On Thursday, October 20, the William J. Perry Center for Hemispheric Defense Studies hosted a delegation of students from Paraguay’s Institute for High Strategic Studies (IAEE). Led by COL Vicente Torres, Chief of Staff and Program Advisor, and Dr. Laura Battilana, Director of the National Strategic Planning Program (PEPEN), the delegation included 45 masters students. During their stay in Washington, IAEE’s students will visit the Inter-American Defense College and various D.C. landmarks.

[Paraguay’s IAEE on 20 OCT 2016]

Mark Wilkins, Director of the Perry Center, welcomed the group and briefly described the history, mission, and organization of the Perry Center. Director Wilkins highlighted the importance of communication between civil and military authorities and discussed the convergence of terrorism and organized crime. Professor Celina Realuyo followed with a presentation on countering transnational organized crime. She described the challenges criminal organizations present to state security and individual rights in the United States and abroad. Subsequently, Dr. Boris Saavedra led a discussion on cybersecurity threats and vulnerabilities. In his discussion, Dr. Saavedra underlined the importance of national cybersecurity policies to counteract these threats.