Former authorities and experts highlight the importance of cooperation, regional integration and multilateralism to achieve the transformations that Latin America needs

the book “Latin America: the vision of its leaders”by Andrés Rugeles, political scientist at the Universidad de los Andes, with an emphasis on economics and Latin American studies, and Senior Advisor for Strategic Affairs of the Oxford University Multidimensional Poverty and Human Development Initiative (OPHI). ), was presented today at the headquarters of the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) in Santiago, Chile, with the presence of prominent personalities from the political, economic, social and diplomatic spheres of Chile and the region.

At the event, participants reaffirmed the importance of promoting cooperation, regional integration and multilateralism to achieve the profound transformations that Latin America needs and thus get out of the development traps in which it is mired.

The activity, organized by ECLAC and the Permanent Foreign Policy Forum, included the participation of Michelle Bachelet, former President of Chile and former United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights; Juan Somavía, Ambassador and former Director General of the International Labor Organization (ILO); José Miguel Insulza, Senator of the Republic of Chile; and the former Ministers of Foreign Affairs of Chile Antonia Urrejola, Teodoro Ribera and Mariano Fernández, as well as Ambassador Claudia Fuentes-Julio, Permanent Representative of Chile to the United Nations and other International Organizations in Geneva.

The host of the meeting was José Manuel Salazar-Xirinachs, Executive Secretary of ECLAC, who welcomed the attendees. Subsequently, a discussion was held on the future challenges of the region.

In his introductory words, Salazar-Xirinachs highlighted the convergence between the ideas presented in the book and the postulates defended by ECLAC in recent years. “In a time of great geoeconomic transformation, great geopolitical rivalry, multiple global crises, such as food, energy and financial, in addition to new wars that seemed more like history of the 20th century than realities that we could expect in the 21st century, the book invited a critical mass of people with great experience and undoubted commitment to the future of the region, to reflect on these fundamental questions, and to do so from values, principles, and pragmatism and not ideological positions. It is a book that focuses on seeking convergence, on rethinking issues freely, and on moving away from the trap of polarization,” he noted.

He added that “at ECLAC, we share with Andrés this desire to find the best answers to the main challenges and gaps identified in his book: poverty and inequality; growth and productivity; environment; democracy; regional integration; and international insertion… The region is in a fragile, divided, polarized position, with uncertainties about our future, in the words of Andrés Rugeles: facing an ‘endless whirlwind’. However, we settle with the author on the side of optimism, or in the position that, despite all the problems, threats, and dark clouds, we have to take ownership of our future and that the region has enormous opportunities, enormous assets. and competitive advantages, but that their benefits will not fall to us from the sky, nor from market forces, nor from another commodity cycle, but rather we have to work hard to take advantage of them,” indicated the senior United Nations official.

For his part, Ambassador Juan Somavía, former Permanent Representative of Chile to the United Nations (1990-1999), Director General of the International Labor Organization (ILO) (1999-2012), Director of the Diplomatic Academy of Chile (2014) -2018) and Founding Member and President of the Permanent Foreign Policy Forum (2019-2024), pointed out that in general terms the debate seeks to address the challenges that must confront the region and policy formulation, addressing the “what” of the proposal, and the “how and “when” of execution. “Experience teaches us that not treating these two issues together based on the reality and prospects of the moment makes the initial execution and its adaptation to the changes we need to make over time difficult in multiple ways. We are much better with the ‘what’s what’ than with the ‘how’ and ‘when’,” he said.

“There are many possibilities to break the cycle we are in and move forward. (We need) innovation, capacity, persistence and willingness to face dangers and problems. That is what our meeting today is about,” Somavía remarked.

In her speech, the former President of Chile Michelle Bachelet reflected on the challenge of current leadership and emphasized that our leaders must always put people at the center of their work and they must guide their principles and actions. Being a leader does not mean imposing a single vision, but rather building bridges, he said.

“One of the great shortcomings we face in terms of leadership is the lack of a long-term strategic vision. Too often political decisions are made with a tactical approach, designed to respond to the urgencies of the moment or to ensure an upcoming re-election, instead of being guided by a real commitment to the sustainable well-being of societies. It is imperative that our leaders dare to go beyond electoral cycles and build public policies that look to the future, prioritizing structural solutions that transcend administrations and generate deep and lasting changes. This is the only way to face the complex challenges that affect us today and lay the foundations for inclusive and sustainable development in the coming decades,” he emphasized.

When presenting his book, the author Andrés Rugeles explained that the starting point of the publication was the question: “Where is Latin America going?” The result was captured in the 30 interviews with leaders of the region that are part of the book, in the 55 articles prepared especially for this volume by the main authorities, experts and academics, and in the 992 pages that the author wrote since the University of Oxford and the London School of Economics. He indicated that a total of 106 personalities participated in this project, “whose contribution reflects intellectual depth, geographical diversity, political and ideological plurality, gender balance and generational balance,” he said.

“Only to the extent that we have the diagnoses and especially the responses to an increasingly uncertain future, will we be able to build the appropriate paths from public policy, as well as increasingly democratic, prosperous and inclusive societies. Therefore, solid institutions are required that contribute to economic development and prosperity,” said Rugeles.

In the discussion, the Executive Secretary of ECLAC, José Manuel Salazar-Xirinachs, presented the main guidelines of the proposals that the organization is promoting today, and which are contained in the document Latin America and the Caribbean facing development traps: Essential transformations and how to manage themmade known to its member and associate countries at the fortieth session of the Commission, held last October in Lima, Peru.

Meanwhile, the former participating authorities addressed the challenges of dialogue, convergence and governance in Latin America. In particular, each one referred to a specific challenge: the challenge of political dialogueby José Miguel Insulza, Senator of the Republic of Chile, former Minister of Foreign Affairs of Chile; he societal dialogue challengeby Antonia Urrejola, former Minister of Foreign Affairs of Chile, former President of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) of the Organization of American States (OAS); he challenge of convergence and ideological pluralismby Mariano Fernández Amunátegui, former Minister of Foreign Affairs of Chile, Vice President of the Permanent Foreign Policy Forum; he governance challengeby Teodoro Ribera Neumann, former Minister of Justice of Chile, former Minister of Foreign Affairs of Chile, Rector of the Autonomous University of Chile; and the challenge of international dialogueby Claudia Fuentes-Julio, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Chile to the United Nations and other International Organizations in Geneva, Doctor in International Studies, former President of the Governing Body of the ILO.

The conclusions of the meeting were contributed by Carlos Ominami, President of the Permanent Foreign Policy Forum, former Senator of the Republic of Chile and former Minister of Economy, Development and Reconstruction of Chile.