With Buenos Aires as its host city, today, August 20, the South American Defense Conference 2025 (SOUTHDEC) began, with the main objective of uniting efforts to jointly and coordinately address various defense and security challenges facing the region.
With Argentina as the host country, the opening session featured keynote speeches from the Minister of National Defense, Luis Petri; the Chief of the Joint Chiefs of Staff of the Armed Forces, Brigadier General Xavier Isaac; and the Commander of U.S. Southern Command, Admiral Alvin Holsey, whose participation in SOUTHDEC marks his second visit to the country. He was accompanied by Roosevelt Ditlevson, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Western Hemisphere Affairs.
As the first speaker, the head of the National Defense portfolio noted that the world is going through a volatile and conflict-prone global context, where a return to “classical geopolitics” can be observed, with strong competition among nations. He also highlighted Argentina’s stance in addressing these scenarios and the milestones achieved in this regard.
Among the challenges he pointed out, Petri emphasized the situation of South America’s porous borders, which allow the development and persistence of illicit activities that require a joint and regional response. He also stressed that this issue is not limited only to land borders but extends to maritime domains, where the predatory exploitation of fishery resources represents a threat affecting countries regardless of whether they have coasts on the Atlantic or Pacific Oceans.
At the same time, taking advantage of the strengthened bilateral relationship with the United States, the Minister highlighted several milestones in the recovery of Argentina’s Armed Forces’ capabilities, such as the acquisition of F-16 fighter jets and the future 8×8 Stryker vehicles, which will enhance interoperability with other regional forces.
This point was also underlined by the Chief of the Joint Chiefs of Staff of the Armed Forces, who further emphasized the reequipment process, providing a perspective similar to that of the Defense Minister.
Later, Admiral Holsey, Commander of U.S. Southern Command, took the floor to deliver his speech at the opening of the Conference, stressing the importance of continuing to strengthen cooperation with countries in the region in the face of growing challenges posed by transnational crime, the influence of other powers —clearly alluding to China— and the increasing need to protect critical infrastructure.
The points made by Admiral Holsey were echoed by Deputy Assistant Secretary Roosevelt Ditlevson, who reviewed the milestones achieved by President Trump’s administration in defense and security matters. Among these, he highlighted the rise in recruitment rates, the support provided by elements of the Armed Forces to various security matters —such as the fight against drug trafficking and criminal organizations, as well as border control— while also underscoring the concern posed by China’s growing influence in the region.
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