Alumni Newsletter

CHDS / Alumni News www.ndu.edu/chds

Volume 3 Edition 1, 2012

Mexico

Honduras

Peru

Colombia

El Salvador

Videoconferences

Alumni Events

Advanced and Specialization Courses


Ágora is a professional military magazine that is published every three months as an international forum for members of the Armed Forces and security sectors of nations associated with the United States Northern Command. For more information on how to publish an article please visit http://agorarevista.com/es/guidelines

Diálogo is a professional military magazine that has been produced by the United States Southern Command for more than 20 years. For more information on how to publish an article please visit: http://www.dialogo-americas.com/es/guidelines.

Commissioner Frank Ábrego, Director General of the National Broder Service (SENAFRONT) spoke with Diálogo about security challenges and the government’s efforts to fight criminal organizations. To read the complete article please visit: http://www.dialogo-americas.com/es/articles/rmisa/features/viewpoint/2010/10/01/feature-01.

Frank Ábrego (DPRM, november 2003)

Panama

A new, trusted, and humble police Commissioner, Owen Ellington graciously accepted The 2011 Gleaner Man of the Year award during a luncheon gala at the Jamaica Pegasus Hotel in Kingston on November 7, 2011.

Ellington dedicated the award to the thousands of men and women from the Jamaican police and the defense forces that have dedicated their lives to serve and protect.

“Thank you, a thousand times thank you. Thank you very much for this recognition, and thank you very much for looking at this important role that we’re doing and giving us your constructive criticism,” he told The Gleaner following the ceremony.

The Commissioner said that being named man of the year for the Gleaner Award was something unexpected since he considers himself a working Commissioner hoping for results.

“Now, this feeds expectation. There is now a point of view where the public is establishing a much greater

performance standard for us, and that has been shown through this award, and where this message is also for the members of my team- the men and

women of the force- to maintain the performance standard that we have had up until now,” he said.

Promising to display the award in a prominent place, Ellington recognized that it was “absolutely important” for people to be recognized for their efforts. “If you are in public service and receive approval, help and recognition in that order, it strengthens you and helps you to believe in what you’re doing. I believe that this is a great stimulus for me and my administration, but without a doubt a great impulse for the men and women that want to be sure that the public appreciates the work that is being done,” he affirmed.

Ellington received the highest award of the eight winners this year in the categories of sports, arts and culture, public services, business, science and technology, health and health services, volunteers, and entertainment for his valuable contribution to Jamaica in the past 12 months.

The Commissioner highlighted the improvement in public safety, reduction of delinquency, and the application of ethics within the police for his role in public service as the Jamaican Chief of Police.

Our Alumni

Commissioner of Police, Owen Ellington, shows his trophy to the Man of the Year Award 2011 for The Gleaner.

I like


NationLab Jamaica

Happy Independence Day!

Antigua & Barbuda

November 1, 1981 Independence from

the United Kingdom.

Panama


Spain.

Dominica


the United Kingdom.

Barbados

November 30, 1966 Independence from the

United Kingdom.

Participants at NationLab Jamaica.

St. Vincent & the Grenadines

October 27, 1979

Independence from the United Kingdom.

NationLab Jamaica took place between June 28 and 30 in Kingston, Jamaica, at the University of the West Indies Mona campus.

June 27, the day prior to NationLab, included a day-long seminar entitled “New Challenges to the Development and Implementation of National Security Policy”. This was a special addition that commemorated the official launch of the CHDS Alumni Association- Jamaica Chapter, which held an opening event the same evening, thanks to the coordination and efforts of Dr. Hilton McDavid (CHDS Adjunct Professor and Professor of Social Sciences at University of the West Indies-Mona) along with Ms. Karlene Afflick (CHDS graduate, CDSC 2010), both representing the Alumni Association in Jamaica. The inauguration event took place in the Senior Common Room, located in the University of the West Indies-Mona.

During the inauguration event Samuel Blake (CHDS graduate, CDSC 2008) acted as moderator. Panelists consisted of Dr. Michael Gold-Biss, Dr. Evan Ellis, Professors Pedro de la Fuente and Kevin Newmeyer, and Ms. Faith Pippin representing the CHDS Alumni Office, who awarded certificates to the respective participants.

Participants of NationLab Jamaica with Dr. Evan Ellis, Assistant Professor of National Security Affairs at CHDS.


On October 20, 2011, the Honduran Alumni Association held an alumni workshop in Tegucigalpa with approximately 30 participants present.

The workshop marked the first event of the newly-formed Association, which was founded at the end of August 2011, and included a presentation by Dr. Evan Ellis about “Commerce between Honduras and China, China’s presence in Latin America, and relations with Taiwan.”

The event was also broadcast virtually via videoteleconference with the Salvadoran Alumni Association, whose Executive Committee shared their experiences as an association, as well as their agenda of planned future activities, with the Honduran association.

Workshop participants also had the distinct privilege of having in attendance General Mario Hung Pacheco, former Commander of the Honduran Armed Forces.

Following the event, Association President Persis Sevilla Barahona, together with other members of the Executive Committee, invited participants to a reception which included a display of traditional Honduran dance by a local folklore dance group.

For more information or to coordinate a virtual meeting (VTC or Webcam), please email [email protected] or call 202-685-4670.

Advanced Course participants on their first day of training activities.

Persis Sevilla Barahona (SDP, February 2011) Honduras

Honduran Alumni Association President.

During the period of October-November 2011, CHDS conducted four advanced courses: Advanced Civil-Political-Military Relations and Democratic Leadership; Governance, Governability and Security in the Americas: Responses to Transnational Organized Crime; Terrorism and Counterinsurgency; and the Strategy and International Security course. Concurrent to the four advanced courses, one specialization course was held: Combating Transnational Organized Crime and Illicit Networks in the Americas. The resident phase of the advanced courses was three weeks while the specialization course was two weeks. All five courses also included a distance learning/online phase and a writing component. At the end of the courses, students enjoyed a graduation party aboard the cruise ship The Odyssey, where professors and leaders of each group had the chance to share their experiences with everyone present.

Videoteleconference

El Salvador - Honduras

Advanced and Specialization Courses


Participants at the alumni event in Mexico City.

On November 17, 2011, CHDS held an alumni working group in Mexico City, Mexico. More than 70 participants attended, half of which were alumni from CHDS residential courses. Other participants included special guests from the U.S. Embassy and U.S. Northern Command, in addition to several participants from the Centro de Estudios Superiores Navales (CESNAV) who were participating in this year’s NationLab: Mexico. Although the majority of participants were from Mexico City, several alumni came from as far away as Guadalajara and Veracruz, demostrating the importance of the event as an opportunity to discuss the topic of founding a Mexican Alumni Association. In addition to discussing this topic, the event also provided a chance for professional networking, as well as an open forum on a variety of topics, including updates on programs from CHDS, discussions on distance education, and access to online resources.

In August 2011, the Colombian Alumni Association co-hosted a conference titled “10 Years after 9/11, Evolution and Perspective on International Terrorism” at the Universidad Militar Nueva Granada in Bogotá, Colombia. CHDS alumnus Andrés Molano and Professor Pat Paterson participated in the conference, as well as alumnus Juan Carlos Ruiz, who presented an analysis of perspectives on terrorism in Colombia, Former President Álvaro Uribe also made a presentation.

The conference was part of the 2011 VIII Nueva Granadan Week of the Internationalist and Political Scientist, and was the first time that the Association was so active in coordinating and participating in said conference. Olga Illera Correal, president of the Colombian Alumni Association, also coordinated an association meeting where they reviewed previous activities and discussed future plans for the association. During the meeting, elections were held for a new Executive Committee and President. Juan Carlos Pérez Pérez was elected president, replacing Olga Illera Correal, while Jesús Alberto Ruiz Mora, Anabella Mariano and Viviana Esguerra Villamizar replaced Luis Renato Amórtegui and Patricia Teresita Peña as members of the Junta Directiva.

Professor Pat Paterson and Institutional Relations Coordinator Kara O’Ryan also participated in the meeting, and shared information on current activities as well as future projects and opportunities at CHDS.

CHDS Professor Pat Paterson during his presentation at the conference “10 Years after September 11, Evolution and Perspectives on International Terrorismo” in Bogota, Colombia.

Colombia

Mexico


Gilbert KamekaDPRM, July 2001Jamaica

November 29 marks the fourth anniversary of the assassination of Deputy Police Commissioner Gilbert E. Kameka. Kameka rose to become the highest ranking members of the police force.

Rest in Peace6/26/1959 - 11/29/2007

Dave HymanCDSC, February 2006Jamaica Assistant Police Superintendent, David Hyman was considered a rising star in the Jamaican police force (JFC).

Rest in Peace5/07/1966 - 1/12/2009

Alumni Association - Argentina Chapter announces its reactivation

Association members at the end-of-the year dinner.

Following a process that began in December of 2010, by mid 2011 the association has drafted a statute, elected leadership members and initiated legal proceedings to finally formalize its foundation.

The following are members of the Executive Committee, elected by attendees at the foundational ceremony:

Mariano Bartolomé (President), María José Meincke (Vice President), Hebe Gazotti (Secretary), Sebastián Vigliero (Assistant Secretary), Ricardo Lange (Treasurer), Flor Ocampo (Assistant Treasurer), Tomás Varnagy and Juan Battaleme (Acting Members), Jorge Sillone and Jorge Szeinfeld (Substituting Members), Guillermo Viola (Auditor) and Alejandro Belikow (Substituting Auditor).

To reach the Executive Committee please email: [email protected].


Rodrigo Toledo (ICCT, June 2010) Chile

He is currently working in the Ministry of Foreign Relations. In March of 2011 he arrived at the Chilean Embassy in New Zealand and is in charge of various topics, among them being disarmament, non-proliferation and international security, cultural issues, and consular matters in particular. He is also working as the Chief of the Chilean Consular Mission in Wellington, which has a consular precinct in New Zealand, Fiji, and Samoa.

Ubaldo Reyes(DPRM, January 2000 and ICCT, June 2004) Dominican Republic

After having retired from the Army as a Major General, he is now working as Security Manager of the Corporación Aeroportuaria del Este (Eastern Airport Corporation) in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic. He completed his Master’s in Defense and Security at the Escuela de Graduados de Altos Estudios (EGAE) with the Instituto Superior para la Defensa (INSUDE) in the Dominican Republic.

José Guillermo Rodríguez (ICCT, June 2006)Colombia He was named Commander of the ship “Gloria” at ARC School (Armada Nacional de Colombia) for the year 2012.

Olga Illera (DPRM, April 2005) Colombia

Olga shares with us her new appointment as Dean of the International Relations, Strategy and Security Department at the Universidad Militar Nueva Granada in Bogota, Colombia. She is in charge of undergraduate students in International Relations and Political Studies, Integral Security Administration, those majoring in the areas of National Security Senior Management, Security Administration, and the Master’s of International Relations and Business.

José Humberto Pérez (SDP, February 2011 and ICCT, June 2011) Honduras He completed his Master’s in Central American Defense and Security in Tegucigalpa, Honduras.

Marcelo Balbontín Rojas (DPRM, March 2001 and ICCT, June 2011) Chile

Thanks to a scholarship stemming from an agreement between CHDS and ANEPE, he was able to complete a certificate in “Intelligence in the Modern State” with a final paper and grade of 6.5 (on a scale of 1 to 7). His topic was: “Importance of the creation of formal professional recruiting system for Intelligence in a modern state like Chile”.

Diego Escuder Leira (DPRM, October 2001, Def-Econ July 2003, and ICCT June 2009) Uruguay

President of the Alumni Association-Uruguay Chapter, Diego Escuder Leira has recently been appointed Director of the International Law Master’s program at the Universidad de la República Oriental del Uruguay (UDELAR).

Academic and Professional


Prof. Yuri Gramajo(DPRM 2002, ICCT 2005, STABOPS 2007) Uruguay

For the second year in a row Yuri Gramajo was honored in the Uruguayan Parliament. On this occasion the Eastern Cultural Association awarded him the distinction of “Gandhi of Peace” for his academic role in the United Nations Peace Operations.

Gramajo is a journalist specializing in defense and an lecturer on peace keeping operations at the Academie Cannadiene de la Défense. Author of four books, he participated in the plenary panel on defense and the media at the 2011 Subregional Conference in Chile, He also recently returned from the U.S. Naval War College, where he offered a lecture on “Challenges to Democracy in Latin America”.

He is Chief of Outreach at the Naval War School, Professor at the Instituto Militar de Estudios Superiores, and Senior Lecturer at the Escuela de Comando y Estado Mayor Aéreo in Uruguay. In addition to being an alumnus of CHDS, he is also an alumnus of the George Marshall European Center for Security Studies and the Center for International Security.

Nahem Reyes Cardona (SDP, October 2007) Venezuela

Nahem has been moving forward on a Humanitarian Aid project within the Haitian Area of Education after an experience he had in Port-au-Prince between the months of March and April of this year. Thanks to this project and proceedings that he has been carrying out before the diplomatic seat in Caracas in said country, he managed to be included on President Martelly’s agenda, who was still in Caracas, so that Mr. Reyes could personally present the proposal to him, according to reports from Mr. Christian Toussaint, chargé d’affaires for the Haitian Embassy in Venezuela.

On October 14, 2011 a forum entitled “Contemporary Haitian Reality” was held with panelists including Mr. Christian Toussaint, Haitian Ambassador to Venezuela, Professor Nahem Reyes, and with Professor

Mirna Yonis serving as commentator. The event was sponsored by Juan Germán Roscio Hall at the Escuela de Estudios Internacionales.

In addition, Nahem is working with the Rector’s Office at the Universidad Monteávila (a private Catholic institution) to create a Center for American Defense and Cooperation (CEDCA). The proposal was formally brought before Dr. Joaquín Rodríguez, the highest authority within this academic institution, with the goal to finalize the creation of the center and subsequently sign an academic consortium agreement with CHDS.

María del Rosario Rodríguez (SDP, March 2006 and ICCT, June 2009)Uruguay

As Deputy Director of Academics for the Centro de Altos Estudios Nacionales (CALEN), part of the Ministry of National Defense, Ms. Rodríguez represented the country’s highest center for national security thinking at the 12th Directors of Latin American Defense Colleges Conference and at the 13th National Strategy Exercise Symposium “National Defense and its Connection with Country Development” in September and October of 2011.

She is a graduate of the Security and Defense Policy course (SDP), March 2006, and of the Interagency Coordination and Counterterrorism Course in June 2009, and was a member of the control group for CHDS NationLab 2010 with CALEN. She is currently enrolled in the last semester for her Master’s in Political Science, within the Political Science Department at the Universidad de la República, where her thesis topic deals with defense policy.

Logros Académicos y Profesionales


Winning PhotoVeracruz Port by Liliana Sánchez Barcelata

In its effort to stay in touch with its alumni, CHDS held for the second time in 2011 its photo contest, this time entitled “The Best of Mexico”. The winner of this contest was alumna Liliana Sánchez Barcelata (SDP, February 2008, ICCT, June 2009, and PHSD, March 2011) from Veracruz, Mexico. The Alumni Office is taking advantage of the different educational events being hosted by the Center in the region,

holding professional and social events for our alumni with the goal of creating a large network of friends and contacts. It is in this way that the Alumni Office hopes to become an active and regular channel for communication with strong emotional ties to unite all our alumni. You don’t have to be from the country being spotlighted in order to participate in the photo contests. The only requirements are that you must be an alumnus/a and that the photo must have been taken by you in order to enter it in the contest. We look forward to your participation in the next contest!

Our Alumni

Former OAS Ambassador Virginia Contreras (SDP 2006, TCI 2008, ACPMR 2010) was recently invited to Paris by the French-based organization “Dialogo por Venezuela” (Dialogue for Venezuela) to participate in a series of meetings and academic exchanges on topics relating to democracy, human rights and security and defense, among others. Ambassador Contreras’ complete Spanish language article covering this experience can be found on the CHDS blog http://chdsonline.blogspot.com and the Venezuelan news service El Universal “Runrunes” column http://runrun.es

Photo Contest

Virginia Contreras during her stay in Paris meets with Venezuelan historian Elizabeth Burgos, the architect Lena Soffer and artist Costa Rican Carlos Poveda

Right: Virginia Contreras meets with members of “Dialogue for Venezuela”

in Paris.

Regional Voices


Samuel Yecutieli (ICCT, June 2011)Venezuela Samuel is an international consultant and promoter of concepts on town safety. He was interviewed on “Solutions” by Shirley Várnagy, where they spoke about his proposals for town safety. The video can be found in three parts on youtube.com as “Entrevista en Soluciones a Samy Yecutieli. Parte 1 de 3”.

Juan López(PHSD, March 2011) Peru

Given his academic background, including a Master’s in university teaching, and experience in Hemispheric Security and Development, and International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights Juan has been offering conferences on current topics. Recently he gave a speech on “United Nations and Peace Missions” at the Peruvian Armed Forces International Center for International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights.

Juan has a video on youtube.com where he presents one of his conferences: “Peru- United Nations Peace Missions” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y9B5CW9Kw1U.

Gastón Schulmeister(DPRM, October 2004 and ICCT, June 2007) Argentina

Gastón, a political scientist specializing in security, shares a column with us that he has written about drug trafficking and homicide, which was published October 28, 2011, in the daily “Clarín”. To read his column please go to the following link: http://www.clarin.com/opinion/droga-crimenes_0_580742002.html

Colonel Alberto Molina Flores (DPRM, March 2000) Ecuador He has written for various newspapers including a weekly Sunday column in the daily “El Norte” and also for the online daily “La República”.

He also published his book entitled “Militaries and Citizen Revolution: From Correa to Correa”.

Topics highlighted in the book are Ecuador and its civil-political relations, politics and government, and the Armed Forces in Ecuador. Cristián Garay

(DPRM, November 2003 and ICCT, June 2006) Chile

Alumnus Cristián Garay from Chile has collaborated with distinguished personalities from the Chilean academic world, including the current Minister Secretary General of the Government, Cristián Larroulet, in the book “Economic Reforms and Political Institutions: The Klein-Saks Mission experience in Chile.” The editor is Professor Juan Pablo Couyoumdjian of the Universidad del Desarrollo in Santiago, Chile, 2011.

The book looks at the Klein-Saks Mission, a consultancy made up of American experts that were both in Chile and Peru. It is an example of economic history that, except for a moment of fame between 1955 and 1958, fell into decline despite its importance in the development during those years.

To discuss the topic, the Universidad del Desarrollo and its Dean, Eugenio Guzmán, gathered together a group of economists and historians headed by Juan Pablo Couyoumdjian (Universidad del Desarrollo), whose members are Sebastián Edwards (Universidad de California), Rolf Luders (Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile), Adolfo Ibáñez S.M. (Academia de la Historia), Cristián Larroulet (Instituto Libertad y Desarrollo, currently Minister Secretary General of the Presidency) and Cristián Garay Vera (Universidad de Santiago de Chile).

Books and Publications


II Conference on Hemispheric Security and Defense

By: Oscar Picón Alcalde

On Monday the 7th and Tuesday the 8th of November, 2011, the II Conference on Hemispheric Security and Defense was held, organized by the Center for Hemispheric Defense Studies Peruvian Alumni Association (CHDS), located in Washington, D.C. USA.

The conference took place in Limatambo Hall within the Westin Hotel and Convention Center facilities in the San Isidro district. The event had participation from presenters from Israel, Mexico, England, Colombia, the United States, and Peru, who discussed the topics of drug trafficking, terrorism, organized crime, advanced technology, VRAE (the Ene and Apurimac River Valleys region), among other current topics of interest. The conference started off following the opening ceremony led by Dr. Fidel Ramírez Prado, President of the Peruvian Alumni Association, and had as invited participants members of the Armed Forces, Joint Command, Ministry of Defense, Ministry of the Interior, National Police, National Intelligence Administration, CHDS alumni, and faculty from the Centro de Altos Estudios Nacionales (CAEN), Army War School, and other institutions linked to the security and defense sector, who were able to share during the two day event speeches from conference speakers on worldwide problems, sharing their knowledge and experiences revolving around these current topics.

In 2011we had a greater number of participants, which shows us that this new current of offering open forums, where topics with large national and international implications may be formulated and debated, must be a “Permanent Proposal,” where we also highlight the clear interest of institutions like the CHDS Peruvian Alumni Association to be at the forefront of topics like these, taking on challenges with huge implications such as this conference, whose only purpose was to generate and propose alternative solutions for topics associated with hemispheric security and defense. The conference concluded with words of thanks from the Alumni Association President, the handing out of plaques as a sign of appreciation for the outstanding participation of conference presenters, followed by a closing ceremony led by Admiral Juan Polo Wood, who had words of praise and kindly brought to a close the November 2011 II Conference on Hemispheric Security and Defense.

Participants to the conference.

Kara O’Ryan representing the CHDS Alumni Office

Presenters

Peru


Stay in touch! Center for Hemispheric Defense Studies

National Defense UniversityAbraham Lincoln Hall 260 5th Ave. Bldg. 64

Washington, DC 20319-5066 Telephone 202-685-4670

Fax 202-685-4674www.ndu.edu/chds www.CHDSnet.org

www.facebook.com/CHDSonlinewww.flickr.com/photos/CHDSonline

Edition:

Kara O’RyanVan Beall

Graphic Design:

Vivian Rodríguez

Layout:

Marcela N. González

Translation:

Faith Pippin

Documents

Alumni Newsletter