South American Defense Leaders Meet in Chile to Discuss Regional Threats, Cooperation

SANTIAGO, Chile (Aug. 29, 2024) -- Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Air Force Gen. Charles Q. Brown, and Army Gen. Laura Richardson, the commander of U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM), joined regional defense leaders in Chile to discuss security challenges and regional cooperation during the South American Defense Conference 2024 (SOUTHDEC 24) Aug. 27-29.

The visit to Chile was the first for Brown and the fourth for Richardson, underscoring the longstanding partnership between the two countries. During the trip, both Brown and Richardson held bilateral meetings with Chilean defense leaders, including Minister of Defense Maya Fernández Allende and Chief of the Chilean Military Joint Staff Vice Adm. Pablo Niemann.

This year's SOUTHDEC focused on "Leveraging New Technologies for the Common Defense of Hemispheric Sovereignty." During panels, dialogue, briefings, roundtables and bilateral meetings, leaders discussed ways to work together to leverage new technologies -- like artificial intelligence and machine learning -- and strengthen collaboration in space, to confront unfolding threats in South America and the Western Hemisphere.

"Democracy and its fundamental values remain under attack globally. And we don't have to look any further than Venezuela, where Nicolas Maduro continues to undermine the democratic will of the Venezuelan people - having already caused 7.5 million Venezuelans to flee -- increasing irregular migration throughout South and Central America," Richardson told attendees during SOUTHDEC's opening ceremony.

"SOUTHDEC is an opportunity to come together and ensure we remain laser-focused on working across all domains and boundaries to ensure a free, secure, and prosperous Western Hemisphere," said Richardson.

Richardson joined defense leaders from Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname and Uruguay for SOUTHDEC. Representatives from Canada, France, and the United Kingdom also took part as observers.

U.S. National Guard leaders from Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, New York, South Carolina, and Texas also took part. The National Guard leaders represented states whose national guards have state partnerships with South American partner nations. Representatives from the Inter-American Defense Board, the Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation (WHINSEC), the William J. Perry Center, the Inter-American Defense College, and U.S Space Command also attended.

Doug Beck, the Director, Defense Innovation Unit (DIU), and Senior Advisor to the Secretary of Defense, also took part in the conference and engaged with partner nation defense leaders to discuss ways to utilize artificial intelligence and machine learning to strategic effect.

Niemann and the Chilean armed forces co-hosted this year's SOUTHDEC with SOUTHCOM, which sponsors the annual conference.

Regional Threats and Challenges

During the opening ceremony, Richardson warned of adversaries who are attempting to undermine democracy in the region.

"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 perpetrate corruption, disinformation campaigns, cybercrime, human rights abuses that undermine the fabric of democratic societies, and hide the truth from populations," said Richardson. "Likewise, Transnational Criminal Organizations seek to exploit regional instability, fueling violence and corruption that undermine legitimate governance."

Richardson told attendees that SOUTHDEC "is a call to action" for "Team Democracy" to work "overtime together" to leverage new technologies to confront unfolding threats in the region.

"In the rapidly evolving global security landscape, the need to integrate artificial Intelligence and machine learning into defense and security functions, has transitioned from a forward-looking ambition to a here-and-now immediate operational necessity," said Richardson. "We are at a critical stage where the volume and complexity of data, generated in today's security challenges, is outpacing how we traditionally do business. To assist in getting data to leaders at the speed of relevance -- we must embrace and institutionalize the role of 'data analytics'".

In addition to new technologies, Richardson stressed the importance of "the Adoption of a Common Space Operating 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 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," she said.

Richardson also warned of the threats of climate change, environmental degradation, trafficking of drugs and people, and irregular migration, stating these "remain threat multipliers and pose a significant risk to our shared security."

"We stand shoulder-to-shoulder with those who seek to bolster economic resilience, democratic stability, and citizen security throughout the region and world," She 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 NGO's committed to strengthening all of our countries' instruments of national power -- diplomacy, information, military, and economics -- to overcome these security challenges," stated Richardson.

Ecuador joins SOUTHCOM's Human Rights Initiative

Ecuador officially joined SOUTHCOM's Human Rights Initiative during a signing ceremony at SOUTHDEC Aug. 28. Richardson and Ecuadorian Chief of the Joint Command of the Armed Forces Adm. Jaime Patricio Vela Erazo took part in the signing. Ecuador joins the initiative that for more than 25 years has helped Latin American and Caribbean militaries and security forces engage in open dialogue to advance respect for human rights.

The Human Rights Initiative is a program initiated by SOUTHCOM's commander in 1997 and seeks to bring together representatives of military, security forces, civilian government and civil society to develop a model human rights program for military forces focused in four areas: doctrine, education and training, internal control systems, and cooperation with civilian authorities.

Longstanding defense partnerships in South America

The U.S. military and defense forces in South America have a long history of security cooperation that goes back decades.

U.S. and regional forces routinely train together in annual exercises like UNITAS, Tradewinds and Fuerzas Comando, among others. U.S. military and South American partners also collaborate in efforts to detect, disrupt, and dismantle transnational criminal organizations and illicit traffickers. SOUTHCOM also partners with regional forces and organizations to support humanitarian assistance efforts in the region.

SOUTHDEC has been sponsored annually by SOUTHCOM since 2009. It was last hosted by Chile in 2014.

Chile is one of the United States' most important strategic allies in Latin America due to its excellent bilateral military relations, as well as its leadership in promoting regional security cooperation, defense collaboration, and multinational partnerships.

SOUTHCOM is one of the nation's six geographically focused unified commands with responsibility for U.S. military operations in the Caribbean, Central America and South America, as well as security cooperation with defense and public-security forces in the region.

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