![“The expanding scope, scale, and strength of transnational criminal organizations throughout the region is a top concern […]. Meanwhile, 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,” said U.S. Navy Admiral Alvin Holsey, SOUTHCOM commander, during his opening remarks at SOUTHDEC 25.](https://dialogo-americas.com/wp-content/uploads/photo-gallery/imported_from_media_libray/ARG-SOUTHDEC-25-Photo-essay-4.jpg)
![During his opening remarks at SOUTHDEC 25, Brigadier General Xavier Julián Isaac, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff of the Argentine Armed Forces, said that countries of the region 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.”](https://dialogo-americas.com/wp-content/uploads/photo-gallery/imported_from_media_libray/ARG-SOUTHDEC-25-Photo-essay-6.jpg)
The event, a crucial forum for regional 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), August 19-21, 2025. (Photos: U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Christopher Bermúdez)
