Tuesday, December 1, 2020

Shephard Media: COVID impact delays delivery of Chilean icebreaker until 2024


 

"COVID impact delays delivery of Chilean icebreaker until 2024"

Wilder Alejandro Sanchez

Shephard Media

November 30, 2020

Originally published:  https://www.shephardmedia.com/news/naval-warfare/premium-covid-impact-delays-delivery-chilean-icebr/

Vessel to be delivered 12 months later than originally intended

Completion of the Antártica I project to build a new icebreaker for the Chilean Navy has been delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, pushing back the prospect of its deployment on Antarctic patrols.

In a 24 November visit to the state-run ASMAR shipyard that is building the vessel, Minister of ...

 

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Wednesday, November 4, 2020

DefenceIQ: White Paper: An Analysis of Colombia’s Mine Clearing Operations

 


"An Analysis of Colombia’s Mine Clearing Operations"

Wilder Alejandro Sanchez

White Paper

DefenceIQ

 November 3, 2020

Originally published:  https://www.defenceiq.com/cyber-defence-and-security/whitepapers/white-paper-an-analysis-of-colombias-mine-clearing-operations


One of the consequences of decades of violence in Colombia is the proliferation of thousands of anti-personnel mines, improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and unexploded ordnance that litter the countryside. While the situation is not as dire as in decades past, and the number of casualties and fatalities due to mines and other explosives has  decreased in recent years, the country is unfortunately experiencing a resurgence in violence which translates to an increase in the number of mine-related injuries and deaths.

In order to deal with this deadly problem, the Colombian military and international organizations, particularly the Halo Trust, carry out humanitarian demining operations across the country. In this white paper,  we will review Colombia’s demining efforts...

A note from the Editor:

I am delighted to publish this White Paper that draws attention to the Explosive Ordinance Disposal (EOD) efforts taking place in Colombia, and throughout Latin America more widely. It is not only a great pleasure to publish the work of Wilder Alejandro Sanchez, but also to bring attention to an important issue in a part of the world with which Defence iQ has strong relationships.

Defence iQ for the past decade has organized a number of conference in Latin America and the Caribbean with the formal support of host governments, and I have had the great fortune to attend many of them, and make friends across the region. In particular, our conference have focused on security, counter-narcotics and the modernization of armed forces across the region.

Despite a lack of inter-state war across Latin America since the 1995 Cenepa War between Peru and Ecuador, there are vast swathes of ungoverned space which at various times been controlled by narco-terrorists and insurgent groups who have placed vast quantities of land mines and improvised explosive devices (IEDs).

The paper outlines the successes that have been had, and the progress made by the Colombian Armed Forces and Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) such as the HALO Trust.

I hope you will find it a useful update on the situation and I encourage you to download it.

 

Alexander Stephenson

Editor, Defence iQ


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Monday, October 19, 2020

The Diplomat: In New York, Protesters Mark ‘Global Day of Action’ Against the CCP

 

"In New York, Protesters Mark ‘Global Day of Action’ Against the CC"

Wilder Alejandro Sanchez

The Debate

The Diplomat

October 19, 2020

Originally published: https://thediplomat.com/2020/10/in-new-york-protesters-mark-global-day-of-action-against-the-ccp/

 

 Protests took place in major cities across the world on October 1 – China’s National Day – to highlight the repressive activities of the government of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) against various communities that live under its rule. I covered the protests that took place in New York City as part of the “Global Day of Action,” where roughly 150 people gathered in front of the United Nations headquarters to make their voices heard.

 

 

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Friday, October 16, 2020

CIMSEC: TIAR 21: Maritime security, the TIAR, and IUU fishing in the Western Hemisphere

 

 "TIAR 21: Maritime security, the TIAR, and IUU fishing in the Western Hemisphere"

 Wilder Alejandro Sanchez

The Southern Tide

Center for International Maritime Security

October 16, 2020

Originally published: http://cimsec.org/tiar-21-maritime-security-the-tiar-and-iuu-fishing-in-the-western-hemisphere/46145

The Southern Tide

Written by Wilder Alejandro Sanchez, The Southern Tide addresses maritime security issues throughout Latin America and the Caribbean. It discusses the challenges regional navies face including limited defense budgets, inter-state tensions, and transnational crimes. It also examines how these challenges influence current and future defense strategies, platform acquisitions, and relations with global powers.

“We focus on partnerships…Our partners want to work with us. They want the advantage of the United States education, training, exercises and military equipment. It’s the best in the world. And so it’s up to us to deliver that in a way that’s relevant and also provides a return on investment for American taxpayer. So that is our focus.” –Navy Adm. Craig S. Faller, commander of U.S. Southern Command, before the Senate Armed Services Committee July 9, 2019.

By Wilder Alejandro Sanchez

Introduction

An international fishing fleet is currently sailing through international waters in the South Pacific, passing close to Ecuador and Peru, and it is currently sailing close to Chile en route to Antarctica The navies of these countries are on alert and governments are sharing information to monitor the fleet.

In light of this development, what more can regional governments do to jointly combat illegal, unreported, or unregulated (IUU) fishing? One tool in the region’s arsenal could be amended in order to combat this particular type of threat: the Inter-American Reciprocal Assistance Treaty (Tratado Inter-Americano de Asistencia Recíproca: TIAR), more commonly known as the Rio Treaty as or the Rio Pact.


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