Colombia and Peru have come together to fight organized crime in their border region, local media reported Thursday.
Colombian Defense Minister, Juan Carlos Pinzon and his counterpart in Peru, Alberto Otarola, announced that Colombia and Peru would schedule joint military operations to increase border security, to continue the fight against drug trafficking and to protect the environment, on Wednesday.
“We [will] share information (…) and fight against criminals that affect our citizens,” said Pinzon.
Cooperation with “brother countries” was necessary, said Otarola, adding “crime has no boundaries.”
The agreement is reported to involve military bases along the 1626 kilometers land border, naval patrols in different parts of the Putumayo river and air traffic control coordination between the two countries.
In addition, Peru agreed to take the issue of transnational crime to the Union of South American Nations (UNASUR).
The agreement is the latest part of an ongoing attempt by Colombian president Juan Manuel Santos to strengthen his country’s borders. A pact has already been made with Peru, and Colombian and Venezuelan defense ministers met today to discuss the fight against organized crime on their joint border.