As veterans, we spent our military careers focused on a simple but vital mission: protecting America by building partnerships, preventing crises, and promoting stability throughout our Hemisphere.

Right now, we are seeing growing instability across the Western Hemisphere, from increasing gang violence in Haiti, a worsening humanitarian and economic crisis in Cuba, to ongoing political uncertainty in Venezuela. For many Americans, these crises may seem distant, but for South Florida they hit close to home—from the increased flow of narcotics, disruptions to regional trade, and economic uncertainty that impacts one of the nation’s busiest international gateways.

With these challenges at the forefront of our minds, we traveled to Washington last month as part of the U.S. Global Leadership Coalition’s Veterans for Smart Power network to make the case for sustained investments in international assistance and diplomacy. We know from experience that these threats do not remain abroad—they can reach our communities when instability is left unaddressed at its source.

The United States has the strongest military in the world. However, in our experience as foreign affairs officers supporting U.S. Southern Command in Miami, military strength is most effective when it is paired with diplomacy and targeted international assistance. Our embassies and the Department of State’s international affairs programs are often what make that integration possible—building trust, coordinating partners, and sustaining relationships that cannot be improvised in a crisis.

That is why it is concerning that dozens of U.S. embassies around the world continue to operate without Senate-confirmed ambassadors. Career diplomats continue to perform essential work, but ambassadors play a unique role as the President’s personal representatives, providing strategic leadership, direct access to foreign leaders, and the authority needed to advance America’s interests.

The same is true of strategic investments in assistance and development. When it is sustained and targeted, it strengthens the institutions and systems that underpin stability. We saw this clearly during our service through long-term engagement in Colombia. The U.S. combined diplomacy, security cooperation, and development assistance to help a partner nation confront internal instability and transnational criminal networks. Over time, Colombia has evolved into one of America’s closest regional partners and an ally in training law enforcement across the Hemisphere, ultimately earning the designation as a Major Non-NATO Ally. Its progress also strengthened economic ties, becoming one of Florida’s most significant trading partners.

While no policy is without challenges, Colombia demonstrates what can happen when the United States commits to long-term engagement. Brazil is another example. Targeted international assistance has focused on strengthening institutions to reduce corruption, supporting law enforcement training against transnational crime, and enhancing public health surveillance and response capacity. Brazil is now Florida’s largest international trading partner and leading source of direct foreign investment from Latin America, generating more than $27.5 billion in annual trade activity.

Importantly, this work is not about replacing local leadership or imposing external solutions. It is about strengthening the ability of partner nations to solve problems they already recognize. In practice, that kind of capacity-building is often what determines whether localized challenges remain contained or expand into regional crises.

U.S. international assistance, when aligned with private-sector investment that reinforces stability and good governance, becomes even more effective. Recent U.S. investments in the Caribbean—including more than $500 million in Export-Import Bank financing to enhance regional maritime security—demonstrate how targeted public financing can strengthen stability while supporting economic development. Likewise, U.S. International Development Finance Corporation projects across South America help create jobs, foster innovation, and deepen commercial ties that benefit both partner nations and the United States.

For South Florida, these are investments in economic growth, regional stability, and American competitiveness. Strong partnerships throughout the Hemisphere create opportunities for trade, investment, innovation, and security cooperation that directly benefit Florida’s businesses, workers, and communities.

Florida’s growth and prosperity is proof that when the U.S. leads in international assistance, America wins and our partners in the Hemisphere win.