U.S.-Central American Security Dialogue

Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs Thomas A. Shannon, Jr. announced the U.S. Strategy to Combat Criminal Gangs from Central America and Mexico at the First U.S.-SICA¹ Central America Integration System Dialogue on Security in Guatemala City with the seven Central American countries. This comes almost 4 months after President George W. Bush's Latin America tour when he met with Guatemalan President Oscar Berger Perdomo, and Mexican President Felipe Calderon to discuss the severity of the security situation in Central America. The Presidents also discussed the threats that gangs pose to both the United States and Latin America, and development of a regional strategy to combat gangs and other transnational threats in Central America.

¹SICA is the Spanish acronym for the Central American Integration System. SICA member states include Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Panama. The Dominican Republic is an associate member state and Mexico is an observer state to SICA.

Related Items

--07/18/07  Final Declaration: Dialogue Between Central America and the U.S. on Democratic Security
--07/18/07  USAID-SICA Regional Gang Prevention Activity Agreement  PDF version   
--07/18/07  Addressing Transnational Threats in Central America: Partnership and Shared Responsibility; Thomas A. Shannon, Assistant Secretary for Western Hemisphere Affairs; Opening Remarks at the First U.S.-SICA Dialogue on Security; Guatemala City, Guatemala
--07/18/07  U.S. Strategy to Combat the Threat of Criminal Gangs from Central America and Mexico
--07/18/07  Media Note: Strategy to Combat Criminal Gangs from Central America and Mexico
--07/18/07  Fact Sheet: Combating Criminal Gangs from Central America and Mexico
--10/22/07  The Merida Initiative: United States – Mexico – Central America Security Cooperation