The United States Army launched this Tuesday the so-called Joint Task Force of the Western Hemisphere, composed of Chile and the other 17 member states of the Coalition Against the Cartels of the Americas, in order to “counter threats” from criminal organizations and improve regional security.
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Such coalition was initially formed as the Shield of the Americas, during a meeting convened on March 7 by Donald Trump in Miami, Florida. On that occasion, in which José Antonio Kast participated as president-elect, Argentina, Bolivia, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guyana, Honduras, Panama, Paraguay, and Trinidad and Tobago signed the alliance.
Subsequently, Chile – with the Republican already in La Moneda -, Bahamas, Belize, Guatemala, Jamaica, and Peru joined, as well as the president-elect of Colombia, Abelardo de la Espriella.
According to information from the United States Army’s Southern Command (Southcom) in a statement, the purpose of this force is “to increase operational effectiveness against threats that undermine regional security and affect the United States and partner nations.” It added that, with this, the capabilities of Southern Command will also be strengthened to “respond quickly to contingencies and humanitarian crises throughout the region.”
“Malicious actors threaten national security, destabilize the region, and take advantage of vulnerable populations,” said the military authority, stating that this task force will allow “synchronizing military capabilities and exerting sustained pressure against networks that threaten the collective security” of “the entire hemisphere.”
The entity will be led by U.S. Marine Corps Major General Kevin Jarard, and it is expected to strengthen intelligence sharing, expand combined training, improve interoperability, support maritime interception efforts, develop partner capacity, and remain ready to provide humanitarian assistance and disaster response when necessary.
“The Joint Task Force of the Western Hemisphere is Southcom’s operational arm to address threats across the hemisphere,” said Southcom commander General Francis Donovan, adding that “this headquarters combines tailored military capabilities and trusted partnerships to increase global systemic resilience and operational tempo, exert sustained pressure on criminal organizations, and enhance the security of the United States and our partners.”
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