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Remarks by Secretary Mattis on Cybersecurity in Santiago,
Chile
SECRETARY OF DEFENSE JAMES N. MATTIS: Ladies and gentlemen, good afternoon. And
(inaudible), thank you so much. Mucho gracias for all your warm hospitality here today.
It's really a pleasure to meet you, to meet President Piñera for the first time in this land of poets, the
home of Pablo -- Pablo Neruda and Gabriela Mistral.
In our conversations, I would say we are tending our mutual garden, building further the resilient and
especially the transparent partnership between Chile and the United States, a partnership based on the
shared values, as the president said, of democracy, the rule of law, and respect for human rights and
individual liberty, with economic opportunity for all.
Chile's capable and reliable leadership has helped hemisphere to increasingly transform into a
powerhouse of democratic stability in a world facing challenges.
Since 1996, U.S. and Chilean troops have trained side-by-side at the Rim of the Pacific Exercises, as you
mentioned, Mr. Minister, the largest naval exercise in the world. And this year we were proud to note that
Chile became the first Latin American nation and the first non-Five Eyes nation to serve as its combined
forces maritime component commander. This achievement was no surprise to the U.S. military, who
recognized this prestigious post was well-earned by the professional Chilean armed forces.
And plus I would have to add, sir, this is a fitting role for Chile's navy as it celebrates its 200th birthday.
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