Michael Shifter participated in the forum “New Forms of Solidarity: Towards Fraternal Inclusion, Integration and Innovation” organized by the Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences at Casina Pio IV in the Vatican. Shifter discussed the causes and motivations for the protests seen in Latin America in 2019, what to expect for 2020, and the role of multilateral organizations in this context.
Michael Shifter
Event Summaries ˙
˙ Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences
On January 24, the Inter-American Dialogue hosted a roundtable discussion with Karen Longaric, the Foreign Minister of Bolivia, in partnership with the Center for Strategic and International Studies.
On December 13, 2019 the Inter-American Dialogue, in partnership with International Institute for Democracy and Election Assistance (IDEA) and the International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES), hosted “Is Democracy in Trouble? Latin America in Global Perspective”, an event to launch IDEA’s The Global State of Democracy 2019 Report: Addressing the Ills, Reviving the Promise.
On December 10, 2019, the Inter-American Dialogue hosted the event “Upheavals in Chile & Bolivia” featuring panelists Roberto Laserna, president of the Fundación Milenio and director of CERES; Fernando Molina, Bolivian author and journalist; and Lucía Dammert, associate professor at Universidad de Santiago de Chile. The event was moderated by Michael Shifter, president of the Inter-American Dialogue.
This event, hosted in collaboration with the Institute of the Americas, aimed to examine the issues facing Mexico’s climate for energy investment across various sectors including power, renewables, oil and natural gas.
On December 10, 2019, the Inter-American Dialogue, hosted an event titled “New Leadership in Argentina & Bolsonaro’s First Year.” The panelists were Matias Spektor, Rut Diamint, Bruno Binetti, and Monica de Bolle. Rafael Mathus, correspondent for La Nación, moderated the event.
La 32ª reunión del Grupo de Trabajo sobre América Latina (LAWG por sus siglas en inglés) tuvo lugar el 9 de diciembre en Washington, DC. En esta reunión, el grupo prestó especial atención a los disturbios y protestas que se vieron en la región en 2019.
On November 26, 2019, The Inter-American Dialogue hosted the event “Failed Democratic Order in Nicaragua” in response to the report recently released by the OAS High-Level Commission on Nicaragua. The report followed the General Assembly’s June 2019 mandate calling for an assessment of the political situation in the country.
On October 22nd, 2019 the United States Institute for Peace hosted an event on “A Negotiated Solution for Venezuela: Prospects for a Peaceful and Inclusive Settlement” in partnership with the Washington Office on Latin America (WOLA), the Inter-American Dialogue, and Woodrow Wilson Center’s Latin America Program.
On November 19, 2019, the Inter-American Dialogue, in partnership with the Committee to Protect Journalists, hosted the event, “Attacks on Press Freedom in Nicaragua.” The conversation centered around the Nicaraguan government’s persistent attempts to stifle freedom of expression since anti-government protests broke out in April 2018.
On November 14, 2019, the Inter-American Dialogue hosted the event, “5G and the Evolution of Smart Cities in Latin America and the Caribbean,” featuring panelists Eric Crabtree, Chief Investment Officer of the International Finance Corporation; Luis Fiallo, Vice President of China Telecom Americas; Ed Roach, Vice President of Regulatory Compliance and Associate General Counsel, SBA Communications; and Rachel Samrén, EVP and Chief External Affairs Officer of Millicom. Ernesto Muyshondt, mayor of San Salvador, El Salvador, provided the keynote address while Margaret Myers, director of the Asia and Latin America Program at the Inter-American Dialogue moderated the panel discussion.
On November 22, 2019 the Inter-American Dialogue hosted the event “The Battle for Bolivia” in order to discuss the October 20 presidential election in Bolivia and controversial change of government that followed it.
The Dialogue hosted a book talk with Marie Arana, author of “Silver, Sword, and Stone: Three Crucibles in the Latin American Story”. In this book, Arana weaves three modern stories with the history of the past millennium to explain three enduring themes that have defined Latin America since pre-Columbian times: the foreign greed for its mineral riches, an ingrained propensity to violence, and the abiding power of religion.
On November 6, the Inter-American Dialogue hosted the event “Latin America’s Autumn of Discontent” in order to pinpoint some underlying drivers and discuss the interrelatedness of the mass demonstrations, contentious elections, and constitutional crises facing the region.