Quito welcomed the launch of the extension of the EUROFRONT Programme and strengthens the bi-regional alliance on security and integrated border management

The official opening of the Meeting of the EUROFRONT program, funded by the European Union, brought together high representatives of the Ecuadorian State such as the Minister of the Interior, John Reimberg and the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Human Mobility, Gabriela Sommerfeld, as well as Latin American authorities such as the Secretary General of the Andean Community, Gustavo Gutiérrez Reinel; the Minister of National Security of the Argentine Republic, Alejandra Monteoliva; the Minister of Public Security of Chile, Trinidad Steinert, and the Deputy Minister of Political Affairs of the Ministry of the Interior of Paraguay, Oscar Campuzano.

For its part, the European Union was represented by the Ambassador of the European Union in Ecuador, Jekaterina Doródnova; and Head of Cooperation Programs for Latin America and the Caribbean of the European Commission, Olivier Luyckx, who stressed the importance of strengthening coordinated operational actions and cooperation in the face of common challenges in the field of security and against transnational organized crime. 

After the institutional interventions, the director of the EUROFRONT Program, José Antonio Cambronero, stressed that the extension of the Program until 2029, will consolidate the progress achieved and promote technical cooperation between administrations, with the aim of translating the political dialogue into concrete results in the integral management of borders. He also recognized the role of the Foundation for the Internationalization of Public Administrations (FIAP) and the Italo-Latin American Institute (IILA) as implementing partners of the program.

The first day was dedicated to high-level political dialogue, in which presentations and discussion tables were held for ministers, vice-ministers and vice-ministers, as well as representatives of Latin American regional bodies such as the Andean Community (CAN) and MERCOSUR and European agencies and institutions.

The extension of the EUROFRONT programme is fully aligned with the commitments made at the 4th EU-CELAC Summit and in the EU-LAC Alliance for Citizen Security, which places the fight against organised crime and other transnational threats as a shared priority.

Consistent with that policy framework, the programme will strengthen operational cooperation, information exchange and institutional coordination, mainstreaming human rights and gender approaches. It will also extend its coverage to customs, integrating this component into its work strategy. It will also progressively expand its reach towards Central America, strengthening its regional dimension.

Technical tables for strengthening border cooperation

During the high-level meeting, six Technical Tables were developed with authorities and specialists from Latin America and the European Union to strengthen regional coordination, addressing specialized training as a pillar of institutional sustainability and the integration of the customs component within the lines of work of the Program. Likewise, work was done on the projection of cooperation networks from 2026, on the development of the migration intelligence strategy and on the identification of opportunities within the border integration instruments of the CAN and MERCOSUR, as well as on the deployment strategy of the Program in Central America.

EUROFRONT as a strategic space for joint action

The meeting allowed the invited delegations to get to know first-hand the tools, cooperation mechanisms and advances already promoted within the framework of the program. Likewise, commitments were reaffirmed, expectations were shared and priority areas of work for the coming years were identified, as well as bringing participants closer to the dynamics that will guide EUROFRONT's actions, in order to strengthen the conditions for closer and more effective collaboration.

With this expansion, EUROFRONT reaffirms its role as a platform for political dialogue and technical cooperation between the two regions, reinforcing a shared work architecture with a vocation of permanence.