Defion Internacional

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Defion Internacional is a Lima, Peru based Private Military Company that recruits and trains security personnel to provide world wide services. Their main contracts are with Triple Canopy, Inc. and the U.S. Department of State involving the war in Iraq. They employ static guard forces, logistical and administrative professionals along with English professors for their American contracts.

1 Controversy
- 1.1 Contracts
- 1.2 Investigations
2 Recruiting and Training
3 External links
4 References

[edit] Controversy

[edit] Contracts

Defion Internacional is recruiting for Triple Canopy, Inc. whose contracts, involving the war in Iraq, provide only $1000 ($1,500 for English speakers) a month, while most American and European companies pay up to $10,000 a month. These contracts are believed to be sending the 1,200 personnel to the Green Zone in Baghdad and making sure the U.S. government and the hiring company are exempt from responsibility of what may happen.^[1] The mercenaries are provided with transportation, housing, food, medical care and life insurance in some cases.

[edit] Investigations

The secretary of Peruvian communities abroad, Ambassador Jorge Lazaro, was planned to have meetings with Juan Manuel Duran and Omar Villacruces, two of Defion Internacional's representatives, to investigate.^[2] The Ambassador says that there are loop holes in the Peruvian laws which allows their citizens to fight as mercenaries in other countries, and to deal with the issue would be too long and costly of a process. Contracts before these with the U.S. involving traveling to the sites had been reviewed and publicised by the media at the time and the Peruvian travelers were being advised by Minisry of Foreign Affairs specialists. There have not been any complaints from the Peruvian government or the workers.^[3] Jaun Manuel Duran says that the personnel is place in the Green Zone, whereas the bombings and attacks occur outide of that area; accordingly, none of the hired Puruvians were affected.^[4] The Andean Commission of Jurists director, Enrique Bernales Ballesteros, says that the contracts are illegal due to United States' laws, and that the Geneva Convention prohibits the hiring of people to involve them in foreign conflict.

[edit] Recruiting and Training

According to the Company's website, they provide jobs under 6 month-1 year contracts in the Middle East. The jobs consist of personal guards, drivers, static guards, static supervisors, logistics supporters, and English teachers. For most of these jobs at least "level 3 or 4" English speaking abilities are required. The company recruits citizens that have experience with battle. The company's administrative manager, Alejandro Fernandez, says "A Peruvian in Baghdad will not panic if he has to face a blast or a blackout because he has already experienced that on the streets of Lima".^[5] Although most of the training is done on site, the Peruvian Army is training recruited mercenaries in Huachipa. The Peruvian Army was paid $127,690, or 435,840 soles by Triple Canopy for training total of 678 people.^[6]