On November 1, the Perry Center convened 72 members of the local diplomatic community, representing 21 countries in the Americas, for its 2022 Washington Security and Defense Seminar (WSDS). The focus of the three-day seminar is how US security and defense policy is developed, particularly in relation to the Western Hemisphere.

Our appreciation to Mr. Juan Gonzalez, Special Assistant to the President and National Security Council Senior Director for the Western Hemisphere, for kicking-off our distinguished line-up with framing remarks. On the 2022 National Security Strategy (NSS), he noted “the Western Hemisphere portion of the NSS is one of the most robust since the Cold War…Our attempt this time around was to develop a geopolitical understanding of our interests in Latin America.” He also underscored that “the hemisphere’s democratic development is fundamentally in the national security interest of the United States, regardless of the political ideology of those who are elected…what matters is how you are elected and how you govern.”

Day one of the seminar, led by Dr. Fabiana Perera, also featured representatives from the US Congress, US Agency for International Development, Brookings Institution, and US Departments of Defense, State, and Commerce.