On February 23-24, 2021, the Perry Center convened some 35 alumni from El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras to discuss transnational challenges to the defense and security of Central America and how to promote regional cooperation and collaboration to confront them. The virtual seminar included panels on the impact of COVID-19 on Central America, citizen security and migration, the fight against illicit trafficking, governance in cyberspace, crisis management in extreme weather events, and critical infrastructure protection. Perry Center professors, Dr. Bill Godnick, Professor Celina Realuyo and Dr. Boris Saavedra moderated the two-day seminar. WJPC alumni were the 18 speakers who shared their experiences and expertise on these topics and imparted their respective country perspectives. All concluded that alumni exchanges such as this virtual seminar provide an academic platform to promote more information sharing and cooperation on these challenges that threaten the security and prosperity in Central America.

The seminar included a public session later in the afternoon of the 24th with the webinar “Facing Transnational Threats in Central America” which featured three of the seminar speakers: Jacqueline Quintanilla, Gen (ret.) Edgar Soto, and Angela Sosa, from El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras respectively. The webinar focused on cybersecurity governance, illicit trafficking and the challenges of migration and citizen security. Perry Center Professor Celina Realuyo moderated the public webinar.