Buenos Aires, Argentina, served as the backdrop for the 16th South American Defense Conference (SOUTHDEC 25), bringing together defense and security leaders from across the region, August 19-21. The event, a crucial forum for defense leaders to exchange ideas and experiences on collaborative efforts to address shared security challenges, was hosted by the Argentine Armed Forces’ Joint Chiefs of Staff and sponsored by U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM), under the theme “Lessons Learned and Best Practices in Fighting Threats in Multi-Domain Environments.”
Discussions centered on two primary topics: enhanced maritime domain awareness and military support to law enforcement in countering transnational criminal organizations (TCOs). The conference came at a crucial time for a region facing the expanding threat of these organizations.
Chiefs of defense from Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, the United States, and Uruguay attended, along with observers from Canada, France, Spain, and the United Kingdom. Representatives from the Inter-American Defense Board, the Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation (WHINSEC), the William J. Perry Center, and the Inter-American Defense College, also attended.
During his opening remarks, U.S. Navy Admiral Alvin Holsey, SOUTHCOM commander, stressed the urgency of the situation. “Currently, 33 U.S. sanctioned groups, including 10 foreign terrorist organizations are operating in the Western Hemisphere, engaged in illicit trafficking of drugs, weapons, commodities, wildlife, persons that earn them $358 billion a year in revenue,” Adm. Holsey said. “Not only do these activities finance the expansion of their criminal enterprises, but they perpetuate a cycle of violence and corruption that threatens the security and the integrity of our democracies.”
Adm. Holsey also shared his concerns of China’s influence in the region. “The Chinese Communist Party continues its methodical incursion in the region, seeking to export its authoritarian model, extract precious resources, and set the theater with potential dual use infrastructure, from ports to space,” Adm. Holsey said.
Argentine Defense Minister Luis Petri emphasized the importance of a realistic diagnosis. “We are going through a more conflictive and volatile international time,” he said. “This environment has repercussions in South America, where we have extensive and porous borders and illicit economies that are internationally integrated. States must cooperate and integrate to defend the interests of their peoples.”
Brigadier General Xavier Julián Isaac, chairman of the Joint Staff of the Argentine Armed Forces, highlighted the importance of a national and international, unified response. “In Argentina, we are in the process of equipping ourselves. We want to participate, get involved, and share with the rest of the region on equal terms,” he said. “That is why this process, which began a couple of years ago, is beginning to bear fruit, and that is why we feel capable of sharing our own successes and, in turn, receiving those that you bring.”
He added that countries in the southern part of the continent often view hybrid and transnational threats as distant problems. “But then we see and learn that these threats are beginning to transform and appear elsewhere […]. That’s why this conference is so important, so that countries can share what we think won’t happen to us but which they are already suffering.”
Prioritizing maritime security
The first session focused on a key topic for Argentina: strengthening maritime domain awareness in the South Atlantic. Retired Rear Admiral César Recalde, an advisor to the Argentine Navy’s Chief of Staff, led a comprehensive presentation outlining steps for effective integration through cooperation and a common ground.
He provided clear, compelling examples of the multifaced threats the region face, from illegal fishing and forced labor to human trafficking and pollution caused by Chinese fishing fleets.
“China is the main country that subsidizes fishing, so there are many points of non-compliance with that way of life,” Rear Adm. Recalde said.
Military support to law enforcement
Rear Admiral Oscar Manzano, director of Operations of the Chilean Joint Chiefs of Staff, offered his nation’s perspective on how transnational threats reached its shores. His presentation agenda included topics such as legal framework, national context, organization and tasks of the Armed Forces, experiences, and lessons learned. “Echoing the words of Brig. Gen. Isaac, our countries, being so far away, thought that this would never reach us, but it did, and it came very quickly,” he said. “And that’s how we brought our experiences.”
The delegation from the Joint Chiefs of Staff of the Ecuadorian Armed Forces, led by Rear Admiral Marco Rocafuerte, presented its experiences in supporting the National Police’s efforts to combat transnational crime. “Ecuador is at war with criminal gangs,” he said. “There is an executive decree from the president that establishes that organized armed groups are military targets […]. The Ecuadorian State does not consider the problem a security issue, but rather a problem of loss of sovereignty […], because of this, it is a matter for the Armed Forces.”
For his part, Admiral Francisco Cubides Granados, commander of the Colombian Military Forces, stressed the value of collaboration. “Cooperation between border countries is key,” he said. “A few weeks ago, we held a tripartite meeting between Peru, Ecuador, and Colombia to define binational zones, maritime zones, land zones, and river zones in order to advance operations between the three countries. This will bring us success.”
A call to action
The conference provided participants with an opportunity to share and discuss specific issues as well as ways to improve collaboration and interoperability during panels, briefings, roundtables, and bilateral meetings.
Speaking virtually, Brigadier Omar Khan, chief of Defense Staff of the Guyana Defence Force, emphasized the need for regional cooperation. “As partners, we will contribute to this fight and to the challenges facing our region,” he said. “Being officers, soldiers, and leaders is our mission, and I am glad that we continue to work together to keep this region safer for our people.”
In his closing remarks, Admiral Holsey thanked the leaders for their presence and reiterated the importance of strengthening relationships. “It’s about respect, it’s about partnerships and team building. Many words have been spoken, now is the time to act. We are more committed, and we will make sure we move forward,” he concluded.
