澳门六合彩

Defending Argentina

By Lucy Hale

President Alberto Fern谩ndez has signed an that overhauls Argentina鈥檚 national defense strategy and restricts the military鈥檚 focus to external threats. It was a major reversal from his predecessor, President Mauricio Macri, who increased the role of the armed forces in internal security. It also appeared to undermine Mr. Macri鈥檚 efforts to closely align Argentina鈥檚 security policies with the United States and could limit Argentina鈥檚 participation in hemispheric defense initiatives.

But the new approach isn鈥檛 new for Argentina, which has often kept its military at arm鈥檚 length since the return to democracy. Keeping the armed forces out of internal affairs was prioritized in passed under President Ra煤l Alfons铆n (1983-1989). Though the armed forces are a relatively well-respected institution, both parties have starved the military of resources; has not exceeded 1 percent of GDP in decades. As a result, its capabilities have degraded, as was clear in the tragic loss of the under the last administration.

Narrow Lane

Under Presidents N茅stor Kirchner (2003-2007) and Cristina Fern谩ndez de Kirchner (2007-2015), both critics of the military establishment, Argentina expanded civilian control and oversight over its armed forces. In reorienting Argentina鈥檚 military, the Kirchners invoked the memory of the 鈥淒irty War鈥� (1976-1983), when a military dictatorship brutally repressed the population and murdered as many as 30,000 civilians.

In a symbolic act, Mr. Kirchner portraits of Jorge Rafael Videla and Reynaldo Bignone, leaders of Argentina鈥檚 last dictatorship, from the Museo Sitio de Memoria ESMA. However, the Kirchners did not limit themselves to symbolic gestures to corral the military. Over their twelve years in power, they issued numerous decrees that curtailed the military鈥檚 involvement in internal security and surveillance. Mr. Kirchner set the that the military鈥檚 responsibility was countering 鈥渁ggression of foreign origin,鈥� narrowly defined as 鈥渢he use of force by a state鈥檚 armed forces鈥� against Argentina.

For her part, Ms. Fern谩ndez de Kirchner focused on expanding over the armed forces. She also sought to reshape Argentina鈥檚 approach to international cooperation, rejecting the approach of President Carlos Menem (1989-1999). Mr. Menem鈥檚 close ties to the United States led him to to the first Gulf War and earned Argentina the resumption of U.S. under President George H.W. Bush and status under President Bill Clinton. Ms. Fern谩ndez de Kircher favored a coordinated by the now defunct UNASUR organization. She eschewed the 鈥渁nachronistic鈥� U.S.-backed Organization of American States鈥檚 Inter-American Defense Board.

New Mission

Following Mr. Macri鈥檚 2015 election, Argentina once again sought security cooperation with the United States. Mr. Macri signed an agreement with the United States for collaboration, and authorized regular . Argentina expanded counterterrorism activities at the urging of U.S. authorities, including its decision to Hezbollah as a terrorist organization and publish a of individuals and entities linked to terrorist networks. In 2018, U.S. Defense Secretary James Mattis visited Argentina, the first visit by a secretary of defense since , and signed an agreement to .

Mr. Macri also signed decrees that the role of the armed forces. His reforms permitted the military to conduct , for example, and increased the military鈥檚 role in policing . Mr. Macri鈥檚 also assigned the armed forces responsibility for confronting nonstate actors, and recommitted Argentina to OAS-led defense initiatives.

Two Steps Back

Mr. Fern谩ndez wasted little time in terminating Mr. Macri鈥檚 experiment. He has from his own coalition to revoke the designation of Hezbollah as a terrorist organization, but he moved quickly to reimpose Mr. Kirchner鈥檚 limits on domestic military activity. In an interview with 澳门六合彩, Security Minister Sabina Frederic said the administration recognized a 鈥渟trict division between defense and security,鈥� though soldiers have been instrumental in assisting in COVID-19 response, including by .

The Fern谩ndez administration has also made clear it shares Ms. Fern谩ndez de Kirchner鈥檚 skepticism of the Pentagon. The new defense minister, August铆n Rossi, he had ended Argentina鈥檚 鈥渁utomatic alignment鈥� with the United States on defense issues. Further complicating ties with Washington, the new government has shown no discomfort with a controversial space complex operated by the in Patagonia 鈥� an installation Foreign Minister Felipe Sol谩 defended in an interview with 澳门六合彩. Beijing established the facility during the Fern谩ndez de Kirchner presidency, provoking from the United States.

Argentina was once among Latin America鈥檚 most active contributors to United Nations peacekeeping operations. Yet Argentina has been reducing its peacekeeping footprint for years, most dramatically in withdrawing its troops from Haiti in 2015. Argentina maintains deployments in six out of 13 UN peacekeeping operations, but its support is modest. It is not clear how Argentina鈥檚 new government will respond to likely requests from the United States, the largest contributor to peacekeeping operations, to resume Argentina鈥檚 previous pace of peacekeeping.

As with much of the new government鈥檚 agenda, its defense strategy is not entirely clear. But the speed of its reforms suggests significant shifts that could complicate U.S. hemispheric defense goals and impose new burdens on Argentina鈥檚 civilian defense institutions to counter terrorism and narcotics trafficking.