What to Expect from a Program in International Relations, National Security, and Defense?

El Líbero, June 26, 2024

We do not need a Ministry of Security, but it would be beneficial to have a National Security Advisor of ministerial rank to integrate and coordinate efforts.

As part of a series of columns aimed at those who hope to lead the right in the upcoming presidential elections, the first of which is titled What Should the Right Do Regarding National Security, Including Public Safety?, followed by one titled Public Safety: What Will Be the Strategy of Rincón, Carter, Kaiser, Matthei, and Kast? this time the idea is to review what should be included in a government program on these matters, all of which are certainly important, but in light of the current situation in Chile, are even more critical than in past elections, which were more dominated by health, education, and social security.

International Relations

Let us start with what should not be done, and for that, we can use the current government’s program in these matters, which confused ends with means, establishing a feminist, turquoise foreign policy focused on human rights and high integration with Latin American countries. A foreign policy that forgets national interest and the country’s objectives in international relations.

There is nothing wrong with foreign policy having a feminine accent, being concerned with conservation and environmental issues, and human rights in other countries, but this should be understood as ways or means to achieve and satisfy what matters to Chileans, which is more in the realm of border security, immigration control, and organized crime coming from abroad. Everything serves as long as national interest is satisfied. The same applies to multilateralism, which some consider a focus in itself, but do not understand that it is a means for countries of our size to fulfill our national objectives.

Chile’s foreign policy must recognize its geographical, economic, and security and defense realities. We are located in a complicated neighborhood, which requires us to be very professional in how we manage our neighborhood relations. We are open to the whole world, but with primary clients in the Indo-Pacific, and to a lesser extent in North America and Europe.

We are a country aligned with the West, something important not to forget in these polarized times when there are pressures for countries to align with one side or the other. This does not preclude us from trading with all countries on the planet, but only as long as it is not under undue pressures or we have to compromise our values and principles.

The aforementioned requires a professional and modern diplomatic service, prepared to adequately represent national interest. It requires a Ministry of Foreign Affairs organized for this purpose, a more strategic Ministry of Foreign Affairs that effectively leads foreign policy efforts, and that requires presidential support only in rare exceptions or when the head of state is required as such.

In summary, having a clear understanding of national interests and objectives allows for the design of the necessary strategy to shape them, including the human, material, and technical means needed, and why not, feminine touches if deemed appropriate.

National Security

The main problem Chile faces in national security is the absence of a national security system, which implies an architecture and organization that gives it form, to which all branches of government contribute and integrate. Without a system to address this, we will continue to flounder in security matters, whether public or potentially external. We will always have problems, especially in current times, but not having a system to deal with them is a greater issue.

National security requires an effective intelligence system, as without it we will be blind. It does not require reinventing the wheel. We are talking about connecting what currently exists in Defense and the police with the ANI, which certainly requires more budget, personnel, and operational capabilities.

The problems that need to be addressed are clearly identified and are none other than organized crime and drug trafficking, the Mapuche insurgency, and the porosity of our borders, which takes on a critical aspect due to the difficult neighborhood in which we are located. They are complex but manageable if we have a system with the characteristics mentioned earlier, but it will be ineffective if there is no political will to use force, and a judicial system, including the Public Ministry, that supports efforts rather than undermines them.

Enforcing the rule of law alongside providing the security that Chile needs are primary functions of the state. For this, we do not need a Ministry of Security, but it would be beneficial to have a National Security Advisor of ministerial rank to integrate and coordinate efforts.

The rule of law must ensure public order, as without order or justice, as Machiavelli indicates, rights lose their meaning in the face of the terror we face daily.

Defense

National Defense through the Armed Forces that comprise it is the last resort, which has the force and power that the police do not have, as the latter are only focused on public order and safety. It should only be used when all else fails; it is the lethal force that the state applies when deemed necessary.

Like everything in Chile, it is not without challenges. Having them deployed for several years in a state of emergency is not without cost and wears them down for their primary role, which is the defense of territory, seas, airspace, and space, national sovereignty, and the protection of national interest wherever it may be located.

All of the above requires budget and personnel. It requires not to play tricks with budgets and fund allocations, which, following a global trend, are on the rise, as the cost of providing security and defense has increased due to the complexity and variety of challenges to be addressed. It requires the right people, whether women or men. It is a function open to all Chileans, but only if they are prepared and qualified for it, which leads to rethinking how military service operates or alternative ways to provide the Armed Forces with the human capabilities they require for current and future realities to be resolved.

The Armed Forces are not meant for everything. They are designed for specific purposes and functions. Of course, they can improve their coordination and joint operations capabilities, but the main issue is that they have the material and human resources they need, and that they are trained to provide the service they offer, which must be effective and lethal, as in armed conflicts and war there are no second places.

Their use in exceptional tasks should only be that, exceptional. They can support the police, but only, to reiterate, in exceptional circumstances. Their employment in public security or in response to all natural disasters that affect us cannot become a constant.

A government program in this area should not be very extensive. It should simply state the objective of National Defense, the use and purpose of the Armed Forces, and how the necessary budget for the required capabilities, whether human or material, is financed.

The government program should include the assessment of risks and external and internal threats that are expected to be addressed and resolved, and it is highly desirable that the main aspects of the Defense policy be known at the beginning of the administration and the policy published before the first year in office, as required in the United States of America.

Women can contribute significantly in defense matters, and nothing and no one prevents them from doing so. Having civilians prepared in defense and national security matters is mandatory, and all recent governments have fallen short. The Anepe is clearly underutilized.

Having a clear understanding of why a differentiated pension regime is essential, as is the need for legal protection when acting in public security matters or under exceptional regimes. Those who comprise the Armed Forces demand this.

Richard Kouyoumdjian
Vice President of AthenaLab

Source: El Líbero