Inter-American Dialogue

How can #Ecuador address its escalating security crisis, which has seen a surge in criminal violence, political instability, and the infiltration of criminal organizations into state institutions, and what role can the #UnitedStates and other international partners play in developing an effective strategy to overcome these challenges?    The Inter-American Dialogue hosted a panel discussion examining Ecuador's security crisis; causes, global impact, and potential solutions, and the panelists offered the following takeaways:    “We (including policymakers) need to shift the focus from left vs. right to liberal democracy vs. authoritarianism. Populism and attacks on democratic institutions come from sides of the political spectrum.” Rebecca Bill Chavez, Ph.D., President & CEO, Inter-American Dialogue    "The only progress we have seen [in prisons] is temporary control, but this situation is precarious because the armed forces feel constantly under attack. We need a medium-term plan in place." Lorena Yaél Piedra Cobo, Professor, Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador      "We need to create allies with the Western front to create value-added employment opportunities and integrate Ecuador into global value chains. This would offer multiple benefits, addressing the employment gap relative to population growth, reducing migration, and preventing vulnerable populations from being easily coopted by criminal organizations [...] we need to build a strategy that goes beyond just one administration." Grace Jaramillo, Lecturer, School of Global and International Affairs, The University of British Columbia    "Two things that worry me are the involvement of the military in law enforcement [...] and the strong tension between the executive and legislative [system].” Pablo Andrade, Professor, Universidad Andina Simón Bolívar Ecuador View the full discussion: https://lnkd.in/ezQzCk9s

The Inter-American Dialogue announces that former Presidents Michelle Bachelet of #Chile and Laura Chinchilla Miranda of #CostaRica will participate in a keynote dialogue at the IX Annual Leadership for the Americas Awards Gala, scheduled to take place on Tuesday, October 1, 2024, at the Organización de los Estados Americanos (OEA) in Washington, DC.  Michelle Bachelet, Inter-American Dialogue member and former Co-Chair of the Dialogue Board of Directors, was elected the first female president of Chile, serving two terms: from 2006-2010 and from 2014-2018. In between terms, in 2010, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon appointed Bachelet as the first Director of the newly created UN Women (UN Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women), whose mission is to advocate for the rights of women and girls. After her second term as president, in 2018, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres appointed her UN High Commissioner for Human Rights. Imprisoned and tortured under the Augusto Pinochet dictatorship, Bachelet went into exile in 1975, living in Australia before moving to East Germany. In 1979, she returned to Chile, completed her medical degree, and became active in politics after Pinochet was ousted from power in 1990.  Laura Chinchilla Miranda, Co-Chair of the Inter-American Dialogue Board of Directors, was elected the first female president of the Republic of Costa Rica in 2010. Before her election, she was Minister of Public Security between 1996 and 1998. Chinchilla also served as president of the National Immigration Board and the National Drug Council. Between 2002 and 2006, she was elected to the National Congress, where she chaired the Committee on Legal Affairs and the Committee on Narcotics. In 2006, she was elected vice president of Costa Rica, assuming the role of Minister of Justice at the same time. Along with her public career, Chinchilla has dedicated part of her professional career to the international sector. She has worked as a consultant in Latin America and Africa with various international organizations such as the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the United Nations Development Program (UNDP).  “It is truly a privilege to host this special keynote dialogue with two former female presidents of this caliber who have also been active members of the Dialogue. Both Bachelet and Chinchilla have left a positive mark on their respective countries and the region through their leadership and commitment to democracy, social inclusion, and gender equality,” said Inter-American Dialogue President & CEO, Dr. Rebecca Bill Chavez.  Past keynote speakers include, Bernardo Arévalo, President-elect of Guatemala, Samantha Power, Administrator for the US Agency for International Development (USAID), and the Honorable Mia Amor Mottley, Prime Minister of Barbados. 

In June, Inter-American Dialogue President & CEO Rebecca Bill Chavez convened the annual meeting of the Dialogue’s Presidential Leadership Council (PLC). Members are influential global leaders dedicated to advancing democratic governance, shared prosperity, social inclusion, and sustainable development in the Western Hemisphere. The agenda included discussions on both challenges and opportunities, welcoming insights from key US government and multilateral leaders engaged with #LatinAmerica and the #Caribbean.   PLC members participated in a full day of meetings with: Daniel Erikson, Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director for Western Hemisphere Affairs at the National Security Council; Todd Robinson, Assistant Secretary of State in the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement; Ambassador Brian Andrew Nichols, Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs; Michael Kaplan, Deputy Assistant Secretary for the Western Hemisphere at the US Department of the Treasury, and William Maloney, Chief Economist for Latin America and the Caribbean at the World Bank Group.  The wide-ranging discussions covered recent political and economic developments, US policy priorities in Latin America and the Caribbean, the region’s role in geopolitics, nearshoring opportunities, the hemisphere-wide migration crisis, the importance of addressing the erosion of democratic institutions, and the increasing challenge of citizen insecurity. A highlight of this year’s PLC gathering was the dinner hosted by Ambassador Catalina Crespo-Sancho at the Embassy of Costa Rica where the Ambassador and PLC members discussed US-#CostaRica cooperation on cybersecurity and political and economic dynamics in Central America. At a pivotal moment in the hemisphere, Council members offered invaluable insights and guidance to the organization. A heartfelt thanks and appreciation to each for their time and contributions! Iván Chávez, Cecilia De La Macorra, Jasper Jung, Pedro Less Andrade, Stanley Motta, Eleonora Rabinovich, and Reuben Smith-Vaughan Thank you also to our amazing moderators who brought their deep expertise to the conversations: Ambassador Thomas Shannon Jr., Co-Chair, Inter-American Dialogue and Former Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs; Tara Hariharan, Managing Director, Global Macro Research, NWI Management LP and Member of the Inter-American Dialogue; Kellie Meiman Hock, Senior Counselor, Trade/Investment and Brazil/Southern Cone Practices, McLarty Associates, Monica Baumgarten de Bolle, Senior Fellow, Peterson Institute for International Economics and Member of the Inter-American Dialogue.

A growing intersection between the rights of people with disabilities, social protection frameworks, and fiscal policies is developing in Latin America. To analyze the crossover, UNICEF Latin America and Caribbean and the Inter-American Dialogue present, “Disability, social protection, and public finances." Drawing on two comprehensive reports, the discussion will address best practices, challenges, and innovative approaches in budget monitoring and disability-inclusive public policies. Join UNICEF LACRO and the Dialogue with panelists including: -Monica Rubio, Regional Adviser, Social Policy for Latin America and the Caribbean, at UNICEF -Roger Salhuana, Manager at Atipay Perú -Pamela Smith, Executive Director of the NGO Society and Disability (SODIS) in Peru -Ariel Fiszbein, Director, Education Program, Inter-American Dialogue for this webinar on Wednesday, July 24, from 3:00 PM to 4:30 PM EDT. 

The Inter-American Dialogue and Cristosal published a report today asserting that President Bernardo Arévalo's government can demonstrate the feasibility of implementing effective and democratic measures to address insecurity in #Guatemala.  "Guatemala's new government has the opportunity to show that democracy can respond to people's needs, with security being a primary concern," said Tamara P Taraciuk Broner, director of the Rule of Law Program at the Inter-American Dialogue. "Although it will face significant challenges, such as widespread institutional corruption and a parliamentary minority, our analysis of past policies in Guatemala indicates that combining criminal prosecution with due process and implementing social measures to tackle the structural causes of violence, especially among young people, can offer a democratic and effective alternative to the hardline approach that currently dominates public discourse in the region," she explained. The report, based on comprehensive research, interviews and diverse stakeholder input gathered from private workshops, highlights successful past policies and proposes key elements for an effective and democratic security policy in Guatemala, including: 🔹 Resuming the Police Reform Initiative 🔹 Strengthening Intelligence and Analysis Capabilities 🔹 Local Security Strategies and Community Policing 🔹 Promoting Prevention and Eradication of Violence against Women 🔹 Efforts to Prevent and Fight Corruption 🔹 Learning from Indigenous Justice Systems 🔹 Improving the Prison System 🔹 Renewing the Institutional Framework for Land Disputes 🔹 Gun Control 🔹 Regulation of Private Security Services 🔹 Continuity of Policies across Political Transitions Noah Bullock, executive director of Cristosal, emphasized that "we must not forget that the majority of Guatemalan society took a stand for democracy during the transition of power, and this opens the door for Arévalo to leverage his political capital to show them that they should continue to trust in democracy – now, because it can solve the security problem. If successful, this could impact not only Guatemala but the rest of Central America, where we see democratic decline and serious abuses committed under repressive security policies," he added.  https://lnkd.in/ek-Gxska

"La inversión china sigue centrándose en las mayores economías de #Latam, pero los mercados preferidos por #China han cambiado algo en los últimos años, a medida que empresas chinas persiguen nuevos intereses y oportunidades, en consonancia con cambios en la política industrial de China." Mas información en nuestro informe del Inter-American Dialogue: https://lnkd.in/e6jyvy8Q Angel Melguizo Yifang Wang

It has been eight months since President Noboa declared an "internal state of war" in #Ecuador, marking a significant shift in the country's approach to its growing security challenges. Positioned uniquely between Peru and Colombia, Ecuador had long been a relatively secure intermediary. However, over the past year, the nation has faced a surge in criminal violence and an increase in contraband movement. What has triggered this security crisis? To what extent have criminal organizations infiltrated the state? How are Ecuador’s governing institutions addressing the violence? And how can Ecuador develop a strategy involving the United States and other partners to overcome this crisis? Join the Inter-American Dialogue and Rebecca Bill Chavez, PhD, President and CEO of the Inter-American Dialogue, along with: -Grace Jaramillo, Lecturer, School of Global and International Affairs, University of British Columbia  -Lorena Yaél Piedra Cobo, Professor, Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador  -Pablo Andrade, Professor, Universidade Andina Simón Bolívar For a conversation addressing these critical questions on Thursday, July 11, from 11:00 AM – 12:15 PM EDT. 

Despite signing the October 2023 Barbados Agreement to convene free and fair elections, the government of Nicolás Maduro has decidedly tilted the electoral playing field in its favor for the July 28, 2024 presidential election. This includes upholding the disqualification of the leading opposition candidate, Maria Corina Machado, threatening and jailing opposition supporters, and revising the location of voting sites. In addition, despite its commitment in Barbados to invite an EU election observation mission, in late May 2024, the national electoral council (CNE) revoked its invitation. Nonetheless, polls indicate that the Venezuelan people are eager to vote, making the upcoming presidential election a key political moment. How do these violations and the uncertainty in the lead-up to election day and the post-election environment compare to other elections in Latin America, Africa, Central Asia, and Europe? In some countries, democrats have persisted in competing and, in some cases, have won. In others, incumbent governments have effectively foreclosed meaningful elections and citizen choice. Are there lessons from these other cases that can illustrate the challenges and possibilities for human and political rights in unfair electoral environments, democratic change or negotiations? Join the Inter-American Dialogue, Chatham House and: -Deborah Ullmer, Regional Director, Latin America and the Caribbean Programs, National Democratic Institute -Javier Corrales, Dwight W. Morrow 1895 Professor and Chair of Political Science, Amherst College -Patrick Costello, Adviser, European Partnership for Democracy, Election-Watch EU, and the Kofi Annan Foundation -Luis A. Vidal, Director, More Consulting Polling Company -Christopher Sabatini, Senior Fellow for Latin America, Chatham House for a panel discussion comparing elections, electoral conditions, outcomes, and post-election risks.

It has been eight months since President Noboa declared an "internal state of war" in #Ecuador, marking a significant shift in the country's approach to its growing security challenges. Positioned uniquely between Peru and Colombia, Ecuador had long been a relatively secure intermediary. However, over the past year, the nation has faced a surge in criminal violence and an increase in contraband movement. What has triggered this security crisis? To what extent have criminal organizations infiltrated the state? How are Ecuador’s governing institutions addressing the violence? And how can Ecuador develop a strategy involving the United States and other partners to overcome this crisis? Join the Inter-American Dialogue and Rebecca Bill Chavez, PhD, President and CEO of the Inter-American Dialogue, along with: -Grace Jaramillo, Lecturer, School of Global and International Affairs, University of British Columbia  -Lorena Yaél Piedra Cobo, Professor, Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador  -Pablo Andrade, Professor, Universidade Andina Simón Bolívar For a conversation addressing these critical questions on Thursday, July 11, from 11:00 AM – 12:15 PM EDT. 

Compartimos el artículo "Educar en una región en movimiento o cómo invertir en el futuro", de Ariel Fiszbein , director, y Micaela Finoli, investigadora asociada, ambos del programa de educación del Diálogo Interamericano. El artículo explora los desafíos, avances y buenas prácticas para garantizar el derecho a la educación de niños, niñas y adolescentes en contexto de movilidad humana, destacando el potencial de la inclusión para el desarrollo.  “La migración es una fuerza positiva del desarrollo, tal como lo señalan instituciones como el Inter-American Development Bank, y dar cumplimiento al derecho a la educación de estudiantes en movilidad es una inversión a futuro que impactará positivamente en todas las comunidades, siendo por tanto una inversión con altísimo retorno social”, comenta Ariel Fiszbein y Micaela Finoli. Lea el artículo completo en EL ESPAÑOL: https://lnkd.in/evRKetPE