The Minister of Defense has the floor

El Mostrador, Sunday, April 17, 2022

Having civil political command over obedient and non-deliberative Armed Forces is not without cost. It is a heavy burden and an immense responsibility. We are talking about institutions that were established with the Republic, which have served the country for over two centuries, composed of more than 100,000 Chilean men and women, highly trained professionals from all corners of our homeland, to which they are indissolubly bound by an oath to give their lives in its defense and service. The least that these Chileans deserve, along with the more than 100,000 members of the reserves and retired personnel and their families, is for the person vested with political command of the Armed Forces to clearly defend their honor, dignity, and good name, especially since they are legally prohibited from doing so.

About a month ago, we wished the new Minister of Defense, Maya Fernández, the best of luck in her new responsibilities. Today, it is necessary to ask the Minister about two relevant issues for her portfolio that deserve an explanation. First, we need an explanation of what is happening at ANEPE. The National Academy of Political and Strategic Studies had been playing a significant role as a meeting point for debate on the role of the Armed Forces in the proposed constitution. Not long ago, the previous government implemented a significant change in its leadership structure by calling for a public high-level competition to fill the positions of Director, Academic Deputy Director, and Administrative Deputy Director. This new initiative encouraged competition for academic and administrative excellence. Strangely, as of today, ANEPE is left without leadership, with its director and both deputy directors removed from their positions. The academic community in security and defense is asking: What happened and why? The Minister has the floor.

The second issue relates to the statements made by former presidential candidate Daniel Jadue in Venezuela, disparaging and insulting the Armed Forces of Chile. It is true that the government spokesperson declared that Mr. Jadue did not represent the government, but that is not enough. The ones who have been attacked and disparaged are the Armed Forces of Chile, permanent institutions of the Republic, obedient to civil political power and compliant with orders emanating from that political leadership. Our Armed Forces are also non-deliberative. This condition prevents them from entering the political arena to defend their honor, dignity, and good name. The condition of being obedient and non-deliberative is the basis for granting command and political leadership of the Armed Forces to the minister responsible for national defense, and thus that minister acquires not only the prerogative but also the obligation to represent the sentiment and lead the political defense of the institutions that comprise national defense when they are so unjustly attacked. If the attacks are true, then the minister has the unavoidable obligation to take the appropriate disciplinary, legal, or administrative measures in response to such serious allegations. What the Minister of Defense is not permitted to do is to do neither of the two in the face of such serious allegations made publicly abroad and widely disseminated in Chile and abroad. 

A little over a month after the installation of this government, the Minister of Defense of the Republic of Chile has the floor.

Richard Kouyoumdjian
Vice President AthenaLab

Source: El Mostrador