John Griffiths-Spielman

John Griffiths-Spielman is a former Lieutenant General of the Chilean Army. At present, he is the Head of Security and Defence Studies at AthenaLab Foundation, a Chilean think-tank oriented towards international affairs, security and defence. Prior to taking up his current appointment, as a Lieutenant General on active duty, he served as the General Chief of Staff of the Chilean Army (2018). 

His areas of interest include international security, strategic studies and defence studies. John’s main research has been focused on Latin American security environments, publishing in 2011 the book Theory of Security and Defence in the Western Hemisphere (RIL Editions, Santiago, Chile); Challenges for Security and Defence in the Western Hemisphere: 2020-2030 (coedited); and General Ramón Cañas, the Chilean Pioneer on Geopolitics, in 2024 (coedited). Additionally, he is the author of papers published in Journals at Georgetown University, Washington D.C.; Complutense University of Madrid and locally at the University of Santiago Chile, Catholic University and University of Chile.

He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Military Sciences and a Master’s Degree in Strategic Planification from the Chilean War College. John was also awarded a Master of Arts in Security Studies from Georgetown University, Washington D.C. and a PhD in International Affairs from the University of Santiago, Chile. He has spent time studying complementary courses at Harvard University School of Government and at the University of Antwerp, Belgium. John has been a Visiting Professor at Georgetown University and at the Inter-American Defence College, Fort Mc Nair, Washington D.C.