BALANCE | A Look at 2022
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At the international, 2022 will be remembered as the year when Russia invaded Ukraine, causing immense suffering to its people and unleashing the largest war in Europe in decades. Along with the fourth crisis in the Taiwan Strait, the international rules-based order suffered significant degradation.
We addressed these international situations through numerous analyses, seminars, and media interventions.
On the national, this will be remembered as the year when Chile sent a strong signal of moderation and respect for its institutional traditions by rejecting a constitutional project that rendered the country unviable, importing ideas such as plurinationality.
AthenaLab participated in various ways in this process. We proposed the establishment of a “State security architecture,” which was embraced and supported by eight delegates. The Executive Director, Juan Pablo Toro, intervened in the Convention session when the role of the Armed Forces was discussed. We also published the book “Constitutional Path to Revolution,” by Advisory Council member José Rodríguez Elizondo.
Another significant event was the establishment of public security as a priority on the national agenda; hence, many of our publications were aimed at unraveling criminal economies.
Throughout this intense period, AthenaLab fulfilled its missions, which involve contributing to the country’s public policies, actively participating in informed debate, and fostering the development of young leaders. The return to in-person activities was a significant step towards reconnecting.
Publications
This year we published seven working papers on topics of national interest with included recommendations: “Violence in the Southern Macrozone: A Perspective from Internal Conflict Studies”; “Chancay Port in Peru and its Geopolitical Impact on Chile”; “Illegal Economies: Factors Facilitating Organized Crime in Chile”; “The Illegal Copper Economy: The Security Problem Behind the Theft of Red Metal”; “The Security of the State of Chile”; “Net Assessment: A Tool for National Defense, a Topic Regarding Power”; and “The Illegal Timber Economy: The Vicious Circle of Crime in Southern Chile.” VIEW ALL DOCUMENTS ➜
We also launched, in collaboration with IPSOS, the third survey “Perceptions on Foreign Policy and National Security”, which confirmed Chileans’ concerns about drug trafficking and border porosity. This version included comments from Foreign Minister Antonia Urrejola and the Canadian Ambassador to Chile, Michael Gort. VIEW SURVEY ➜
The Chair of AthenaLab’s Advisory Council, Julio Leiva, and the Head of Research, John Griffiths, contributed chapters to the book “A New Australidad for Chile,” published by Universidad Autónoma. The edition of this important work was carried out by former Foreign Minister Teodoro Ribera, also a member of the Advisory Council. VIEW BOOK ➜
In early December, the Center for International Studies at the Catholic University of Chile and the Konrad Adenauer Foundation launched the volume “Latin America and its Projection in Asia-Pacific,” which includes a chapter written by the Executive Director of AthenaLab. VIEW BOOK ➜
Finally, the book “Cybersecurity Governance in Latin America” , by Carlos Solar, Senior Researcher at the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) for security in Latin America, was presented in Chile, an event attended by the National Cybersecurity Coordinator, Daniel Álvarez-Valenzuela.VIEW LAUNCH ➜ Activities
Among the numerous activities conducted, members of AthenaLab delivered
lectures and conferences on various topics at different higher education institutions in the country, such as the Catholic University of Chile, University of Chile, University of the Andes, University of Development, and Adolfo Ibáñez University, as well as at Georgetown University in the United States. Additionally, we were
invited to present at forums organized by the Center for Public Studies (CEP), Society of Industrial Promotion (Sofofa), Chilean Institute of Rational Business Administration (Icare), Foundation for Progress, National Academy of Political and Strategic Studies (Anepe), Royal United Services Institute (RUSI), The Polish Institute of International Affairs (PISM), and the Institute for Liberty and Development. In the case of CEP, Sofofa, and Icare, our contribution was to provide insights from the field of security to institutions that are just beginning to develop in this area. In the international arena, in May we developed, together with the Royal Elcano Institute in Madrid, a closed seminar on
governance and security in Latin America, which featured speakers from across the region, including Senator Ximena Rincón and former constituent delegate Marcela Cubillos. In October, we joined the celebrations of the
125 years of bilateral relations between Chile and Japan, with AthenaLab becoming one of the organizers of a thematic event that included the Embassy of Japan in Chile, the Japanese Charity Society, and former Foreign Minister Heraldo Muñoz. At the end of the year, AthenaLab was one of the sponsors of the
Exponaval , which involved organizing panels on the challenges of being a maritime power in the 21st century. For this reason, naval expert Alessio Patalano from King’s College London and former Chief of the Royal Australian Navy, Vice Admiral (ret.) Michael Noonan, were invited, with the latter being integrated as asenior fellow of our research center. VIEW MORE ➜ Our offices also became a space to receive
distinguished visitors, such as the ambassadors of Australia, Canada, Spain, France, and the United Kingdom, the chargé d’affaires of Ukraine, and the Director General of the Taiwan Office. Delegates from Brazil, Japan, and Uruguay also came to meet us. Additionally, a group from the Allies program visited us, which included training officers from the military and naval academies of the United States, as well as from Tufts University.
Moreover, members of AthenaLab attended important
international forums : the “Land Warfare Conference” and the “Annual Chief of the Defence Staff Lecture by Admiral Sir Tony Radakin,” organized by RUSI in London; the “Shangri-La Dialogue” in Singapore; and the “First Sea Lord’s Sea Power Conference” in London, hosted by the International Institute for Strategic Studies; “O Poder Naval Brasileiro: da independência ao futuro” by the Brazilian Navy in Rio de Janeiro; “Politique de défense pour l’Amerique latine” by the Institut de Hautes Études de Défense Nationale in Paris; and the “Indo Pacific Sea Power Conference” by the Royal Australian Navy. At the latter seminar held in Sydney, the Chair of the Advisory Council presented on Chile’s role in the region.People
This year we added
new members to the team: Pilar Lizana and Marcelo Masalleras, who, as researchers, were responsible for a large number of publications and fully integrated into AthenaLab’s activities; Marcela Silva joined as Office Manager, an essential role for the smooth operation of the organization, and alongside them, former Deputy Minister of Defense Cristián de la Maza joined as a senior fellow , bringing his extensive experience.Daniela Ruminot, from the Institute of International Studies at the University of Chile, and Katherine Caesar, from the School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University, United States, completed their internships at AthenaLab.
Of course,
we invested in the training of our future leaders by organizing a winter workshop in July in Jahuel, which was attended by 32 young people from Santiago and regions, who were able to learn about and discuss the realities of security and defense on both the international and national levels. VIEW MORE ➜ Additionally, in March we held a
Leadership Workshop at noon aimed at young people at the facilities of the Pontifical Catholic University of Valparaíso in Santiago. VIEW MORE ➜ Regularly, we organize breakfasts and lunches on various topics with university students and young leaders.
The Executive Director was invited to participate, once again, in the
Advisory Council of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which has already begun to operate. Meanwhile, Julio Leiva and John Griffiths presented at the Foresight Table that is part of the Future Council of the Senate. In the ongoing
updating of our knowledge , the Head of Projects and Communications, Fernanda Muñoz, obtained her Master’s in Political Communication and Public Affairs from Adolfo Ibáñez University. Likewise, a group of AthenaLab members completed the course for Senior Executives in National and International Security at Harvard University.The unfortunate event of this year was the passing of our Advisory Council member,
Karen Poniachik, whom we will miss and always be grateful for her contributions in the early days of AthenaLab. Our thoughts are with her family. Media
There was
high demand for our participation in the media due to the war in Ukraine and the security issues facing Chile. In addition to our traditional columns in El Mercurio, El Líbero, and El Mostrador, we contributed to La Tercera, Diario Financiero, El Mercurio de Valparaíso, TVN, T13, Chilevisión, Mega, VíaX, EMOL, Tele13, Duna, Radio Agricultura, Radio Futuro, Radio Pauta, among others. We would like to thank all those media outlets for reaching out to us. VIEW ATHENALAB IN THE MEDIA ➜ Webinars
and interviews Although the pandemic has receded, the tool of
webinars and recorded interviews has become well established to access various personalities. This year, we can recall that AthenaLab engaged with prominent figures such as the First Sea Lord of the Royal Navy, Admiral Ben Key; retired U.S. Army General David Petraeus; British historian Niall Ferguson; Venezuelan analyst Moisés Naím; strategist Sir Lawrence Friedman; retired Admiral Lee Hsi-min, former Chief of the Armed Forces of Taiwan; and Juan Battaleme, Executive Secretary of the Argentine Council for International Relations.VIEW ALL CONFERENCES ➜ Institutional Relations This year we signed
memorandums of understanding
with the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) , from the United Kingdom, and the Royal Elcano Institute,from Spain, in efforts led by the Head of Development and Strategy at AthenaLab, Ignacio Mardones. With these two prestigious research centers, concrete projects will be carried out in 2023, starting with a conference with RUSI at the end of January in London on Latin America and a conference with the Royal Elcano Institute in Santiago. We also maintained our working relationship with the Columbia Global Center
which will continue next year with a seminar on climate change. We were also invited to be part of the Working Group for Security of Sofofa.
On behalf of the Board, Advisory Council, and the AthenaLab team, we thank all those who participated in our activities, read our publications, and contributed with their knowledge and friendship. All for a free, prosperous, and secure Chile. We wish you a Merry Christmas and a successful New Year. See you in 2023.
Sincerely,
The AthenaLab Team
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