Ecuador hosts South American Defense Conference for the first time

Ecuador hosted a new edition of the South American Defense Conference (Southdec), which, between September 14 and 15, brought together 14 delegations from the region and international delegations:

Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Chile, Ecuador, United States, Guyana, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, Uruguay, Canada, Spain, and France.

Southdec is one of the continent’s most important spaces for discussion, focused on hemispheric defense and security issues. It seeks to strengthen regional cooperation and combat threats affecting its members.

Throughout the two-day event, issues of environmental security, conflicts in the gray zone, articulation of security strategies, institutional cooperation, cybersecurity, arms trafficking, and the joint fight against transnational crime, particularly drug trafficking, were discussed.

Thus, the conference allowed participating countries to strengthen ties, assess challenges, explore ways to improve security cooperation and build on previous successes.

THE CHALLENGE OF CHINA AND RUSSIA

The head of the US Southern Command, General Laura Richardson, was present at the event and used the occasion to warn of the threats and challenges posed by China and Russia to the region.

“China is playing chess, and Russia is playing checkers. Their combined multifaceted actions are destabilizing the region, empowering authoritarianism and undermining democratic principles,” Richardson said.

The Southern Command chief also said that China is “the largest offender of illegal, unregulated and unreported fishing in this region and around the world”.

“The Chinese government-subsidized vessels severely deplete fish stocks, destabilize the economies of coastal states, dump plastic waste at sea and prevent local fishermen from earning nearly US$3 billion in annual income.”

With information from InfoDefensa