GUATEMALA.- The governments of the region, represented by the Security Ministers and Secretaries of Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, and the Dominican Republic, agreed to work jointly and in coordination to confront transnational organized crime and its impact on Central America and the Caribbean.
The measures adopted include establishing a framework for cooperation and facilitating collaboration between Security ministers and secretaries, as well as supporting the needs that the participating countries may have in this matter, through the adoption of a flexible collaboration relationship between officials of the said nations.
In addition, establish a program of periodic meetings between the ministers and secretaries of Security, in order to follow up on the agenda developed and establish mechanisms that allow the evaluation of joint work priorities, to more precisely and effectively confront the means used by organized criminal groups.
Similarly, at the “First Regional Conference of Ministers and Secretaries of Security” which was headed by the President of Guatemala, Alejandro Giammattei, as host country, it was also agreed to name the representatives for each of the countries to form a specialized ad-hoc committee within 30 days and schedule specialized meetings on each of the issues identified during the conference, with priority on aspects related to the flow and exchange of information and intelligence.
Likewise, hold this meeting every six months, as a permanent cooperation mechanism.
DR Minister of the Interior
During his speech at the conclave, the Minister of the Interior and Police of the Dominican Republic, Jesús Vásquez Martínez, highlighted the importance of establishing mechanisms to evaluate joint regional priorities, confront more precisely and prioritize the flow and exchange of information and intelligence.
After stamping his signature on the document of the joint agreement, Vásquez Martínez affirmed that the government of the Dominican Republic has taken giant steps to provide peaceful, safe and suitable environments for integral development.
He highlighted the scope of the Comprehensive Citizen Security Strategy My Safe Country that reduces crime, strengthens institutional capacities, improves trust in institutions and reduces the perception of insecurity in the intervened demarcations.
When speaking before the representatives of the participating countries, the Dominican minister also highlighted among the results of My Safe Country the link with the needs of the communities, the transformation of the National Police, the creation of the National Citizen Security System and the execution of special projects.
He highlighted the importance of an adequate institutional framework that allows interaction with all sectors, such as the Citizen Security and Gender Roundtables in the 158 municipalities, made up of mayors, governors, law enforcement, the Public Ministry, communities, churches, and businessmen, with monthly meetings to assess needs.
He also cited the importance of learning about the experiences and successes of other countries in the region, which is why in November the institution organized the “International Seminar on Citizen Security and Post-Covid Coexistence in Latin America” and before that, in October 2021, a ” International Seminar for the Exchange of Experiences in Police Reform”.
“We have managed to dignify the police with a salary increase of more than 100%; premium health insurance; free transport in all official means, scholarships in the 52 universities of the country, increase from six months to 12 months of the formation of the new ones”, he referred.
Likewise, Vásquez mentioned special discounts in supermarkets and other businesses, approving the regulations for the application of the law that regulates the Police, fair performance evaluation, installation of technological platforms that allow a better service, fair, automated and objective system for promotions , among many other actions.
In this sense, he proposed to his counterparts to use this platform to communicate good practices and the security climate, to improve the international perception of insecurity, often contrary to reality, periodic international seminars on the best tools in the area, coexistence, migration and other neuralgic issues faced on a daily basis.
Minister Jesús Vásquez was accompanied by the Vice Minister of Security and Interior, Jesús Feliz, Víctor Benavides, Chief of Staff, and the lawyer Jorge López Hilario, adviser.
