Paraguay formally joined the Santiago Regional Commitment against Transnational Organized Crime in June 2026, expanding the reach of a strategic agreement championed by Chile and initially signed by Argentina, Bolivia, Ecuador, and Peru.
Foreign Minister Rubén Ramírez Lezcano signed Paraguay's accession during the 56th General Assembly of the Organization of American States (OAS), held in Panama City. Paraguay's incorporation into the bloc aims to coordinate multilateral responses to the expansion of criminal structures that operate by circumventing traditional borders across South America.
Among the agreement's key pillars are operational coordination between member states, with an emphasis on strengthening border controls, the exchange of technical information, and cooperation in financial intelligence to combat structures linked to organized crime. The commitment also promotes institutional integrity and transparency, with targeted actions to prevent corruption and bolster the capabilities of security and oversight agencies in participating countries.
The agreement provides for the creation of a regional Working Group tasked with developing a Joint Action Plan to harmonize strategies and public policies on security matters. The goal is to establish common mechanisms to improve the regional response to transnational threats. Periodic follow-up and evaluation meetings are also planned, within which the foreign ministries and security agencies of signatory countries must convene within 180 days of the agreement's adoption to review progress made and define the next steps on the joint agenda.
Paraguay's accession was welcomed by Bolivia, which highlighted the incorporation as a strengthening of regional cooperation against transnational organized crime, grounded in coordination, unity, and respect for the sovereignty of states.