Editing Conference of American Armies (CAA) (section)

==History of the Conference of American Armies==
Founding (1960): The CAA was established during the Cold War to counter perceived communist threats in Latin America, particularly following the Cuban Revolution (1959). Initiated by the U.S. Army, with U.S. Army South as the program manager, the first conference was held in 1960 at Fort Amador, Panama Canal Zone, hosted by the U.S. The CAA emerged from earlier U.S.-led military coordination efforts, such as the Inter-American Defense Board (1942), and was influenced by the 1951 Inter-American Treaty of Reciprocal Assistance (Rio Treaty), which formalized hemispheric defense against external threats.

Evolution: Over six decades, the CAA has grown from a U.S.-centric forum to a collaborative platform, hosting 36 cycles by 2025. It has addressed evolving challenges, from counterinsurgency in the 1960s–1980s to counterterrorism, drug trafficking, and disaster response in the 21st century. Key milestones include:

1980s: Focus on counterinsurgency amid Central American conflicts (e.g., El Salvador, Nicaragua).

1990s: Shift toward peacekeeping and humanitarian missions post-Cold War.

2010s–2020s: Emphasis on countering transnational threats like drug cartels and cyber threats, as seen in the 2019 San Antonio conference on “military support to civilian authorities to counter threat networks.”

Recent Cycles: The 31st cycle (2014–2015) was hosted by Colombia, the 32nd (2016–2017) by the U.S., and the 33rd (2018–2019) by the Dominican Republic. The 36th cycle (2024–2025) is led by Mexico, with an inauguration ceremony in 2024 focusing on regional security analysis.