In September, the government of President José Antonio Kast of Chile set off a firestorm back home when it opted to join the Shield of the Americas. But why would signing on to a security initiative, launched by the Trump administration, cause a domestic divide? After all, voters concerned about crime helped propel Kast into office earlier this year, much as mano dura security pledges have given rise to a wave of right-wing wins across the hemisphere. “Chile has a long tradition where foreign affairs are regularly treated as a national interest dynamic, so you normally seek consensus,” says Diego Sazo, head of international relations research at AthenaLab, a Santiago-based think tank focused on security and defense. In this episode, he talks with AS/COA’s Carin Zissis about what a hemispheric initiative like the Shield offers the Americas, how it’s broadened to include economic and political dimensions, why it’s been so contentious in Chile, and the initiative’s prospects to outlast swings in the electoral pendulums.
In September, the government of President José Antonio Kast of Chile set off a firestorm back home when it opted to join the Shield of the Americas. But why would signing on to a security initiative, launched by the Trump administration, cause a domestic divide? After all, voters concerned about crime helped propel Kast into office earlier this year, much as mano dura security pledges have given rise to a wave of right-wing wins across the hemisphere.
“Chile has a long tradition where foreign affairs are regularly treated as a national interest dynamic, so you normally seek consensus,” says Diego Sazo, head of international relations research at AthenaLab, a Santiago-based think tank focused on security and defense. In this episode, he talks with AS/COA’s Carin Zissis about what a hemispheric initiative like the Shield offers the Americas, how it’s broadened to include economic and political dimensions, why it’s been so contentious in Chile, and the initiative’s prospects to outlast swings in the electoral pendulums.
This episode was produced by Executive Producer Luisa Leme and Associate Producer Khalea Robertson. Carin Zissis is your host.
Mentioned in this episode:
Diego Sazo’s paper exploring the Shield of the Americas. https://www.athenalab.org/en/noticias/2026/09/24/el-escudo-de-las-americas-y-los-limites-de-la-coordinacion-voluntaria-claves-de-la-adhesion-plena-de-chile/
U.S. Undersecretary of War for Policy Elbridge Colby’s piece on the Donroe Doctrine in Americas Quarterly. https://www.americasquarterly.org/article/elbridge-colby-on-the-opportunities-of-the-donroe-doctrine/
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The music in the podcast is "Laberintitis" performed by Lester Paredes for Americas Society. Find out about upcoming concerts at musicoftheamericas.org. Share your love for Latin America: Join Americas Society.