After three days of meetings and multilateral cooperation encounters, the XVI Conference of Defense Ministers of the Americas , held in the capital of the province of Mendoza , concluded last Wednesday. Closing the meeting, they signed the Mendoza Declaration , a document that summarizes the commitments assumed by the different delegations within the framework of the summit.
As reported by El Tribuno , in his closing speech, Defense Minister Luis Petri “celebrated the 'courage' of the countries of America for 'raising their voices against the invasion perpetrated by Russia against Ukraine' and advocated for a continent 'free of dictatorships.'”
The Conference of Defense Ministers of the Americas is the most important multilateral defense forum in our hemisphere, and is made up of representatives from the 34 member countries .
As a starting point, the Minister of Defense in charge of the pro tempore presidency of the conference, Luis Petri , stated that “Argentina has been and will continue to be a firm defender of territorial integrity, a fundamental principle that will always guide our actions,” highlighted the Noticias Argentinas portal.
In addition, Petri highlighted that among “the main commitments are the joint fight against drug trafficking, terrorism, human trafficking, arms trafficking, cyber attacks, illegal fishing - both in the Atlantic and the Pacific - illegal mining and irregular migratory flows, all with the aim of strengthening the Americas as a region of peace, defender of democratic values.”
Once again, the Argentine government has given clear signals to the world that it will continue to be tied to the wagon and the fate of the Atlanticist axis headed by the United States, the United Kingdom and Israel, as Petri celebrated "the courage to continue raising its voice against the invasion perpetrated by Russia against Ukraine." He also emphasized the country's strategic positioning in defense of liberal democracies and Western values, stating that "with weak democracies, with autocracies or with dictatorships, these regional problems are exponentially aggravated."
In another demonstration of alignment with the warlike axis of the West, the Argentine minister "highlighted Argentina's efforts to promote the support of member countries in recognizing Israel's right to defend itself from terrorist attacks," as noted by El Tribuno . This position was supported by Canada, the United States, Paraguay, Uruguay, Ecuador and Guatemala.
Petri also mentioned what the US considers to be the main sources of conflict in the region: "We cannot ignore the complex conditions that persist in Haiti, a country that faces enormous challenges of great magnitude in terms of security, political stability and social development."
He also referred to the situation in Venezuela and expressed his desire and that of the Milei government that at the next Conference of Defense Ministers of the Americas we will have "an America free of autocracies and free of dictatorships, with solid, robust democracies."
As part of the closing ceremony, member countries confirmed the venues for the next conferences. Peru will be in charge of organizing them in 2026 and the United States in 2028.
The head of the United States Southern Command, Laura Richardson , participated in the meeting.
Representatives of the Inter-American Defense Board (IADB), the Inter-American Defense College (IADC), SICOFAA , the Perry Study Center , RESDAL , and the OAS Committee on Hemispheric Security , among other guests, also participated.
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