Former Commander of US Southern Command to bring deep geopolitical, defense, and security cooperation experience to the Atlantic Council’s Adrienne Arsht Latin America Center and Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security

Washington DC – March 3, 2022 – The Atlantic Council today announced that Admiral Craig Faller will be joining the Adrienne Arsht Latin America Center (AALAC) and the Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security (SCSS) as a Distinguished Fellow. Admiral Faller will be advising AALAC on the future of geostrategic competition in Latin America and the Caribbean and how the United States can better position itself and hemispheric partners to advance democratic values and prosperity. He will also be advising SCSS on issues related to defense and security cooperation and new security technologies.

Admiral Faller joins the Atlantic Council at a critical time in history with Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and while the world witnesses the economic and diplomatic reverberations of the conflict. As a Distinguished Fellow, Admiral Faller will bring decades of global national-security leadership experience to shape conversations and enhance understanding around current and future global security challenges, with a particular emphasis on the implications for Latin America and the Caribbean.

“I am grateful for the opportunity to join the outstanding Atlantic Council team. The complex security problems and vicious threats facing our free and democratic world demand the collaborative, ‘all minds on deck,’ approach the Atlantic Council is known for. As Commander of the United States Southern Command, I benefited from the exceptional convening ability and excellent work of the Council. I look forward to contributing as a member of this world-class team,” said Admiral Craig Faller.

I am grateful for the opportunity to join the outstanding Atlantic Council team. The complex security problems and vicious threats facing our free and democratic world demand the collaborative, ‘all minds on deck,’ approach the Atlantic Council is known for. As Commander of the United States Southern Command, I benefited from the exceptional convening ability and excellent work of the Council. I look forward to contributing as a member of this world-class team

Admiral Craig Faller, Distinguished Fellow at the Atlantic Council’s Adrienne Arsht Latin America Center, Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security; Admiral, United States Navy (Retired)

From 2018 to 2021, Admiral Faller commanded United States Southern Command in Miami, Florida, where he led a diverse team of seven thousand people with an annual operating budget of over $1 billion. In this role, he enhanced Western Hemisphere security by building strong, trusted partnerships between the US military and Latin American and Caribbean security forces. His team rapidly responded to a myriad of complex security challenges to include transnational criminal organizations, the Venezuela crisis, the global pandemic, and the August 2020 Haiti earthquake.

Admiral Faller also served as the senior military assistant to Secretary of Defense James N. Mattis. He assisted the defense secretary on all matters from military operations and national-security strategy development to management of the department’s budget of over $700 million and global engagement with world leaders.

“Admiral Faller’s unparalleled expertise on global security issues and deep understanding of the geopolitical dynamics in Latin America and the Caribbean will further enhance the Atlantic Council’s multi-faceted approach to shaping solutions to global challenges with allies and partners, especially for the Adrienne Arsht Latin America Center,” said Adrienne Arsht, Executive Vice Chair and Founder of the Adrienne Arsht Latin America Center and the Adrienne Arsht-Rockefeller Foundation Resilience Center at the Atlantic Council.

Admiral Faller’s unparalleled expertise on global security issues and deep understanding of the geopolitical dynamics in Latin America and the Caribbean will further enhance the Atlantic Council’s multi-faceted approach to shaping solutions to global challenges with allies and partners, especially for the Adrienne Arsht Latin America Center

Adrienne Arsht, Executive Vice Chair and Founder of the Adrienne Arsht Latin America Center and the Adrienne Arsht-Rockefeller Foundation Resilience Center at the Atlantic CounciL

Prior to joining the Atlantic Council as a Distinguished Fellow, Admiral Faller provided his expert insights to AALAC’s efforts to enhance understanding of Venezuela’s ties to global illicit activities, as well as China and Russia’s role in the on-going Venezuelan crisis.

“At a time when the international order continues to shift, Admiral Faller will deepen the Atlantic Council’s hemispheric expertise, expand the impact of our security work, and provide us ever-greater capability to understand and navigate the challenges facing Latin America and the Caribbean,” said Fred Kempe, President and CEO of the Atlantic Council.

At a time when the international order continues to shift, Admiral Faller will deepen the Atlantic Council’s hemispheric expertise, expand the impact of our security work, and provide us ever-greater capability to understand and navigate the challenges facing Latin America and the Caribbean

Fred Kempe, President and CEO of the Atlantic Council

To kick off his new collaboration with the Atlantic Council, Admiral Faller will be joining the Adrienne Arsht Latin America Center and the Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security for a public discussion on Tuesday, March 8, at 12:30 pm (EST). The conversation will focus on the growing presence of China and Russia in the Americas and the importance of global security cooperation given the current threats that the United States and Europe are facing. Admiral Faller will participate in a moderated discussion with Ambassador Paula J. Dobriansky, Vice Chair, Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security, and Former Under Secretary of State for Global Affairs. Register and join the event here.

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