President José Antonio Kast approved the composition of the Chilean Navy High Command for 2027. Minister of National Defense Fernando Barros Tocornal submitted the roster. The Navy announced it on Wednesday, October 14.
According to El Mostrador, the new structure comprises 35 positions and is headed by Admiral Fernando Cabrera Salazar, who will continue as commander-in-chief. The roster includes six retirements, eight promotions and three officers who will be appointed commodores.
The most visible change is in the General Staff. Vice Admiral César Delgado Boffil will take over as its chief, replacing Vice Admiral Raúl Zamorano Goñi, according to CNN Chile. Delgado had been serving as director general of Navy Services.
Two vice admirals and four rear admirals will retire: Raúl Zamorano Goñi and Mauricio Arenas Menares, along with Jorge Castillo Fuentes, Juan Cristóbal Méndez Tapia, Daniel Opazo Riquelme and Sigfrido Ramírez Braun.
Rear Admirals Alejandro Torres Horton and Óscar Manzano Sanguinetti will be promoted to vice admiral. Torres will become director general of Navy Services and Manzano will become director of Personnel.
Six other officers will reach the rank of rear admiral: Fernando Reyes Carrasco, René Valenzuela Azócar, César Aguirre Rivera, Jorge Vidal Berrocal, Óscar García Orellana and Rafael Letelier Widow. In addition, Captains Jorge Minoletti León, Gerardo Zwanzger Lander and Carlos Cerda Espejo will be appointed commodores.
In other key positions, Vice Admiral Arturo Oxley Lizana will head the Directorate of Maritime Territory and Merchant Marine. Juan Pablo Marín Fernández will become deputy chief of the Joint Staff, the body that coordinates the three branches of the Armed Forces. Daniel Muñoz Miranda will lead Naval Operations Command.
The roster also sets the leadership of the five naval zones, the Fleet, the Submarine Force, Naval Aviation and the Marine Corps. Among these appointments, Rear Admiral Alberto Guerrero García will command the Fleet and Federico Saelzer Concha will command the Submarine Force.
The sources do not detail the reasons for each retirement. The new structure will be in effect during 2027.
