Regional Defense leaders from South America gathered in Santiago, Chile, for the South American Defense Conference 2024 (SOUTHDEC 24), August 27-29, to analyze, explore, and discuss 21st century security tools to face common threats.
Delegations from Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, the United States and Uruguay, as well as observers from Canada, France, Spain, Portugal, and the United Kingdom, took part in the three-day conference, addressing ways to work together to leverage new technologies, including artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning, to make well-informed decisions to confront security challenges. Partner institutions such as the Inter-American Defense Board, the Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation (WHINSEC), the William J. Perry Center, the Inter American Defense College, and representatives from U.S. Space Command also attended.
“As democracies work overtime to deliver for their people […] authoritarian communist governments are attempting to seize all they can here in the Western Hemisphere, operating without regard for domestic laws or international laws. Malign state actors are increasingly using advanced technology to perpetuate corruption, disinformation campaigns, cybercrime, human rights abuses that undermine the fabric of democratic societies, and hide the truth from populations,” U.S. Army General Laura J. Richardson, commander of U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM), said in her opening remarks.
“Democracy and its fundamental values remain under attack globally, and we don’t have to look any further than Venezuela, where Nicolás Maduro continues to undermine the democratic will of the Venezuelan people, having already caused 7.5 million Venezuelans to flee,” Gen. Richardson added.
U.S. Air Force General Charles Q. Brown, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, was also in attendance at the 14th iteration of SOUTHDEC. It was Gen. Brown’s first visit to Chile, highlighting the strong ties of friendship and cooperation between Chile and the United States.
“There are many things that bring us together, but one thing in particular I want to point out is that every nation represented here today has fought and sacrificed to bring democracy to their people,” Gen. Brown told the audience. “Your involvement today demonstrates your commitment to working together, advancing our common goals, protecting democratic ideals and, promoting hemispheric security and integrity, thanks to the U.S.-Chilean team whose hard work and great coordination made this conference possible […]. We all depend on each other to protect our shared security and shared prosperity, and we must act together to safeguard democracy for the future generations — because we are stronger together.”
Under the theme, “Leveraging New Technologies for the Common Defense of Hemispheric Sovereignty,” Defense leaders took part in panel discussions, roundtables, and bilateral meetings to address the operational necessity to integrate AI and machine learning into defense and security functions, as well as the importance of adopting a Common Space Operational Picture using Enhanced Domain Awareness.
“Space-based services are essential to military operations, it supports the world’s financial markets, information and communications systems, scientific discoveries and innovation, and environmental monitoring. Nevertheless, progress has its challenges and malign state actors’ unregulated use of satellite data from commercial and academic space facilities in this region could benefit adversaries’ military activities, and provide them opportunity to observe, orient, decide, and act, to negate space’s supporting benefits,” said Gen. Richardson.
“As allies and partners, we will continue our efforts to enable our collective Space Domain Awareness, improve our readiness, resiliency, and capability to overcome threats,” the SOUTHCOM commander added.
Ecuador Joins SOUTHCOM’s Human Rights Initiative
On day two of the conference, Admiral Jaime Patricio Vela Erazo, chief of the Ecuadorian Armed Forces’ Joint Command, join Gen. Richardson in signing the SOUTHCOM’s Human rights Initiative Framework of Engagement, Cooperation, and Integration, making Ecuador the 15th country to join the initiative that aims to institutionalize effective human rights (HR) programs and to establish a regional network of military and security forces committed to HR protection.
“I think it’s very important, the commitment we all are showing here, forming this table, to finally take that step forward on integration,” Adm. Erazo said.
A resounding success
“We feel honored to participate in such a conference, recognizing its relevance and its value to strengthening our ties, mainly to keep our mutual trust, and we foresee to participate in all of the coming events,” said Brazilian Navy Admiral Arthur Fernando Bettega Corrêa, Joint Staff chief of Strategic Affairs.
“Here we can grasp the value of U.S. Southern Command in our region,” said Colombian Army Brigadier General Carlos Enrique Carrasquilla Gomez, Senior Coalition Activities advisor, Exercises and Coalitions Affairs at SOUTHCOM. “I believe these conferences are fundamental for the military and defense development but also for the society and regional growth.”
“We concluded that this meeting must incorporate not only traditional security and defense variables but also cooperation against emerging threats, humanitarian disaster relief cooperation, and the use of new technologies for regional and national defense strategies […]. We see the necessity to exchange information,” Vice Admiral Pablo Niemann, chairman of the Chilean Joint Chiefs of Staff, said at the conference, which Chile hosted for the third time.
“I believe that we all have a clear diagnosis of the region, the challenges we face every day in our own countries. We also have a clear understanding that our world changed and there is no other way to face these challenges than through cooperation and joint efforts, for our people to be more secure and have better opportunities for prosperity,” Vice Adm. Niemann added.
“We stand shoulder-to-shoulder with those who seek to bolster economic resilience, democratic stability, and citizen security throughout the region and world,” Gen. Richardson said. “You are part of a team called ‘Team Democracy’ — a strong and mighty team of like-minded partners, allies, friends, academia, private sector, and NGOs committed to strengthening all our countries’ instruments of national power — diplomacy, information, military, and economics — to overcome these security challenges.”
