Monday, December 7, 2009

Latin America continues to be a Vulnerable Open Frontier

By Jerry Brewer

Democratic and constitutional order continues to elude many Latin American nations, and difficulty remains in finding governments of national unity.  Much of the chaos and disarray attributed to asymmetric threats continuing to be imposed by non-state actors challenging government’s vulnerabilities.

A democratic government has a fundamental mandate and commitment to defend its homeland against all enemies.  Where weakness prevails for a nation to achieve security and stability for its people, broad cooperation from neighbor nations through strong relationships and partnerships is a critical component of stabilizing the environment.

Latin America is faced with a broad spectrum of threat, via rogue leftist regimes and their sinister and violent oppressive intelligence services, and armed, criminal, and terrorist organizations.  Deterring extremism and aggression by sophisticated weaponry and tactics is indeed a monumental task in this hemisphere.  Building united and mutual efforts in successfully challenging and defeating these insurgents and enhancing hemispheric stability and safety is the challenge at hand.

Guatemala’s Minister of Defense recently admitted the inherent weaknesses of their army in combating the drug trade, human trafficking, and smuggling.  With 43 border crossings between Mexico and Guatemala that are either uncontrolled or informal in nature alone, the threat posed to both nations is enormous.

The United States continues to have a vested interest in these affairs as well, due to at least 90% of the cocaine and almost half of the heroin reaching the U.S. from Colombia.  The mutual cooperation between these two nations and the offer of use of Colombian soil for U.S. military aircraft for strategic interdiction has been bad news for narcoterrorist supporters.  Venezuela’s President Hugo Chavez in response spews his rhetoric that this is simply a platform for the U.S. to launch an attack on Venezuela.  He often speaks of “winds of war” developing on the Venezuelan/Colombian border. 

The U.S. State Department has commended Colombia and its armed forces for meeting statutory criteria in the enforcement of standards of human rights.  The Colombian government is lauded for its “significant efforts to increase the security of its people,” as well as promoting respect for human rights.

Chavez recently responded to Colombia’s words of friendship directed at Venezuela with “I have nothing to discuss with (President Alvaro) Uribe the Mafioso.”

Chavez was recently chastised, for similar belligerence while interfering in internal matters of Paraguay, by Miguel Carrizosa, a senator and head of that nation's Congress.  Chavez had told a group he was speaking to in Bolivia that Paraguay’s right wing political party was preparing a coup against leftist President Fernando Lugo.

Chavez was particularly incensed with the Honduran government’s removal of President Manuel Zelaya, for attempting to extend presidential term limits.  Neighboring Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega, a Chavez ally and former Sandinista leader, was quick to move troops to the Honduran border.  Since then the U.S. has congratulated Honduras for “meeting international standards of fairness and transparency” in their recent elections to replace Zelaya.

Honduras continues to face the hardships in confronting organized criminal insurgents within their borders.  Last month Honduran authorities seized a Russian made dual engine aircraft with Venezuelan registration with approximately 4,000 kilograms of cocaine.

Open and fluid borders throughout the hemisphere facilitating acts of violence and related lawlessness continue to pose critical threats to life and the overall safety of all persons and their governments.  There must be a zero tolerance for armed insurgent encroachment, as well as safe harbor for narcotrafficking operations, organized criminal syndicates, and murder with impunity.  How will these nations with limited and declining resources confront and work to defeat common challenges?

There must be focused regional security cooperation as a primary strategy and key to interoperability and related logistical capabilities to confront these festering maladies.  Free nations within the region must also question emerging Russian and Iranian obsession and maneuvering within Latin America.  This foreign posturing, along with massive sales of weapons by Russia to leftist regimes, has great potential to continue to inflict permanent scars for democratic freedoms. 

Latin America’s history over the last decades reflects prior Soviet and communist involvement that is widely believed to have had its chief mission in disrupting the democratic Pan American system and destroying U.S. influence.  Along with Cuba, the Soviets spent billions of dollars to support Marxist-Leninist guerillas.  Nicaragua and the Sandinistas, seen as repressive Soviet puppets, followed suit.

Secretary of Defense Robert Gates has firmly stated that the U.S. is concerned due to the level of subversive activity by Iranians “in a number of places in Latin America.”  Too, Russia has announced that "[we are] increasing our presence in Latin America.”  Reminiscent of the U.S. “Old West,” it is time for the masses to organize and take back their land and defend it.

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Jerry Brewer is C.E.O. of Criminal Justice International Associates, a global risk mitigation firm headquartered in Miami, Florida.  His website is located at www.cjiausa.org.