Security & Strategic Review - August 2026

At the latest summit of the Mercosur regional trade bloc in late June, which was hosted in Paraguay, leaders from its member states as well as associate countries reiterated their commitments to boosting cooperation on combatting transnational crime. Although the bloc was originally founded in 1991 primarily with economic objectives in mind, the gathering of regional leaders in Paraguay featured more rhetoric related to security, given that fighting crime has become an increasingly prominent political priority in countries throughout the region.