Paraguayan President Santiago Peña visited U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) today to meet with U.S. Army Gen. Laura Richardson, as well as other command and Department of Defense leaders.
This marks the first visit to the command headquarters by a sitting foreign Head of State since former President Jair Bolsonaro of Brazil visited in March of 2020.
Peña’s visit enabled the command to inform him on the full scope of efforts related to defense bilateral relations with Paraguay, which is a key regional partner. Additional topics discussed included regional security issues, enhancement of Paraguay’s security forces, and common plans in the fight against drug trafficking and transnational criminal organizations.
Peña’s visit also underscores the command’s steadfast commitment to partnering with Paraguay in support of mutual goals and further strengthening the longstanding security ties between the two countries.
Accompanying the Paraguayan president were members of his cabinet including his Foreign Minister, Defense Minister, Chief of Staff, and Defense Chief.
Prior to this visit, Gen. Richardson most recently met with President Peña May 16 in Washington D.C.
At SOUTHCOM, the headquarters’ staff currently includes a senior Paraguayan military liaison officer who provides expertise, advice, and insights to support the command’s security cooperation with partner nations in the region.
SOUTHCOM is one of the nation’s six geographically-focused unified commands with responsibility for U.S. military operations in the Caribbean, Central America and South America, as well as security cooperation with defense and public-security forces in the region.
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POC: U.S. Southern Command, Office of Public Affairs | southcom.miami.sc-cc.list.cmd-public-affairs@mail.mil | 305-437-1213