Chapter Eight: Latin America and the Caribbean

Abstract

Limited and increasingly ageing equipment inventories, together with economic constraints, continue to affect regional military capability development. Tensions have risen between Venezuela and Colombia, with Colombia’s leaders alleging the presence in Venezuela of armed groups like the ELN. In response to Venezuela’s military exercises across the border, Colombia in September alerted its armed forces. Key defence-industry projects in Brazil saw progress. Embraer delivered to the Brazilian Air Force the first KC-390 transport aircraft built in partnership with Boeing, Saab successfully conducted the first test flight with the first Brazilian-built Gripen E fighter aircraft, and sea trials began for Brazil’s first submarine built under the PROSUB project, the Scorpène-class boat Riachuelo. The Mexican government set up a National Guard in response to the still-fragile security situation. The force began operations in mid-year and is planned to have a total establishment strength of 58,000, drawn from the army’s military-police units, naval police and the federal police. The lack of funding has hampered the replacement of the ageing fleets of fighter aircraft in Chile, Colombia and Peru. The latter has recently decided to extend the life of its fleet of F-16 Block 50s beyond 2040.