With the arrival of the head of the United States Southern Command, Admiral Alvin Holsey, in Argentina , the debate has been rekindled over the implications of a greater US military presence in the Southern Cone. This is particularly true in a strategic setting like Tierra del Fuego , given President Javier Milei's announcements regarding the construction of a joint Integrated Naval Base with the US in Ushuaia.
The visit reveals Washington's growing interest in securing its influence in the South Atlantic and protecting its geopolitical interests in the region, and demonstrates our country's subservience to the needs of the world power .
On its X account, the US Embassy published that " The United States is committed to deepening our long-standing defense partnership with Argentina and working together to strengthen regional security."
The commander of U.S. Southern Command, Admiral Alvin Holsey, met today with President @JMilei . The U.S. is committed to deepening our longstanding defense partnership with Argentina and working together to strengthen regional security. pic.twitter.com/JY3DAg4oKr
Prior to the meeting at the Casa Rosada , the head of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Xavier Isaac, received the American at an honorary reception , and then it was Luis Petri's turn, with whom he met at the Libertador Building , headquarters of the Ministry of Defense . Later, the meeting with President Javier Milei at the Casa Rosada was brief: 45 minutes in an official office .
The accompanying delegation is comprised of the chargé d'affaires of the U.S. diplomatic mission in Argentina, Abigail Dressel, and Major General Julian Cheater, director of Strategy, Policies and Plans for the Southern Command .
In addition, they will travel this Wednesday to the Ushuaia Naval Base , where the Navy could advance the construction of an Antarctic logistics hub in collaboration with the U.S., a project that is highly contested due to its implications for sovereignty and control of the southernmost territories.
Holsey 's visit, at a time when US relations with China are strained and interest in controlling the South Pole and Antarctica is growing, raises concerns about Argentine and regional sovereignty.
In this context, the priority Washington places on military cooperation with Buenos Aires was raised. However, beyond official statements about the deepening of the alliance, doubts arise about the true intentions of a deployment that, in practice, appears to be aimed at increasing US influence in a territory key to its foreign policy.
It's worth remembering that, in parallel, operations by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers have been launched on the Paraná-Paraguay Waterway and other defense cooperation mechanisms, promoting an openness that is incompatible with national sovereignty.
Holsey 's visit coincides with an international policy that strengthens the US military position in different latitudes . In this context, the progress in construction and operational operations in Tierra del Fuego , as proposed through an integrated naval base, should be interpreted as a geopolitical move to secure a foothold in the South Pole , a region whose strategic importance and untapped resources are growing exponentially.
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