The Argentine contingent was the first to respond and arrived at the disaster zone a few hours after the order
“Defense does not begin when a tragedy occurs. Defense begins much earlier: with investment, with planning, with training, with equipment, with doctrine, and with prepared personnel,” expressed the official during the recognition ceremony.
The Minister of Defense, Carlos Alberto Presti, received this Friday the contingent of the Armed Forces that returned to the country after participating for 18 days in the Venezuela Mission, the humanitarian assistance operation deployed in the areas affected by the earthquakes. The ceremony took place on the steps of the Libertador Building, with the presence of civil and military authorities and the families of the personnel.
“On behalf of the President of the Nation, Javier Milei, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, and on my own behalf, I convey the recognition and pride of all Argentines for the task accomplished,” Presti stated at the beginning of his speech. The minister particularly highlighted the speed of the Argentine response to the emergency.
As he explained, the national contingent was the first to arrive after the request for assistance and began to mobilize just twelve hours after the order was given. “We were the first to arrive when a brother nation called for help,” emphasized the head of the Defense portfolio before the personnel who participated in the deployment.
Presti noted that an operation of such magnitude requires simultaneous coordination of planning, communications, logistics, command, and discipline. In this regard, he stated that the capability demonstrated during the mission was made possible by the prior preparation of the Armed Forces.
The mission began on June 27 and brought together personnel from the Argentine Army, the Argentine Navy, and the Argentine Air Force, under the coordination of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. During the operation, the personnel carried out search and rescue tasks, medical assistance, logistical support, transportation, water purification, and support to the affected population.
Throughout the 18 days of operations, the Argentine contingent conducted 234 patrols and accumulated 85 hours of flight using unmanned aerial systems. They also produced approximately 210,000 liters of potable water, of which 57,000 were bottled for distribution among those affected by the earthquakes.
The operation also included a permanent air bridge to transport brigades, personnel, medical supplies, food, and equipment. This structure ensured the logistical support of one of the most important humanitarian deployments carried out by the Argentine Armed Forces abroad in recent years.
