The commander of U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM), U.S. Army General Laura J. Richardson, visited Uruguay February 5-8, and met with senior government and defense leaders to discuss the bilateral defense partnership between the United States and Uruguay.
The visit was Gen. Richardson’s first to Uruguay as SOUTHCOM commander. During her visit, Gen. Richardson got a firsthand look at the Uruguayan Armed Forces and their enduring contributions to domestic and regional security and their support to global peacekeeping.
On February 6, Gen. Richardson met with Uruguayan Minister of Defense Javier García to discuss defense cooperation. Later, she met with Chief of the Defense Staff of the Uruguayan Armed Forces, General Rodolfo Pereyra, to discuss continued cooperation and explore ways to strengthen the longstanding U.S.-Uruguay defense partnership. Also on February 6, Gen. Richardson met with Minister of Foreign Affairs Omar Paganini and discussed regional security and security cooperation.
During the meetings, Gen. Richardson was accompanied by U.S. Ambassador to Uruguay Heide B. Fulton.
Gen. Richardson’s engagements on February 7 focused on the Uruguayan Armed Forces. Gen. Richardson visited the Uruguayan Air Force, Navy and Army headquarters and met with the top leadership and senior staff to discuss continued cooperation and the strong partnership between both nation’s armed forces. She held discussions with Uruguayan Air Force Commander General Luis De León, Uruguayan Navy Commander Admiral Jorge Wilson, and Uruguayan Army Commander General Mário Stevenazzi.
Also on February 7, Gen. Richardson visited Uruguay’s National Peacekeeping Operations School which trains Uruguayan service members for participation in United Nations Peacekeeping missions. Uruguay is a renowned supporter of peacekeeping operations worldwide and per capita, contributes more peacekeepers to U.N.-sponsored missions than any other Western Hemisphere nation.
Gen. Richardson rounded out her February 7 engagements during a discussion focused on Women, Peace, and Security addressing ways to advance opportunities for women in security.
On the final day of the visit, Gen. Richardson took part in a ceremony as the United States donated firefighting support equipment — including “Bambi Buckets” and 40 self-contained breathing apparatuses — to Uruguay’s National Emergency System (Sinae) to bolster the nation’s disaster response capabilities.
The United States and Uruguay share a longstanding defense partnership. Both nations cooperate in areas of mutual interest, including disaster preparedness; peacekeeping; human rights; maritime security; cyber security; space cooperation; defense capacity building; professional education and training; and the integration of women in peace, defense, and security missions.