To the precious and urgent content of “Carta Esperanzada a un General”, written and published in 1983, a book that proved to be relevant in its civic value and its enduring intellectual merits, Marcos Aguinis has added for this edition a text that enhances and updates his prior reflections. With calm courage, the author resumes his speech, thirteen years later, to rekindle hope in the reader. The concepts we are proud to present constitute one of the clearest, most honest and lucid statements written about the relationship between the Armed Forces and the citizens sharing the same territory and the same nationality. Without encouraging amnesia or mitigating blame, Marcos Aguinis appeals to our conscience and our hopes when he writes: “Now it is time to begin a serious, profound and solid debate about our Armed Forces, which are clearly undergoing a re-structuring process, overcoming their vices and improving their dynamics. All the thinking segments of our society should be invited to participate in this debate: National Defense, when it is understood and applied correctly acts as a guarantee for peace; and peace, internal and regional, is an unavoidable requirement for development.