Pablo Quirno, Cristian Auguadra and Peter Lamelas.
The event
During the ceremony, the FBI attaché in Argentina, Rick Hernandez, who was part of the U.S. delegation along with Lamelas and local authorities, also participated. The presence of representatives of the North American organization reinforces the bond of cooperation in security and intelligence matters between the two countries
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In his speech, Auguadra highlighted Argentina's international position and said that the country “occupies an important place in the world due to the political leadership of our President, who is one of the main defenders of Western values.”
The Government of Javier Milei, through the State Intelligence Secretariat (SIDE), inaugurated the National Anti-Terrorism Center (CNA) at an event that brought together national authorities and representatives of the United States, within the framework of a strategy aimed at strengthening the prevention and combat of terrorist threats.
The event was attended by U.S. Ambassador Peter Lamelas, representatives of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Secretary of Intelligence Cristian Auguadra and Undersecretary of the Area, José Lago Rodríguez, along with other intelligence officials and delegates from international agencies.
The National Anti-Terrorism Center was created by Decree 717/2025 and its main mission is to coordinate the exchange of information and intelligence on counter-terrorism, both with foreign organizations and with different areas of the State.
The inauguration.
The new body articulates the work of the Ministries of Defense, Security, Justice and Foreign Affairs, as well as bodies linked to financial, customs and migration control
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The creation of the CNA responds to a reorganization of the Argentine intelligence system, with the objective of centralizing information and improving the capacity to detectand prevent emerging threats.
In this sense, it seeks to establish a specific structure that allows a more efficient response in a complex and changing international context.
President Javier Milei.
In addition, he added: “The world needs our natural resources and we have a key geographical location. In addition to all this, the international context has become more complex. In this convulsed and changing scenario, Argentina needs to recover its capacity to defend itself
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The head of SIDE also highlighted the political decision of President Javier Milei to promote the creation of the organization by decree.
Along these lines, he highlighted the importance of international cooperation and revealed: “In accordance with and following this political line, a collaboration agreement was signed in the city of Washington with the FBI of the United States government, constituting a fundamental element for the professionalization and integration of the CNA. Now, Argentina has the support of the best in the world in this area.”
Finally, Auguadra warned of the magnitude of the challenge posed by terrorism today and stated that it is “one of the most significant challenges for contemporary international security”.
In this context, he emphasized its transnational nature, its capacity to adapt and the use of emerging technologies, factors that require coordinated, comprehensive and sustained responses over time.
