National Security and Defense

Security is the situation in which the State has guaranteed its independence, sovereignty and integrity, and the population the fundamental rights established in the Constitution. This situation contributes to the consolidation of peace, integral development and social justice, based on democratic values and respect for human rights.

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New threats and other challenges to security constitute complex problems that require multisectoral responses, complemented by civil society, all of them acting in their area of responsibility in accordance with the legal system. This is the basis of integration between the State and society in all fields of national activity, particularly in the political, economic, social, scientific-technological and ecological.

National Defense is the set of measures, forecasts and actions that the State generates, adopts and executes in an integral and permanent way, it is developed in the external and internal spheres. Every natural and legal person is obliged to participate in National Defense.

The National Security and Defense Policy is a State Policy whose purpose is to guide the selection, preparation and use of State means to obtain and maintain National Security, both on the external and internal fronts.

Defense and New Roles

In a globalized world, the identification of new threats such as drug trafficking, terrorism and transnational organized crime have compromised the security of the States. Although it does not directly affect territorial integrity and sovereignty, it generates uncertainty and represents risks for societies, citizens, democratic values and institutions, national economies, and the legal and social order. Consequently, the borders become permeable, and the separation between the internal and external spheres becomes blurred.

Therefore, the reality in the functional sphere, the current situation and the international context make it necessary to have armed forces and forces of order oriented to address new threats and play new roles.

The fight against international terrorism, drug trafficking, cyber defense and the fight against international organized crime require increasing air, maritime and land control capabilities, not only at the borders but within the entire territory, using the logistical capacity of the armed forces in collaboration with law enforcement agencies.  

In the same way, the response to natural disasters must allow flexibility to move from one scenario to another, counting on a disciplined force capable of managing panic, solving basic survival problems and leading joint actions.

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Internal Order, Public Order and Citizen Security

Internal order: It is the normal situation of the functioning of all public and state agencies.

Public order: Public order is a situation or state of normality and good functioning of public systems, it is a state or situation of the country and respect for all the laws of the community. 

Citizen Security: It is a right, which every citizen has, that the state and public organizations guarantee their security for a good coexistence and the peaceful development of all their activities.  
 

Environmental Defense and Natural Resources

The challenges associated with the prevention, management and resolution of conflicts generated by the scarcity of natural resources could well come to define global peace and security in the coming years.

Global trends, such as demographic changes, increased consumption, environmental degradation and climate change, are creating significant and potentially unsustainable pressures on the availability and use of natural resources such as land, water and ecosystems.

The forces of society, including the Military Forces, have as part of their functions, the protection of renewable and non-renewable natural resources, developing functions and actions of control and surveillance, in support of environmental authorities, territorial entities and the community.  

Consequently, the forces and entities that make up part of the State must develop their mission by incorporating an adequate management of the most relevant environmental variables, contributing to environmental sustainability in their areas of influence. In this sense, with the participation of Civil Society, the Public Force, the Armed Forces and the Police, in environmental protection it is possible to illustrate the new concept of multi-mission force

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Health Defense

Emerging diseases, such as SARS, avian flu, and covid 19, among others, constitute humanitarian emergencies, the health risks of climate change, environmental degradation and other acute threats to health can be defined as public health emergencies. International health security is the first line of defense against health crises that can devastate peoples, societies and economies around the world.

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Common vulnerability to threats to health security requires collective action. One of the greatest threats to international health security is caused by outbreaks of emerging and epidemic diseases. These outbreaks are becoming more frequent, as a consequence of rapid urbanization, deterioration of the environment, the way food is produced and marketed, and the way antibiotics are used and why not, intentional attacks or failures in containment security .

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Agricultural and Food Defense

Hunger and malnutrition not only endanger individual health, but also decisively the development of countries.

It is imperative to promote sustainable agriculture that preserves biodiversity as the basis for guaranteeing the human right to healthy and adequate food.

Food Security / Alimentaria Security: food supply to the population

Food Safety / Alimentary Safety: prevention of unintentional contamination by agents belonging to the production chain.

Food Defense / Alimentaria Defense: set of efforts to prevent intentional contamination of food by biological, chemical, physical or radiological agents. From the implementation of defense plans it is also possible to reduce the risks of fraud and adulterations.