Strengthening Hemispheric Security: Ambassador Henry-Martin Meets with Brazilian Defense Delegation Ahead of LAAD 2025

Washington, DC – Her Excellency Jacinth Henry-Martin, in her capacity as Chair of the Committee on Hemispheric Security (CHS) and Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Saint Kitts and Nevis to the Organization of American States (OAS), recently met with Rear Admiral João Batista Barbosa, Head of the Brazilian Representation at the Inter-American Defense Board (IADB), and his delegation. The discussions focused on strengthening the ties between Brazil and Saint Kitts and Nevis in the context of regional security and defense cooperation.

The meeting took place in advance of the Low Altitude Air Defense (LAAD) Defense and Security Tradeshow, scheduled to be held from April 1 to 4, 2025, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. LAAD is South America’s largest annual defense and security exhibition and will be hosted in Brazil for the first time since its inception in 1942. The tradeshow will bring together defense and security authorities from across the Americas and beyond, including representatives from the Navy, Army, Air Force, public security institutions, and corporate security sectors.

As Chair of the CHS, Ambassador Henry-Martin has been invited to attend the forum, where she will underscore the importance of multilateral collaboration in ensuring regional security.

During her meeting with the Brazilian delegation, she reaffirmed Saint Kitts and Nevis’ commitment as a small island state to active engagement on regional and hemispheric security issues. She emphasized the Federation’s dedication to fostering closer relations with OAS Member States to strengthen defense cooperation and build resilient security infrastructure in support of democracy across the Americas.

The meeting also included discussions on natural disaster relief assistance for the Americas. Developed by the Brazilian Army, MECODEX is an annual crisis simulation exercise designed, planned, and executed by the Inter-American Defense Board (IADB) with the support of the Republic of Peru in 2024. MECODEX is a humanitarian aid mechanism in case of disaster conceived by the Conference of Defense Ministers of the Americas (CMDA) and is being developed by the IADB as the Permanent Secretariat of the Mechanism. It is based on the exchange of updated, reliable, and timely information between the 34 member countries, governmental and non-governmental humanitarian assistance organizations, and regional and subregional civil-military cooperation systems. The 2025 MECODEX is scheduled to take place in Guyana in May.

One of the key highlights of the LAAD Defense and Security Tradeshow will be an exhibition by Embraer, a leading Brazilian multinational aerospace corporation founded in 1969. Embraer is the third-largest producer of civil aircraft worldwide, following Boeing and Airbus, and specializes in the development and manufacturing of aircraft, aviation systems, and related technical services. With a global presence spanning the Americas, Africa, Asia, and Europe, Embraer remains a cornerstone of Brazil’s defense and aerospace industry.

The Brazilian delegation accompanying Rear Admiral Barbosa included Mr. Marcelo Lacerda Gameiro de Moura, First Secretary/Alternate Representative to the OAS; Captain Adilson Cappucci Junior, Navy Attaché; Colonel Marcos Lehmkuhl De Souza, Army Attaché; and Colonel Gabriel Henriques De Oliveira Farias, Air Force Attaché. Also in attendance was Mrs. Adelcia Connor-Ferlance, Third Secretary and Alternate Representative for Saint Kitts and Nevis to the OAS.

The meeting reaffirmed the shared commitment of Saint Kitts, Nevis and Brazil to enhancing regional security cooperation and exploring new avenues for collaboration. Ambassador Henry-Martin’s participation in LAAD 2025 will further underscore the role of small states in shaping security frameworks within the hemisphere, ensuring a collective approach to maintaining peace and stability in the region.