RUSI Latin American Security Conference 2025

Baroness Chapman of Darlington, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Latin America and Caribbean, Soft Power, and Devolution

Keynote chair: Malcolm Chalmers, Deputy Director-General, RUSI

With wars being fought in Ukraine and the Middle East, and brewing disputes between superpowers in the Indo-Pacific, how will Latin America be affected by global geopolitics in the near term? How can Latin American countries most effectively engage in a world that has reshaped previous ways of conducting international relations? How can Latin American countries ensure that they are involved in new forms of global governance?

Speakers:
Francisco De Santibanez, President, Argentine Council for International Relations
Kezia McKeague, Managing Director, McLarty Associates
Juan Carlos Pinzón, Former Minister of Defence of Colombia and Ambassador to Washington
Brian Fonseca, Director, Jack D. Gordon Institute for Public Policy, Florida International University

Chair: Juan Pablo Toro, Executive Director, AthenaLab

A dynamic and unpredictable global environment demands better and improved armed forces ready to meet the challenge. How are the Latin American countries adapting to new defence requirements? How can the military, intelligence, and private sector best contribute to promoting regional stability and peace in the Americas.

Speakers:
Sarah K. Martinez, National Intelligence Officer, Western Hemisphere, Office of the Director of National Intelligence, United States
Estefania Dominguez, Americas Senior Analyst, Janes
Juan Battaleme, Secretary of International Defence Affairs, Ministry of Defence, Argentina
Marcelo Masalleras, Senior Researcher, AthenaLab

Chair: Peter Olive, Former Head of Futures and Strategic Analysis, DCDC, Ministry of Defence, UK

Ricardo Montero Allende, Defense Undersecretary, Government of Chile

Chair: Vanessa Buschschlüter, BBC News Online Latin America Editor

With organised and transnational criminality constituting an unprecedented threat to countries in the region, what can decisionmakers do to improve collectively their security? How can governments set and implement viable policies for countering transnational criminality while also ensuring that developmental priorities are met?

Speakers:
Martín Verrier, Vice Minister for Countering Drug Trafficking, Argentina
Miguel Asencio, Director, Cybersecurity Policy, Jack D. Gordon Institute for Public Policy, FIU
Carolina Andrade, Secretary General for Security, Quito Metropolitan District

Chair: Kathryn Hughes, Senior Manager for International Advisory, Western Hemisphere, bp.

Speakers:
Yaroslav Brisiuck, Director General, The Americas, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine
Paz Zárate, Senior Researcher, AthenaLab

Chair: Carlos Solar, Senior Research Fellow, RUSI