries throughout the Americas. The organization’s members include Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Guyana, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, the United States, Uruguay, and Venezuela. Paraguayan Air Force Colonel Gustavo Schreiber, who is SICOFAA’s deputy director, attributed the mission’s success in Ecuador in part to SICOFAA’s recent exercises in Argentina. “We finished a virtual exercise in Mendoza, Argentina, on April 15th, and the earthquake in Ecuador happened the following day. The procedures were fresh in our minds.” During their training exercises, SICOFAA also trains with the countries’ humanitarian aid agencies. “In general, we work with civil defense units or firefighters and train with them on such scenarios as aeromedical evacuations and combating forest fires, among others,” Col. Schreiber stated. SICOFAA’s success in having member countries provide relief to the region has transcended borders. “We were invited by commanders of air forces in Africa to hold a presentation about our work,” Col. Moreno explained. “They are very enthusiastic and have announced that they are going to replicate our program on their continent. Something similar is also happening with countries in the Pacific, as they also invited us to present on the SICOFAA program in Hawaii.” Aid to Ecuador The region’s air forces responded to Ecuador’s request by bringing foodstuffs, medicine, and airplanes. For example, in addition to humanitarian aid food supplies provided by its government, the Colombian Air Force made a C-40 “B-737” plane with 70 passengers available to FAE under SICOFAA’s framework. Among the passengers were firefighters, two expert geologists, and risk management personnel. Colombia also provided three UH-60 helicopters to serve as shuttles among Manta, Portoviejo, Jama, and their surrounding communities. A a King Air aerial ambulance also deployed with 15 crew members and a B-3502 medevac aircraft with its own crew. Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos arrived in Ecuador or April 23rd to deliver the 1,000 rations of food and blankets aboard his presidential plane. A few days later, the presidents of Peru and Bolivia arrived in Ecuador to show their solidarity with the country. Panama sent Ecuador six rescue units – four from the Civil Protection System, one made up of firefighters, and another consisting of 34 rescue workers from Panama’s National Air and Naval Service. On April 19th, a C-130 plane from the Uruguayan Air Force (FAU, for its Spanish acronym) reached Ecuador with 10 crew members to transport passengers and humanitarian aid. FAU also deployed a helicopter that could be used for nine days. On April 20th, 38 rescue workers arrived from the Dominican Republic, while Brazil also sent a C-130 plane that same day. The Brazilian mission’s goal was to provide medicine, vaccines, and hospital equipment. The Brazilians planned to stay in Ecuador for nine days to transport food supplies between Quito and Manta. Peru sent an enormous amount of aid, including a C-27 plane, which could be used for up to a month, and three MI-17 helicopters to serve as shuttles for isolated communities. Peru also sent support to Ecuador through maritime channels. A C-130 aircraft from the Argentine Air Force with a 26-person crew also landed on April 20th. Meanwhile, Honduras offered to send a CH-47 medevac helicopter and a Boeing 737-200 airplane that Ecuador could use for a month. The Bolivian Air Force (FAB, for its Spanish acronym) sent a Hercules C-130 along with 3,000 liters of water, a half-ton of medicine, and 50 search and rescue (SAR) specialists from the SAR-FAB group, which deployed a canine unit trained to search for survivors. El Salvador sent a group of 25 rescue workers from the National Department of Firefighters, the Police, the Red Cross, and three other units of emergency response personnel. Chile sent 49 specialists from the Firefighter Department’s SAR Unit to help Ecuador, in addition to providing six tons of equipment needed to search for victims trapped underneath the rubble. Canada confirmed it would dispatch a CC-144 plane that would be at the Ecuadorian government’s disposal. Lessons learned in Ecuador As it has done before following previous natural disasters, SICOFAA will continue to have a channel its members can use to discuss among themselves what went well and how procedures can be improved for future operations. “We are going to receive a report from Ecuador’s Air Force that discusses the lessons learned here,” Col. Moreno said. “Basically, [it will] say how many resources [we required] and how much time we will need them for,” Col. Proaño said. “To give an example, if I would like to borrow a plane for 20 days, but the lending country tells me ‘we can’t give it to you for 20 days; only for 10, 15, or eight days. That’s a limitation. We ought to have known what these limitations on requesting resources were.”
By Steven McLoud/Diálogo May 13, 2019 U.S. Vice President Mike Pence announced the United States would be removing sanctions on Venezuela’s former intelligence chief, General Manuel Cristopher Figuera, in statements made at the annual U.S. State Department’s Washington Conference on the Americas, May 7. The previous week, Gen. Figuera joined Interim President Juan Guaidó, in support of democracy in Venezuela and sent a clear message to military leaders still working for the regime of Nicolás Maduro that there is another path should those military leaders decide to break ranks. “The United States of America will consider sanctions relief for all those who step up for the constitution and support the rule of law,” Pence said. “I hope the actions our nation is taking today will encourage others to follow the example of General Cristopher Figuera,” he added. In the wake of efforts Interim President Guaidó dubbed Operation Freedom, Gen. Figuera wrote a letter to the Venezuelan people saying it was time to “rebuild the country.” That letter was widely circulated on social media. A U.S. official later confirmed its authenticity. Gen. Figuera went on to say that “corruption had become so rampant that many high-ranking public servants practice it like a sport. The hour has arrived for us to look for other ways of doing politics,” Gen. Figuera wrote. On April 30, more than two dozen members of the Venezuelan military requested asylum at the Brazilian Embassy in Venezuela’s capital of Caracas, according to a spokesperson for Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro. Admiral Craig S. Faller, commander of U.S. Southern Command, echoed Pence’s sentiments stating that the Venezuelan military must decide if it supports the people or a “tyrant,” referring to Maduro. “Our legitimacy begins with the oath that each of us makes to protect our citizens and our constitutions,” said Admiral Faller on May 8 in Tegucigalpa, Honduras, during a security conference with Central American Chiefs of Defense. “Fulfilling our oaths, no matter what, is our sacred duty,” he added.