Richardson, 57, who would be promoted to general before the change in command ceremony, was replaced by Navy Admiral Craig S. Fowler, who took over in November 2018.
In the new position, Richardson, who has been sent to support operations in Iraq and Afghanistan in the past, is responsible for US defense and security cooperation with partner countries in Latin America and the Caribbean, as well as US military operations in the region. .
In a recent interview with Agência Efe, Admiral Fowler said that Richardson is “extremely talented” and will inevitably face the same challenges, especially the undemocratic ones, that he faced when he took over as head of the unit. encountered later.
Married to Lieutenant General Jim Richardson, deputy commander of the Army’s Future Command in Texas, Richardson was confirmed by the US Senate in August after being appointed by the White House. He also served as the commanding general of US Army North at Joint Base San Antonio, Texas.
Fowler, 60, will retire after nearly four decades of military service as a naval officer. The admiral has also criticized Nicolas Maduro’s government in Venezuela, calling it an “disgrace” that “for 25 years has destroyed the country, ruined its people and violated its human rights,” as he described Efe. told.
He then mentioned that they are focused on helping Colombia, which has absorbed a “tremendous increase in Venezuelan migrants”.
As head of Southern Command, the admiral focused on increasing resources to support anti-narcotic operations in Colombia and Covid-19 response aid in the Caribbean and Latin America, and overseeing relief operations in the aftermath of the devastating hurricane in the US. did. Central and recent earthquake in Haiti. EFE
