US Southern Command Praises DR as Key Ally Against Cartels and Narco-Terrorism
The head of U.S. Southern Command called the Dominican Republic a key ally in the fight against cartels. Here are his words and what he laid out in Santo Domingo.
Key points
- Gen. Francis L. Donovan, commander of U.S. Southern Command, praised the country as "a great ally and friend" of the United States.
- The Americas Counter Cartel Coalition (A3C) conference brought together 19 nations in Santo Domingo.
- President Luis Abinader opened the meeting on October 27.
- Donovan highlighted the country's strategic location in the Caribbean.
U.S. Southern Command (Southcom) commander Gen. Francis L. Donovan highlighted the alliance between the Dominican Republic and the United States in confronting cartels and narco-terrorists in the region. Donovan was in the country to take part in the Americas Counter Cartel Coalition (A3C) conference, which included 19 nations.
In a video posted on Southcom's X account, Donovan said that "the Dominican Republic has been a great ally and friend of the United States for a very long time." The general said the country has stood "side by side, hand in hand" with the United States against threats ranging from dictators to narco-terrorists in the Caribbean and South America. Defense Minister Lt. Gen. Carlos Antonio Fernández Onofre accompanied him in the video.
Donovan also described the country's location as "key" and said the relationship rests on "trust, friendship and collaboration." On leaving the country, he thanked President Luis Abinader, the defense minister and the hosts for their welcome. He said the meeting in Santo Domingo established the conditions to actively dismantle transnational cartels and narco-terrorist networks.
The conference was opened on October 27 by President Abinader. In that event, the president argued that if crime is organized internationally, the response of states cannot be fragmented nationally. He called for information sharing, coordinated operations and stronger institutions. He also said security requires justice, education and economic opportunities so young people can build a future away from violence.