AthenaLab consolidates strategic dialogue with key actors in Bolivia

In a regional context marked by challenges in security, irregular migration, organized crime, and geopolitical reconfiguration, a team from AthenaLab conducted a high-level strategic mission in Bolivia from February 22 to 25, solidifying its positioning as a relevant actor in academic diplomacy and strategic thinking in Latin America.

The delegation, led by the Director of International Affairs, Ignacio Mardones, along with Ambassador Gabriel Zepeda (who previously served as Consul General of Chile in La Paz), held meetings with diplomatic, academic, military, and economic authorities in La Paz and Santa Cruz, including engagements at the Bolivian Diplomatic Academy, the National High Studies School, the Milenio Foundation, and LAPRID, as well as with Bolivian universities and representatives from the commercial and defense sectors.

The mission allowed for the observation of a political landscape in transition in Bolivia and a pragmatic willingness among influential sectors to advance a modern agenda with Chile, based on trade, border security, and logistical integration, while acknowledging existing historical sensitivities.

One of the most significant outcomes was the positive reception to the proposal to hold a binational seminar in Arica in 2026, focused on security, international relations, and defense, conceived as a technical and plural forum for ongoing strategic dialogue.

With this visit, ATHENALAB reaffirms its international vocation and commitment to building bridges in the region, promoting responsible, technically sound conversation spaces oriented toward Chile’s national interest.

The mission confirms that there is a window of opportunity to strengthen ties in the strategic-academic realm, contributing to the creation of conditions for greater stability and trust between both countries at a key moment for regional politics.