From July 21 to 25, 2025, the William J. Perry Center for Hemispheric Defense Studies conducted its mobile Strategy and Defense Policy (SDPm) course in collaboration with the Command of Higher Education of the Guatemalan Army (COSEDE) in Guatemala City. The Perry Center academic team was led by Dr. Luis Bitencourt – with support from professors Celina Realuyo and Dr. Boris Saavedra, along with WJPC alumus Federico Agustín Pelli, a professor at the National University of Tucumán, and Perry Center Operations Officer Mr. Henry Tweddle. The program focused on the roles and responsibilities of ministries of defense, civilian oversight, civil-military relations, strategic planning, and the relationship between defense institutions and democratic governance.

Participants explored current defense challenges and policy development under the fundamentals of crisis management and defense resources administration. WJPC professors emphasized bridging the divide between theory and practical application through lectures, discussions, working groups, decision-making exercises, and scenario-based drills addressing regional security threats such as transnational organized crime, the integration of emerging technologies in defense planning, critical infrastructure protection, and logistics coordination. By developing concrete policy proposals and strategic frameworks, participants deepened their understanding of institutional defense functions and identified opportunities to improve interagency collaboration.

Minister of Defense General Henry David Sáenz Ramos presided over the closing ceremony. Dr. Boris Saavedra and Prof. Realuyo were awarded the “Monja Blanca” Medal, First Class, while Mr. Tweddle, Dr. Bitencourt, and Prof. Pelli were awarded the “Monja Blanca” Medal, Second Class.