U.S. Navy Admiral Alvin Holsey, Commander of U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM), will travel to Argentina this week as part of a three-day visit, the US Embassy in Argentina informed. Holsey will conduct “key leader engagements” in Buenos Aires with government and defense leadership, according to the embassy’s communiqué. 

This is Admiral Holsey’s second visit to Argentina since assuming command of SOUTHCOM last November. During his previous visit last April, he met with president Javier Milei at Casa Rosada, as well as other government officials, including Defense minister Luis Petri. Halsey also visited a naval base in Ushuaia, Tierra del Fuego.

The admiral’s agenda this time includes new meetings with Petri — who is now a candidate for Congress in the midterm elections — and General Xavier Isaac, Chief of the Argentine Armed Forces’ Joint Staff.

Conversations with Argentine officials will reportedly revolve around “reinforcing the longstanding military collaboration” between the two nations, aimed at “bolstering regional security, and advancing shared interests.”

A new visit to the naval base in Ushuaia is also on the agenda, as he is expected to engage with local military personnel “to gain insights into their missions and the critical role they play in safeguarding maritime routes vital to global commerce,” according to the Embassy. 

Additionally, Holsey will join Isaac in co-hosting the South American Defense Conference (SOUTHDEC), which gathers defense leaders from South America and Europe. 

This year’s SOUTHDEC will include plenary sessions on enhanced maritime domain awareness as well as Armed Forces support to law enforcement in countering transnational criminal organizations.

The conference, co-sponsored annually by SOUTHCOM, was last hosted by Argentina in 2018.