Conference Summary
Strategic Perspectives on Latin America
Santiago, Chile, 3-5 August 2009
On 3-5 August the IISS took part in an international seminar on ‘Strategic Perspectives on Latin America’ held in Santiago, Chile. The seminar was hosted by the Chilean Army and its military research and training centre, CESIM, with the participation and collaboration of the IISS and CEIUC, the Centro de Estudios Internacionales of the Universidad Católica.
The event brought together a select group of high-level government ministers, senior military officials and leading academics to discuss to discuss Latin American strategies from an international security perspective.
Ms. Michelle Bachelet, President of the Republic of Chile gave the keynote address. Other Chilean speakers included the Minister of Defence, Mr. Francisco Vidal, and the Foreign Affairs Minister, Mr. Mariano Fernandez; Vittorio Corbo, former President of the Central Bank; Juan Emilio Cheyre, Director of the Centre for International Studies of the Universidad Católica; Eduardo Frei, Senator and former President of Chile; Ricardo Lagos, UN Special Envoy for Climate Change and former President of Chile and Sebastián Piñera, President of Fundación Futuro. The IISS was represented by Dr John Chipman, Director-General & Chief Executive, Mr Nigel Inkster, Director of Transnational and Political Risk, and Col Christopher Langton, Senior Fellow for Conflict and Defence Diplomacy.
Themes covered in the plenary sessions included an overview of Latin American security, military confidence-building and regional cooperation, geo-economics and cooperation in Latin America, regional politics and stability, and natural resources, climate change and security.
