Amistad 2026 closes in Paraguay, strengthening health security, partnership

ASUNCIÓN, Paraguay — U.S. and Paraguayan leaders marked the conclusion of the two-week Amistad 2026 mission during a ceremony at the U.S. Embassy in Asunción, celebrating a partnership that expanded access to specialty health care for nearly 3,000 Paraguayans while strengthening the readiness and relationships that underpin regional security.

Working side by side at four Unidad de Salud Familiar clinics in Capiatá, U.S. military and Paraguayan medical professionals provided optometry, audiology, dental and primary care services identified by Paraguay’s Ministry of Health as priority needs. Beyond treating patients, the mission strengthened professional relationships, enhanced medical readiness and reinforced both nations’ ability to respond together during future humanitarian crises, natural disasters and other regional challenges.

“Health has no borders, and this partnership demonstrates that by working together, we can achieve meaningful change that benefits the public health of our nation,” said Dr. José Ortellado, Paraguay’s vice minister of health.

During the two-week mission, combined U.S. and Paraguayan medical teams treated 2,952 patients, distributed 1,035 pairs of eyeglasses, fitted 197 hearing aids and delivered care valued at more than $500,000. Many of the optometry, audiology, dental and primary care services provided would otherwise have been unavailable locally or required costly travel.

Behind every statistic was a patient who received care, a provider who sharpened critical medical skills and a partnership that grew stronger. For thousands of Paraguayans, the mission expanded access to specialty care. For U.S. military medical personnel, it provided expeditionary readiness training while strengthening the relationships that enable both nations to respond together when future crises arise.

While the numbers reflect the mission’s impact, U.S. Air Force Col. Brian Gavitt, Air Forces Southern command surgeon, said its greatest success cannot be measured in statistics alone.

“These numbers tell an important story, but behind all of this are patients who received care, medical professionals who gained experience and a partnership made stronger,” Gavitt said. “Missions like Amistad are deliberately designed to build readiness, relationships and resilience.”

Gavitt said Amistad prepares military medics to deploy anywhere in the world while strengthening the partnerships needed to respond effectively during future crises.

“Amistad is different from many other medical engagements because we do not work separate from the local health system,” Gavitt said. “Instead, we work shoulder to shoulder with our Paraguayan counterparts within local clinics and hospitals. That collaboration builds trust, strengthens professional connections and allows us to learn from one another.”

According to Gavitt, exchanges ranging from clinical techniques to biomedical equipment maintenance strengthened health care professionals in both countries and left participants better prepared to face future challenges.

U.S. Air Force Reserve Brig. Gen. Tara Nolan, individual augmentee to the commander of 12th Air Force, Air Forces Southern, said the mission’s lasting value lies in the relationships built before they are ever needed.

“Partnership is not built during a crisis. Partnership is built long before crisis arrives. And that is why engagements like Amistad remain so important,” Nolan said. “The true impact of missions like Amistad is not measured only in the number of patients seen or procedures completed. It is measured in the trust built between professionals, the capability strengthened between partners and the confidence our communities gain knowing our nations are prepared to stand together when needed.”

Nolan said those relationships directly contribute to regional security by ensuring partner nations can communicate, integrate and respond together when emergencies arise.

“Across our hemisphere, we face increasingly complex challenges—from natural disasters and humanitarian crises to evolving regional security concerns,” Nolan said. “A safe and secure Western Hemisphere depends on nations that can communicate quickly, integrate effectively and respond together under pressure.

“That kind of readiness does not happen overnight. It is built here—shoulder to shoulder, patient by patient and relationship by relationship.”

Amistad 2026 marked the third consecutive year Paraguay has hosted the mission, underscoring the continued commitment of both nations to strengthening regional health security through sustained partnership. As the United States approaches the 250th anniversary of its founding, the mission reflected a tradition that has long defined the nation’s relationships across the hemisphere—building trust through service, strengthening partnerships through shared purpose and preparing together for future challenges.

“For the third consecutive year, and on behalf of all our countrymen who benefited from this mission, we bid you farewell with great gratitude, reflecting a model of international cooperation that places people at the center of public policy,” Ortellado said.