Metropolitan Santiago hosted an informational breakfast bringing together military, naval, and air attachés from various countries represented in Chile, as part of the preparations for the thirteenth edition of ExpoNaval. The gathering provided an opportunity to present the event’s key guidelines, priorities, and operational updates to diplomatic delegations, as well as to coordinate parallel activities for this international exhibition and congress focused on naval defense, maritime technology, and port security, which will take place from December 1 to 3 at Espacio Riesco.

The event—part of the exhibition’s roadmap—highlighted the inter-institutional collaboration with the Chilean Navy, a cornerstone of the show since its inception. It also served to address inquiries and showcase Espacio Riesco’s capacity to host official delegations, exhibitors, and visitors from around the world, offering top-tier infrastructure standards.

“Each new edition of ExpoNaval represents both a challenge and an opportunity for continued growth. We are therefore very excited to hold the fair at Espacio Riesco; this venue allows us to offer an enhanced experience for exhibitors, delegations, and visitors, featuring infrastructure befitting an event of this magnitude and the capabilities needed to carry the fair into the future”, said Carola Fuentes, General Manager of FISA.

In this context, attendees agreed on the global importance of the gathering. Colonel Carlos Caballero Santo, the Dominican Republic’s military, naval, air, and police attaché in Chile, noted: “This event allows us to interconnect the national and international defense industries, exchange experiences, and—above all—utilize various security and defense tools to counter transnational organized crime”.

This security dimension ties in with the region’s economic reality and the role of the sea as a central pillar of global trade. Regarding this point, Captain Daniel Corbalán, Argentina’s naval attaché in Chile, stated that “events of this kind are fundamental to the region, particularly for consolidating global manufacturing efforts—and not just in the defense sector. This is especially true for the Southern Cone, given the volume of production we need to export to markets in Asia and Europe—routes that currently rely on maritime transport”, he said. In this regard, Captain Corbalán added that “Argentina’s participation in these types of activities is crucial, as it offers an opportunity to engage with the business, industrial, construction, and transport sectors, as well as all areas related to the maritime domain and the defense industry”.