In New York during the week of the United Nations General Assembly, Santiago Peña met with Francis L. Donovan, commander of the United States Southern Command. The Paraguayan presidency described the conversation as an assessment of joint efforts against “narcoterrorism” and the strengthening of defense cooperation; no new operational commitments were announced.
Peña also reaffirmed Paraguay’s participation in the Americas Coalition Against Cartels (A3C), an initiative promoted by the United States and presented as the operational arm of the Shield of the Americas. The president said members would continue working together in the name of security, peace and prosperity in the region.
The security agenda included a regional summit against transnational organized crime. Paraguay had joined the Santiago Regional Commitment in June, a cooperation mechanism among countries covering security, information exchange, financial and tax intelligence, traceability, migration flows and border controls.
Peña also met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at a meeting attended by the presidents of Bolivia, Rodrigo Paz, and Panama, José Raúl Mulino. They discussed ways to strengthen security and ties between Israel and Latin American countries, as well as the fight against terrorism.
In another meeting with Major General Gary W. Keefe, commander of the Massachusetts National Guard, they discussed military training, cyber defense, aerial surveillance and the modernization of Paraguay’s armed forces. Both sides highlighted 25 years of cooperation through the State Partnership Program, which links Paraguay with the Massachusetts National Guard.
Peña combined diplomatic meetings with an investment agenda. He spoke with representatives of Bank of America, Vanguard, JPMorgan and Citibank, and presented opportunities to more than 150 investors at the Paraguay Investment Forum. The government also announced a US$200 million contribution from J.P. Morgan Natural Capital, together with the Robinson Group, for sustainable forestry development.
On regional integration, Peña spoke with Rodrigo Paz and Yamandú Orsi, president of Uruguay, about modernizing URUPABOL, focusing on logistics, energy, connectivity, investment, trade and security. At other engagements, he discussed housing projects and the Che Róga Porã program with Anacláudia Rossbach, executive director of UN-Habitat, and took part in a meeting on artificial intelligence organized by the Inter-American Development Bank.