Santo Domingo.- President Luis Abinader opened the Americas Coalition Against Cartels (A3C) Conference in Santo Domingo on Tuesday, bringing together defense and security officials from 19 countries to strengthen regional cooperation against drug trafficking, narcoterrorism, and transnational organized crime.
Abinader called for a coordinated regional response based on intelligence sharing, joint operations, and stronger institutional capabilities, arguing that criminal organizations operate across borders and therefore require an international response.
“If crime is organized internationally, the response of states cannot remain fragmented nationally,” the president said.
He emphasized that security cooperation must respect mutual trust, national sovereignty, and each country’s legal framework. He also said sustainable security depends on strong institutions, justice, education, and economic opportunities that can prevent young people from becoming involved in criminal networks.
“Security protects development, but development also builds security,” Abinader said.
The president urged participating countries to move beyond agreements and establish concrete commitments, clear responsibilities, and measurable results. He also called for evaluation mechanisms to track progress and improve coordination among member countries.
Abinader reaffirmed the Dominican Republic’s commitment to regional security efforts and thanked the U.S. Southern Command and participating delegations for their support.
The conference, is taking place October 26 and 27 in Santo Domingo, focuses on intelligence sharing and joint operations against criminal organizations.