Andean Community will combat transnational organized crime and create regional security group

92

LIMA (AP) — Based on the unprecedented wave of violence that shakes Ecuador, the Andean Community decided on Sunday to form a high-level regional security group to combat transnational organized crime and reinforce border, immigration and customs surveillance .

The organization, made up of Ecuador, Colombia, Bolivia and Peru, unanimously approved the Resolute Action Plan (PAR), which includes the creation of the high-level group. The measure occurred during the XXIV extraordinary session of the Andean Council of Foreign Ministers held in Lima.

The high-level team will be made up of officials designated by the chancellors and ministers of Internal Security, whose mission will be to monitor the execution of the PAR to combat transnational organized crime, as well as propose complementary measures, the resolution states.

This regional security group will be formed within 15 days and will meet bimonthly.

The Andean Council had resolved to hold the extraordinary session after the unanimous condemnation of the violent acts that broke out in Ecuador in recent weeks, taking into account that the consequences of transnational organized crime and related crimes are regional in scope, it was indicated. as a background.

Among the “joint and urgent” actions to fight against the scourge that affects “the security, peace and economy of the countries of the Andean Community”, the PAR points out the reinforcement of border surveillance in order to “identify, control and neutralize unauthorized border crossings.”

The pact also establishes the creation of a mechanism for the exchange of migration information, whose projection will be to create the Andean Data Bank. Customs controls and cooperation in intelligence, control of arms trafficking and penitentiary matters will also be reinforced.

The creation of an Andean regional observatory to process and analyze information on organized crime is also established. The document does not require a time or mechanism for its completion.

The opening of the session was led by the president of the host country, Dina Boluarte, who suggested that the measures adopted could be extended to other Latin American nations to jointly confront the scourge.