COMUNICACIÓN

With the aim of contributing to the promotion of democracy, respect for human rights, peace and international harmony, the Ministry of Defence, the European and Ibero-American Academy of Yuste Foundation, and the University of Extremadura have organised the “Security and Defence Sessions. 21st Century. The Era of Global Uncertainty?”, held on 15 and 16 April in the Plenary Hall of the Provincial Council of Badajoz. (16/04/2026)

More than 160 people registered for these sessions, attending both in person and online from Germany, Argentina, Cuba, Ecuador, Spain, Guatemala, Israel, Mexico, Paraguay, and Sweden.

The opening session featured the director-general for External Action of the Regional Government of Extremadura, Pablo Hurtado, who underscored Extremadura’s European and Ibero-American identity as a means of having “a voice of its own” in the face of global uncertainty in the 21^st century. In his view, it is precisely this dual identity that should enable Extremadura to help “build bridges, foster mutual understanding, and promote a shared vision of security based on cooperation, development, and democratic values,” he said.

In his remarks, Hurtado highlighted the value of the institutional cooperation that made these sessions possible, placing particular emphasis on the work of Yuste Foundation as a leading forum for analysis and for its “ability to forge strong and lasting partnerships”.

Over the course of two days, military personnel and experts analysed the current global geopolitical context, with particular emphasis on the European and Ibero-American strategy. They also reflected on the role of law in the transformation of the international order, on the importance of security in the face of current challenges, and brought into focus the role of the Sahel as a frontier between Europe and Africa.

These issues were addressed by the Spanish ambassador Francisco Javier Rupérez; Portugal’s minister of National Defence (2015–2018), José Alberto Azeredo; professor of Public International Law and International Relations, Cástor Díaz; brigadier general of Infantry and director-general of the Spanish Institute for Strategic Studies (IEES), Francisco José Dacoba; army colonel and analyst at the IEES, Pedro Sánchez; and associate professor of Public International Law and International Relations at the University of Extremadura, Juan Manuel Rodríguez.

These institutions have been working together for several years in organising academic activities, among which these sessions, focused geographically on Europe and Ibero-America, are of particular importance.

Accordingly, Yuste Foundation places this activity within the framework of the School of Guadalupe, a free and open centre for reflection and research on history, law, and international relations.

For its part, the Ministry of Defence promotes the development of a culture of security and defence with the aim of ensuring that Spanish society understands, values, and identifies with its history and with the effective and collective efforts through which the Armed Forces safeguard national interests.