This article examines organized crime in Ecuador as the main threat to national security that generates negative effects in the political, economic and social spheres. Ecuador is the main logistic corridor of drug trafficking in the Pacific Ocean coast and has witnessed the expansion of several criminal economies. The dollarized economy favors money laundering and corruption. The increase in illicit economies has expanded the power of criminal organizations, exacerbating violence and insecurity, making it essential to implement strict regulatory measures and foster interagency and international cooperation to successfully combat organized crime in Ecuador.
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This publication analyzes the role of China and Russia as strategic competitors of the United States, and how they have been expanding their influence in the Americas through instruments of national power such as diplomacy, information, and the economy. They are now involved in new domains including emerging technologies, cyberspace and outer space. These strategic competitors have been supporting autocratic regimes and threatening democracy, prosperity and security in the region.
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Realuyo, Celina B. "The Foreign Policy of Iván Duque's Government" in The Journal of Colombian Foreign Policy: Assessment of Iván Duque's Foreign Policy and Horizons for the Petro Government. Edited by Andrés Molano-Rojas and Federmán Antonio Rodríguez Morales. 51-72. Bogotá: Editorial Universidad del Rosario, 2023.

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The COVID-19 pandemic has upended the post-World War II political, economic, social and international order with many questioning whether our current democratic and economic institutions are suitable for and capable of recovering from this profound health, economic and governance crisis. While democracies and open economies were hard hit by the pandemic, illicit networks including transnational criminal groups, terrorist organizations and their facilitators have proven more resilient, expanding their activities and influence in the Americas. This article will examine the impact COVID-19 has had on the health, economy, democracy, security of the region and on illicit networks. The article will conclude with recommendations on how nations incorporate strategic foresight and anticipatory governance to safeguard their sovereignty and counter to the growing threats from corruption and illicit networks in the new world order.
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During the COVID-19 pandemic, life as we knew it changed dramatically as activities, both licit and illicit, moved to the virtual world. We witnessed shopping, college classes, diplomatic meetings, financial transactions, and organized crime activities transition online almost overnight. The pandemic has empowered transnational criminal organizations (TCOs) to establish new virtual markets for their drug, human, arms, and contraband trafficking and money laundering with cryptocurrencies.
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The University of Armed Forces of Ecuador (ESPE) and the Perry Center join together for a virtual discussion on security and defense challenges in Latin America.
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Colombia is one of the US' closest partners in Latin America, sharing democratic values, free-market capitalism, and mutual security interests. The US is Colombia's largest trade and investment partner, thanks to the US–Colombia Trade Promotion Agreement. Through "Plan Colombia," the US and Colombia have built a strong counterterrorism and counter-narcotics partnership to combat the cocaine trade and armed groups like FARC. Colombia has been generous in welcoming over 1.8 million Venezuelans fleeing the Maduro regime and providing assistance to its Latin American neighbors. As Colombia faces increased instability, the US must stand by its trusted ally and its democratically elected government under Iván Duque to ensure continued security and prosperity in Colombia and across the region.
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The Academia Nacional de Estudios Políticos y Estratégicos (National Academy of Political and Strategic Studies - ANEPE) and the Perry Center join together for reflection and debate to address the complex phenomenon of organized crime and its transnationalization, analyzing the primary drivers for illicit activity and its financing from both a regional and national perspective.
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