PORT-OF-SPAIN, Trinidad (CMC) — The United States Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) says its leaders this week joined regional defence and security leaders in discussing security challenges and regional cooperation during the Caribbean Nations Security Conference (CANSEC) 2024.

SOUTHCOM said on Friday that US Navy Admiral Alvin Holsey, commander of SOUTHCOM, joined Vice Air Marshall Darryl Daniel, chief of staff of the Trinidad and Tobago Defence Force, in co-hosting CANSEC.

Holsey also met with national leaders for a series of bilateral meetings and engagements including the Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago Dr Keith Rowley, SOUTHCOM said. 

During the conference, SOUTHCOM said “defence and security leaders from the Caribbean exchanged ideas, experiences and perspectives on regional collaborative efforts to address security challenges in the 21st century.”  

“Our commonalities go beyond common terrain,” said Holsey during the conference’s opening ceremony. “We are bound by shared history, culture, values, and economics.” 

“We dedicate ourselves to upholding established norms and universal values like respect for human rights and the rule of law,” he added. “Still, the threats we face continue to evolve.”

“Democratic governance is being assailed by authoritarian and communist governments, who, under the guise of investment, have come to the Western Hemisphere to extract, while championing the virtues of autocracy,” Holsey continued. “Their influence and presence have far-reaching consequences across all domains – including the maritime domain, which we are collectively committed to keeping the region’s waterways, including the Panama Canal, free, open and prosperous.” 

SOUTHCOM said this year’s conference theme was “Strengthening Bonds, Securing Futures: United for Regional Security”. 

It said the conference included discussions on countering threats across multiple domains, as well as enabling a regional approach to respond to natural disasters and crises. 

SOUTHCOM said Holsey joined defence leaders from 16 nations for two days of dialogue, briefings and bilateral meetings focused on cooperation and regional security. 

“With so many leaders present today, the next couple of days provides us with a unique opportunity to affirm our commitment to collaboration, cooperation, and partnerships as we address our common threats and challenges,” he said. 

“As allies and partners, it is imperative that we continue our efforts across all domains to increase readiness, build capacity, and develop resiliency necessary to overcome enduring threats,” he added. “Change sometimes takes time, but the commitment to change starts the moment we all decide to act.  It is our collective responsibility to act.”

SOUTHCOM is one of the United States’ six geographically focused unified commands with responsibility for US military operations in the Caribbean and Central America.