INTERVIEW | Beyond "securing" the border: What candidates propose in Defense amid military reinforcement by neighbors

A topic that has not received much attention in the presidential debate is the proposals regarding defense. This issue, despite Chile’s good relations with its neighbors, is significant given the current context in the region.

In fact, in recent weeks, it has been reported that countries like Peru and Argentina are incorporating or planning to incorporate new armaments. For example, this week it was revealed that Argentina is negotiating the purchase of submarines and patrol vessels from France. It is worth noting that since 2017, Argentina has not had submarines following the sinking of the ARA San Juan.

In the case of Peru, it was reported mid-year that the government will allocate more than $3.5 billion for the purchase of aircraft, armored vehicles, and strategic equipment. Additionally, in October, it was announced that a new air defense system would be acquired as part of the country’s military modernization agenda. This would include contracts for the co-production of vessels, aircraft, and armored vehicles, among others.

In this context, experts warn of the challenges facing the next political cycle in this area, such as the need to provide greater funding to the Armed Forces (FF.AA) at a time when internal requirements, such as border permeability and rural violence in the Southern Macrozone, have multiplied their functions.

In conversation with Emol, knowledgeable voices outline the key areas the next administration should consider.

For instance, defense and national security expert Richard Kouyoumdjian pointed out that “the priorities in defense for any government should be to provide sufficient budget to the Armed Forces to train, navigate, fly, and conduct maintenance.”

“(The FF.AA.) are overly focused on internal security, neglecting their primary role, which is defense. Additionally, it is crucial not to overlook maintaining strategic capabilities, which are key to ensuring peace and development in Chile,” he added.

Meanwhile, retired Army General and head of research at Athenalab, John Griffiths, commented that “it is no secret that in recent years the number of missions the Armed Forces have undertaken has increased. Evidence of this is the deployment in the Southern Macrozone, the border deployment, and the protection of critical infrastructure.”

In this regard, he warned that “the phenomenon of recent years is an increase in the number of missions with less budget and fewer personnel, with less strength.” Therefore, “what needs to be done in the short term is to recover defense capabilities to, first and foremost, fulfill the number of missions assigned to you; recover the capabilities of weapon systems; but fundamentally, in my humble opinion, what needs to be done is to maintain the number of personnel in the force that has been weakened in one way or another. We must prevent the brain drain from the Armed Forces at all costs.”

For his part, former Deputy Minister of Defense Gabriel Gaspar urged Chile to “update its planning in light of the significant political and strategic changes occurring in the world today.” He emphasized the need to set aside national circumstances. “When one speaks of defense, it is about defending the permanent interests of the country, not the interests of a specific period or situation, and those long-term objectives.”

“Today, significant changes are taking place globally, which are impacting us, and Chile needs to update its planning because the one we had is starting to be modified by this new scenario. Obviously, when one speaks of defense policy, it is to protect Chileans, to protect our population, our territory, our sovereignty,” he argued.

But what do the candidates leading public preferences think and propose? Here is a review of their main measures.

Jeannette Jara

In Jara’s campaign, there is coordination among advisors in justice, security, and defense, who, while working separately, occasionally meet to outline some proposals. One figure who has particularly collaborated in the area of defense is former Deputy Minister of Defense during Michelle Bachelet’s second term, Marcos Robledo (PS).

In her program, the candidate states that “Chile needs a government that strengthens strategic-military leadership, enhances the defense industrial base, and places special emphasis on the personnel of the Armed Forces. This implies ensuring the availability of personnel, guaranteeing standards of integrity and transparency, and modernizing the military career.”

Among her measures, she proposes strengthening political and strategic leadership. In particular, consolidating the Joint Staff (EMCO) as the strategic leadership body of the joint force, reforming Law No. 20.424. She also seeks to strengthen its regional commands to ensure presence in the northern border and projection in the southern Antarctic region.

Her program also states that “companies like Famae, Enaer, and Asmar must be integrated into a dual technological innovation ecosystem, useful for both defense and civil productive development.” Similarly, she proposes a “triple helix model (State–Industry–Academia) that fosters innovation, competitiveness, and resilience against the fragility of supply chains.”

On the other hand, it aims to establish an “Integrated Logistics System for Strategic Purchases that plans long-term acquisitions, diversifies suppliers, and ensures technology transfer.”

Regarding the military career, Jara seeks its modernization, with “common entry mechanisms for officers and non-commissioned officers.” “We will modernize the DGMN and military service, increasing capabilities and promoting conscription to meet current defense needs, fostering its comprehensive development,” the program states, also including mechanisms for integrity and institutional control.

On the border, the candidate proposes the deployment of the armed forces through presidential attribution and a “technological barrier.” “We will make the technological projects Integrated Border System (SIFRON) and Digital Wall permanent investment programs in equipment and technology for border control,” she indicates.

Evelyn Matthei

In the case of the government program of Chile Vamos candidate Evelyn Matthei, she emphasizes the idea of “securing the borders” to stop the illegal entry of immigrants and smuggling. To this end, among other measures, she proposes creating a Border Military Police, which will assign “specific missions and powers of border protection to the Armed Forces, with clear rules defining the roles of Carabineros, Customs, Directemar, the Investigative Police (PDI), and the Armed Forces themselves.”

Specifically, regarding national defense, Matthei refers to “safeguarding our sovereignty and the rule of law.” In this way, she states that “Chile needs modern Armed Forces, with real capabilities to face external threats, protect our borders, and support the population in emergencies. National defense is not an expense; it is an investment in security and stability to protect and defend our nation.”

Along with this, the former mayor proposes increasing the capabilities of the Armed Forces by fully applying Law No. 21.174 on strategic defense financing, with special emphasis on personnel and equipment for land, maritime, air, and cyberspace roles and missions.

She also speaks of strengthening joint command to ensure coordination and interoperability among the three branches of the Armed Forces, both in their defense role and in protecting national interests. At the same time, she will modernize Military Service and Professional Soldier, updating the professional career.

On the other hand, she will promote national economic development from the defense industry and its strategic companies, Famae, Asmar, and Enaer, generating cutting-edge technologies and resources for maintaining the strategic capabilities of the Armed Forces.

Regarding arms policy, the text does not propose an offensive expansion or a disproportionate increase in armaments, but rather a modernization and maintenance of strategic capabilities.

José Antonio Kast

Regarding the Republican candidate, José Antonio Kast, he has also emphasized border protection. For this reason, he presented the Border Shield Plan months ago, which is not only a migration policy but also “a declaration of national sovereignty,” they add.

This includes a total closure of the border to illegal immigration. That is, at unauthorized crossings and a significant military and police deployment. Regarding the Armed Forces and Law Enforcement, the plan states that they will constitute a Joint Task Force that will take absolute control of the northern border with 3,000 personnel on rotating shifts.

The military, meanwhile, “will have full powers to detain, redirect, and expel any foreigner who crosses illegally.”

Additionally, the candidate’s programmatic bases propose “enhancing coordination among the Armed Forces to improve their leadership and protection of critical infrastructure, increasing their management capacity and responsibility in national defense tasks.”

A Talent Retention Plan will also be developed that includes greater opportunities and promotion of military traditions. Kast states that he will generate “legal and political support” for their tasks.

Johannes Kaiser

In relation to the National Libertarian Party candidate, Johannes Kaiser dedicates Chapter 4 of his government program to the topic of “Security and Defense,” with a “preventive” perspective. This is because, as stated in the text, they believe that “the already blurred line separating public security from national defense has been erased.”

On this matter, Kaiser states that “the lack of a coherent military policy aligned with the needs of national security and Chile’s geopolitical and geostrategic situation is significant, which is manifested in restricted hypotheses, leading to a conception of strategic capabilities that do not meet the objective needs of national security.”

“Consequently, the Armed Forces must develop their strategic skills in favor of national interests and their hypotheses (…) and not for foreign geopolitical objectives, regarding which Chile is peripheral or simply instrumental. This is especially evident in defining our maritime interests,” he adds.

Thus, he proposes a “defense policy that aims to have Armed Forces with strategic capacity to cooperate in ‘international cooperation’ missions, based on an international projection capability.” For example, he presents the idea of having “a blue-water naval force and an army with the capacity to project its force in favor of international cooperation objectives unrelated to the needs of defending sovereignty and territorial integrity.”

In addition to border protection, Kaiser proposes that in internal security, the Armed Forces should “contribute to the development and action of the State, support in national emergency situations, provide civil protection, and ensure security for territorial interests, whether on land, sea, air, space, or cyberspace.” However, he states that the intervention of the Armed Forces in issues such as organized crime, illegal immigration, and arms trafficking should be “decisive and brief.”

The candidate advocates for the support of the Armed Forces “for internal security, including intelligence production; border control; control of areas declared dangerous in a state of constitutional exception.”

He also intends to reactivate mandatory military service and reopen other regiments. Along with this, he proposes strengthening the military industry, both state and private, and the associated academic centers to improve capabilities.