On February 23, the Perry Center and the University of Armed Forces of Ecuador (ESPE) co-sponsored the virtual discussion “Security and Defense Challenges in Latin America.”

Lieutenant Colonel Fernando Alvear Villarroel, Director of the Department of Security and Defense, ESPE and Perry Center Dean of Academics, Dr. Scott Tollefson opened this inaugural collaboration with institutional greetings, noting ESPE’s 100th anniversary and the Perry Center’s 25th anniversary this year. Perry Center professors Celina Realuyo and Dr. William Godnick along with professor Dr. Lester Cabrera and researcher Colonel (ret.) Mauro Argoti of ESPE each provided focused presentations on a variety of security and defense challenges currently facing the region.

Dr. Godnick concentrated his remarks on the armed forces, public security, and the rule of law in Latin America. Dr. Cabrera analyzed the ways in which cooperation, doctrine and civil-military relations are regional challenges for security and defense. Colonel Argoti spoke to disaster risk management as a challenge to border security, while Professor Realuyo defined the digitization of illicit networks in the Americas.

This event was attended by over 300 participants from 20 countries and was moderated by Dr. Klever Bravo, research professor at ESPE.