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France entered a new course in its security cooperation with Latin America on 8 November. The Minister for Foreign Affairs, Jean-Noël Barrot, announced the creation in 2026 of a regional academy to combat organised crime, based in the Dominican Republic, to train 250 investigators, magistrates, customs officers and financial analysts from the allied countries of the continent.
In an interview with the "Journal du Dimanche (JDD)", Mr Barrot detailed the outlines of this project, presented as a key initiative of French diplomacy in the face of the rise of transnational crime.
« The cooperation of embassies with drug-producing countries is bearing fruit, but this is not enough », he said.
The Minister announced a strengthening of French embassies in Latin America, with a 20 per cent increase in specialized personnel and a triple of the capacity to intervene against drug trafficking.
On the way to Colombia for the 4th Summit between the European Union and the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States, Jean-Noël Barrot reaffirmed France's willingness to become more involved in regional security cooperation. This strategy is a continuation of Emmanuel Macron's State visit to Mexico, where a bilateral customs agreement against drug trafficking had been signed.
In the face of the alarming rise in cocaine trafficking and use in his territory, the head of French diplomacy said that he had put his ministry « on alert » to better assume its role in the fight against drugs. This comprehensive policy aims to stem illicit flows from Latin America, which has become a global drug trafficking hub.
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