Self-discipline and onerous work have been the pillars with which Air Pressure Common Eladio Casimiro González Aguilar, former commander of the Paraguayan army forces, led his troops. After 4 years of management, from October 2018 till his retirement on October 13, 2022, Common González can now see the fruits of his labor. At present, army forces work in keeping with the rules of joint, mixed and inter-agency coordination to cope with frequent threats.
Common González spoke with Dialogo earlier than his retirement on the challenges of countering transnational prison organizations and the processes of army modernization, amongst different matters.
Dialog: What’s new for the Armed Forces relating to missions to revive inside order, such because the battle in opposition to transnational crime, drug trafficking, smuggling, smuggling and arms trafficking?
Air Pressure Common (Retired) Eladio Casimiro González Aguilar, former Commander of the Paraguayan Army Forces: The battle in opposition to transnational crime represents a continuing problem of adaptation, steady enchancment of capacities and optimization of coaching to meet missions adequately and all the time inside the authorized framework. There are ongoing packages and initiatives inside the army forces which embrace the revision of the regulatory framework and the acquisition of appropriate gear to cope with threats, however above all we’ve got strengthened the channels of cooperation with Brazil, with which we share an unlimited river and land border in areas the place probably the most harmful and harmful transnational threats are concentrated.
Dialog: How do the Armed Forces contribute to the regional battle in opposition to cross-border threats?
Common Gonzalez: The Paraguayan army forces, by means of their military, navy and air pressure items, execute actions in opposition to cross-border threats, particularly in opposition to drug and arms trafficking, by finishing up, as a part of their authorized duties, patrols and interventions in opposition to drug trafficking organizations on the rivers bordering Brazil and Argentina, finishing up operations to detect drug trafficking by air transport, and appearing at land borders, primarily with Brazil in joint and mixed operations to assault illicit marijuana manufacturing and destroy clandestine airstrips, amongst different duties.
All of the medication seized, the members of prison organizations captured, in addition to the operations carried out to eradicate the illicit cultivation of marijuana within the nationwide territory, air house and jurisdictional waters, contribute to lowering the provision of medicine, whose most important locations are different international locations bordering Paraguay and likewise outdoors the area.
Dialog: Why is it necessary for army forces to work collectively and together to cope with frequent threats, similar to transnational prison organizations?
Common Gonzalez: The character of the risk is complicated; prison teams make the most of terrain, management difficulties and sometimes legislation enforcement restrictions involving worldwide jurisdictions or borders, all to realize benefits for his or her illicit actions. These actions require a multidimensional and world response of army forces, with joint operations, a big alternate of data and intelligence, and worldwide coordination by means of mixed operations as a way to be efficient within the battle in opposition to cross-border crime, in notably with regard to drug trafficking.
A concrete instance was Operation Basalt [Operación Basalto], a mixed operation between Paraguay and Brazil; and along with the mixing of the Command of Inner Protection Operations (CODI), which concerned fight parts from the Military, Navy and Air Pressure; and inter-services, because it concerned the Ministry of Defence, the Ministry of the Inside, the Nationwide Secretariat for the Battle in opposition to Medication (SENAD), the Nationwide Police and the Inter-Service Unit for the Battle in opposition to Smuggling. The operation was carried out concurrently with Brazil’s Operation Agate. The operation started on July 23 [2022] and lasted 10 days to battle cross-border and environmental crime. Basalt has achieved historic outcomes such because the seizure and incineration of greater than 415,000 kilograms of unlawful marijuana prepared for consumption, the detection and destruction of 4 clandestine airstrips used for cocaine trafficking by air, in addition to the placement and destruction of 18 marijuana therapy facilities and 57 illicit websites. drug storage camps, amongst different achievements. The basalt induced a monetary loss to prison organizations estimated at greater than 12.5 million {dollars} (contemplating the worth of the drug on the low market value in Paraguay).
Dialog: What’s new when it comes to counter-narcotics interdiction operations in assist of SENAD?
Common Gonzalez: CODI, in its mannequin of group and joint and inter-institutional work, is a profitable instance from all factors of view. The sum of the contribution of the totally different capabilities of the army forces, along with the proper use of intelligence from SENAD on prison teams that have interaction in drug trafficking, have allowed us to considerably enhance the effectiveness of drug interdiction. in Paraguayan waters, airspace and territory. .
From 2019 to the primary week of September 2022, greater than 17.4 million kg of illicit marijuana have been prevented from reaching regional client markets, in addition to 3,557 kg of cocaine, along with planes, autos and property seized from prison organizations, inflicting a monetary loss for these organizations of greater than $571 million throughout this era.
Dialog: What’s the function of the Armed Forces in environmental safety?
Common Gonzalez: The Paraguayan Army Forces have created specialised items to cope with environmental elements of their space of accountability and for potential contingencies beneath the identify of Inexperienced Helmets, which act primarily in collaboration with the nationwide environmental authority, the Ministry of Setting and Sustainable Growth (MADES), assist its management and surveillance actions in nationwide parks and environmental protected areas. Additionally it is necessary to know that by eradicating illicit marijuana crops, we’re additionally appearing to guard the setting, since most illicit crops are positioned in environmental areas (forest reserves) protected by legislation (personal and public) , being an necessary reason behind the deforestation of our native forest. We additionally work to sensitize the personnel deployed within the numerous items of the nation in order that they turn into controllers and multipliers of the care and safety of the setting.
Dialog: What progress has been made within the space of gender mainstreaming?
Common Gonzalez: At current, feminine personnel are absolutely built-in into the actions of the Army Forces, which is a key issue of their modernization and professionalization. The army forces promoted a draft settlement to hunt equal alternatives, maternity safety, assist for breastfeeding, alleviation of inequalities and discrimination primarily based on gender-based violence, amongst different elements.
At present, we provide coaching and recommendation for skilled improvement in equal circumstances for women and men. Girls are accepted into coaching and coaching colleges and maintain positions and positions in keeping with their ranks and skills. Equally, we’ve got elevated the deployment of feminine personnel (officers and non-commissioned officers) in United Nations-mandated peacekeeping missions, and a number of other have been despatched on research excursions overseas.
Dialog: The place are the initiatives to enhance the protection capabilities of the Armed Forces?
Common Gonzalez: We’re growing our “Tesareko Mombyry Transformation and Modernization Plan 2022-2052” with the purpose of creating a strategic instrument to modernize the establishment, optimize administration and innovate within the organizational construction, human sources, doctrine, means and infrastructure.
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