President Javier Milei will hold meetings with the head of the United States Southern Command, Admiral Alvin Holsey, as part of the U.S. military official's three-day visit to Argentina, which will also include meetings with local Armed Forces officials and a trip to Ushuaia.
According to sources informed by Infobae, the president is considering receiving the Donald Trump administration official next Tuesday at the Casa Rosada, and then the two will meet again for dinner at the Bosch Palace, the official residence of ambassadors.
The uniformed officer will arrive at Aeroparque after 6:00 p.m. this Monday from Miami International Airport, accompanied by a delegation made up of other members of the Republican cabinet.
Holsey will be joined by Abigail Dressel, Chargé d'Affaires and currently in charge of the diplomatic headquarters, and Major General Julian Cheater, Director of Strategy, Policy, and Plans.
In Buenos Aires, they will be received by two members of the Joint Chiefs of Staff of the Armed Forces: Brigadier General Horacio Ramón Alonso, Director General of Education, Training, and Doctrine, and Navy Captain Daniel Enrique Balboni, Director General of International Affairs.
However, the Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) chief's agenda will not begin until the following day, when he will first hold a meeting with Defense Minister Luis Petri.
The American will arrive at the Libertador Building around 8:30 a.m. with his delegation and will have an honorary reception with an institutional photo with the Chief of the Joint Chiefs of Staff of the Armed Forces, Brigadier General Xavier Isaac , before heading to the meeting.
Petri will be accompanied by the Secretary of Strategy and Military Affairs, Retired Colonel Marcelo Roas Garay; the Secretary of International Defense Affairs, Juan Batalleme; and the Chief of Staff for the Ministry, Luciana Carrasco .
After presenting a personal gift to the minister, Holsey will walk through the building's corridors to Isaac's office, with whom he will also have another working meeting.
Although it was originally planned for the afternoon, it was ultimately decided that at 10:30 the American would cross Paseo Colón Avenue and head to the Casa Rosada, where he would be received by Milei for a private audience.
Afterwards, he will return to the Libertador Building and, together with Petri, Isaac, and the delegations from both countries, will share a light lunch in the Roca Room, concluding with a few formal remarks from the visitor and an honorary farewell organized by the hosts.
Bosch Palace, headquarters of the US Embassy in Argentina
After 6:00 p.m., the head of the Southern Command will go to the Bosch Palace, located on Libertador Avenue at 3502, to attend the dinner, which will also be attended by the President, Petri, Isaac and the authorities of the three Armed Forces: Admiral Carlos María Allievi (Navy), Brigadier Gustavo Javier Valverde (Air Force) and Major General Carlos Alberto Presti (Army).
Trip to Ushuaia
Like his predecessor, Laura Richardson, the head of Southern Command will travel to the city of Ushuaia, Tierra del Fuego, with the goal of strengthening strategic cooperation and exchange ties between Argentina and the United States, at a strategic location for both countries.
Throughout Wednesday, the uniformed officer will tour the Southern Naval Area with Dressel, the Naval Defense Attaché of the U.S. Embassy, Kenneth Patrick Ward, and the rest of the delegation, and will then speak with local Navy officials.
Unlike in April 2024, this time the delegation would not be accompanied by Milei, who would remain in Buenos Aires to continue her government agenda.
Last year, the President led an event with Richardson in the Tierra del Fuego city and explained that the two monitored "the progress in the development of the Integrated Naval Base," which he defined as "a large logistics center that will constitute the closest development port to Antarctica and that would make both nations the gateway to the white continent."
A native of Fort Valley, Georgia, Alvin Holsey was commissioned through the Naval Reserve Officers' Training Corps (NROTC) program at Morehouse College in 1988, where he earned a bachelor's degree in computer science.
He served on the ships USS Jesse L. Brown (FF 1089), USS Nicholson (DD 982), USS Vreeland (FF 1068), USS Vella Gulf (CG 72), USS Gettysburg (CG 64) and USS Simpson (FFG 56), piloting the SH-2F Seasprite and SH-60B Seahawk helicopters.
On November 7, 2024, he was promoted to the rank of Admiral and became Commander of the United States Southern Command. His military decorations include the Navy Distinguished Service Medal, the Defense Superior Service Medal, and the Legion of Merit, among others.
On Thursday, the military officer will board a plane again at Aeroparque for departure at 9:00 a.m. back to Miami, thus concluding his three-day visit to Argentina.
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