Vol. 5 No. 2 (2026): August to October

The Center for Strategic Studies of the Peruvian Army (CEEEP) presents the fifteenth issue of Seguridad y Poder Terrestre, an academic publication devoted to disseminating original research on security, defense, and contemporary strategic thought. Against a global backdrop of growing geopolitical competition, changing patterns of conflict, and multidimensional threats, specialized knowledge is essential to understanding the challenges facing the State and to guiding the development of public policies in the areas of security and defense.

The CEEEP conducts its academic activities around four research areas: Strategic Assessment; Strategic Foresight; Strategic Art and Land Power; and Strategic Leadership and Institutional Management. This issue features eight articles covering three of these areas—Strategic Assessment, Strategic Foresight, and Strategic Leadership and Institutional Management—and bringing together geopolitical, doctrinal, institutional, and public management perspectives.

Aimed at researchers, senior professionals, security and defense specialists, public decision-makers, and members of the academic community engaged in strategic studies, the journal presents contributions that address some of the major challenges facing the national and international arenas. The selected articles examine complex phenomena from a range of disciplinary perspectives while also offering interpretive frameworks, analytical categories, and insights that enrich specialized debate and strengthen the academic work promoted by the CEEEP.

Under the Strategic Assessment research area, four articles focus on identifying and assessing threats to State security, as well as on cooperation and interoperability for the conduct of joint, multisectoral, interinstitutional, intergovernmental, and multinational operations and actions. The first, “Hybrid Threats and Cognitive Warfare: The Strategic Vulnerability of the Peruvian State,” by Lieutenant Colonel Manolo Eduardo Villagra, examines the implications of hybrid threats and cognitive warfare for Peru’s national security. The study develops an analytical framework that integrates political, social, economic, territorial, informational, and cognitive variables. It concludes that strategic foresight, intelligence, and cognitive resilience are essential capabilities for preserving democratic governance in scenarios of fragmented conflict.

The second, “Geocriminality as a Threat to the Security and Sovereignty of States,” by Colonel Ronald Iván Gonzales Begazo of the Peruvian Army, explores how the instrumentalization of transnational crime affects national security and sovereignty. The article describes the vulnerability of Latin America and the Caribbean resulting from porous borders and institutional weakness. It argues that geocrime has become a geopolitical instrument used by both criminal organizations and certain States to undermine the governance of other countries.

The third, “The Economic Power of Transnational Organized Crime in Putumayo: Illicit Economies, Criminal Governance, and Risks to State Security,” by Peruvian Army Officer Cecil Harold Suarez Villiers, examines how illicit economies and cross-border mobility strengthen the power of criminal organizations in the Putumayo basin. The study argues that the strategic risk stems from the combination of jurisdictional arbitrage, illicit revenues, criminal governance, uneven state capacity, and exposure to institutional capture. It proposes a state response based on permanent riverine control, financial investigations, traceability mechanisms, stronger public services, the creation of legal opportunities for young people, and strengthened institutional integrity.

The fourth, “From the Field to Command: Peru’s Strategic Evolution in Peacekeeping Missions within the Global Geopolitical Landscape,” by Colonel Edgar Lescano Flores of the Peruvian Army, describes the evolution of the Peruvian Armed Forces’ participation in United Nations peacekeeping operations. The study highlights the transition from tactical deployment in the field to command, planning, and multilateral leadership roles. It also emphasizes the value of interoperability, multinational cooperation, and military engineering in strengthening Peru’s strategic projection.

Under the Strategic Foresight research area, which focuses on geopolitics, technological development, disruption, innovation, and social change, three studies are included. The fifth, “Strategic Lessons from Contemporary Geopolitical Conflicts for Peru’s Security and Defense: Multidomain Operations, Strategic Autonomy, and National Resilience,” by Major General Jhonny León Rabanal, Colonel Joe Paul Mendoza del Águila, and Cavalry Colonel Carlos Omar Ruiz Bardales, identifies lessons that contemporary conflicts offer for Peru’s security and defense. Drawing on the Russia–Ukraine, Iran–Israel–United States, and Venezuela–United States cases, the study examines geopolitical competition, hybrid warfare, and multidomain operations. It also highlights the need to strengthen strategic autonomy, cyber defense, critical infrastructure protection, technological capabilities, and national resilience.

The sixth article, “Analysis of the Conflict in Syria Prior to the Fall of Bashar al-Assad and Potential Geopolitical Scenarios,” by Colonel Oswal Sigüeñas Alvarado of the Peruvian Air Force, traces the Syrian conflict from the outbreak of the 2011 protests through the fall of the regime in December 2024 and the formation of a transitional government led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham. The author examines the conflict’s internal and external actors—including Russia, China, Iran, the United States, the European Union, and Türkiye—and presents geopolitical scenarios ranging from territorial fragmentation to the consolidation of sectarian fault lines. The study thereby highlights the limitations of external interventions and the need for an inclusive political project for the country’s reconstruction.

The seventh, “Peruvian Foreign Policy: Diplomatic-Strategic stewardship toward Autonomy in the context of great power competition,” by career diplomat Sergio Aníbal Zapata Huamán, offers theoretical and practical perspectives on the complementary roles of diplomacy and defense as central instruments for designing an effective foreign policy in an environment of rivalry between the United States and China. The author identifies three key components—diplomatic balancing, diplomatic coalition-building, and deterrence by denial—and proposes that Peru, as a small power aspiring to become a middle power, adopt an autonomy-oriented strategy that preserves an adequate degree of freedom of action in the international arena.

Under the Strategic Leadership and Institutional Management research area, one article addresses the doctrinal and moral dimensions of military leadership. The eighth study, “Military Leadership as a Guarantor of Discipline, Cohesion, and Institutional Integrity in the Peruvian Army,” by Major General Oscar Luis Calle Pérez, examines military leadership as an essential factor in maintaining conscious discipline, strengthening cohesion, and safeguarding the institutional character of the Peruvian Army. Based on doctrinal, historical, and academic review, the study emphasizes the role of legitimate authority, institutional spirit, and the training of new generations of commanders as pillars of the Army’s moral power in the face of challenges posed by the contemporary strategic environment.

Finally, the works brought together in this issue contribute to a broader understanding of the strategic challenges facing Peru and to the strengthening of its institutional culture in the fields of security and defense. With this edition, the CEEEP reaffirms its commitment to generating high-level strategic thought and invites readers to continue viewing Seguridad y Poder Terrestre as a privileged forum for reflection, constructive criticism, and the collective development of a long-term vision of the national and international environment.

Center for Strategic Studies of the Peruvian Army (CEEEP)

Editorial Committee