The CAF Conference: “Europe-Latin America Relations”

Enrique Ojeda

General Director of Casa de América

Sergio Díaz-Granados

Executive President, CAF -Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean-

Sergio Díaz-Granados has extensive experience in public and private service, both nationally and internationally, with special emphasis on regional development and integration issues. Before assuming the presidency of CAF, he served as Executive Director for Colombia at the Inter-American Development Bank. He previously held the positions of Minister of Commerce, Industry and Tourism of Colombia, Vice Minister of Business Development and President of the Boards of Directors of Bancóldex and ProColombia. He also has been a congressman and chairman of the Economic Affairs Committee of the Colombia’s House of Representatives.

Gonzalo García Andrés

Secretary of State for the Economy and Business Support of Spain

Degree in Economic Sciences with a specialty in Economic Theory, from the Autonomous University of Madrid. He has previously served as Managing Partner of Economics at Analistas Financieros Internacionales (AFI); Deputy Director General for International Trade in Services and Investments at the Ministry of Economy, Industry and Competitiveness; Economic and Commercial Counselor of the Economic and Commercial Office of the Embassy of Spain in Washington D.C.; General Director of International Financing at the Ministry of Economy and Finance. Similarly, he has been Secretary of the Government Delegate Commission for Economic Affairs; President of the Commission for the Prevention of Money Laundering and Monetary Offenses and President of the Investment Advisory Commission of the Social Security Reserve Fund. He was also Alternate Governor for Spain in the World Bank Group, in the Inter-American Development Bank, in the Central American Bank for Economic Integration, in the Asian Development Bank, in the Asian Bank for Infrastructure Investment, in the African Development Bank and at the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development. In the academic area, he has been Professor in the Master of Finance at AFI School and Associate Professor of Fundamentals of Economic Analysis at the Rey Juan Carlos University in Madrid.

Andrés Allamand

Ibero-American Secretary General, SEGIB

He is a lawyer and completed his university studies at the School of Law of the University of Chile, where he graduated with maximum distinction. Subsequently, he was elected deputy and twice senator of the Republic of Chile. He worked as a consultant at the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), focusing on the issues of democratic governance, strengthening Congresses and empowering civil society.

Julissa Reynoso

Partner, Winston & Strawn; Former US Ambassador to Uruguay and Deputy Assistant Secretary for Western Hemisphere Affairs

(United States) is a partner at Winston & Strawn LLP, where she focuses her practice on complex commercial litigation, regulatory enforcement, and international arbitration. She is the former ambassador of the United States to Uruguay, and she served as deputy assistant secretary of state for Central American, Caribbean and Cuban Affairs. In 2017, she was recognized by Latinvex as one of the “Top Female Lawyers” in Latin America.

Pepa Bueno

Directora, El País

Es licenciada en Periodismo por la Universidad Complutense de Madrid. Comenzó su carrera en los servicios informativos de Radio Nacional de España en Extremadura y fue jefa de informativos en RNE en Aragón y en Madrid. En 1991 se incorpora a RTVE para dirigir el informativo regional, primero en Andalucía y luego en Madrid. En septiembre de 1996 es nombrada subdirectora del programa de actualidad Gente. Ocho años después se encargará de Los Desayunos de TVE. En 2009 asume la dirección y presentación de la segunda edición del Telediario. En 2012 se incorpora al programa Hoy por Hoy de la Cadena SER. En 2019 es nombrada directora del informativo nocturno Hora 25. Es directora de El País desde agosto de 2021.

Christian Asinelli

Corporate Vicepresident of Strategic Programming, CAF -Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean-

Christian Asinelli is a political scientist from the Pontificia Universidad Católica Argentina (UCA), has a Master's degree in Public Administration and Policy from the Universidad de San Andrés (UdeSA) and postgraduate degrees in Urban Economics (Universidad Torcuato Di Tella) and in Sociourbana Management (FLACSO). In 2019, he received his Ph.D in Political Science from the National University of San Martín (Argentina).

During the last sixteen years he has been appointed in different roles in the public sector and the international arena: Alternate National Director of the State Modernization Project at the Chief of Staff of the Cabinet of Ministers of the Nation (2005); Deputy of the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires (2007-2010); Undersecretary of Evaluation of Projects with External Financing of the Chief of Staff of the Cabinet of Ministers of the Nation (2011-2014); Corporate Director of Institutional Development of CAF (2014-2017); President of the Fundación Banco Ciudad (2019) and Undersecretary of International Financial Relations for Development, Secretariat of Strategic Affairs, Presidency of the Nation. He was a Fellow of the Hubert Humphrey Fellowship Program (2010), the Special Program for Urban and Regional Studies-MIT (2011) and the Singularity University Executive Program (2017). He is the author of the books Buenos Aires: The city we have, the city we want (Buenos Aires, 2009); Modernization of the Argentine State: policies, management and professional scene (Buenos Aires, Edition, 2015) and Financing Development: The role of multilateral banking in Latin America (Buenos Aires, 2021).

Ángeles Santamaría

CEO Iberdrola Spain

She is an Industrial Engineer from the University of Comillas (ICAI) and PDG from the IESE Business School. Since February 2018, she has been CEO of Iberdrola Spain, a leading electricity company, which manages more than 50% of the renewable capacity installed by the group in the world. Her professional career has been linked to Iberdrola for two decades, mainly related to the development and
the management of its transition strategy towards a new energy model, based on renewables. Between 2015 and 2018, as Director of Spain and International at Iberdrola Renovables, she assumed global responsibility -commercial, promotion, construction and operations- of this business in Iberia, Continental Europe, Brazil and Mexico. Previously, since January 2007, she was Director of Foresight and Technology of the Renewables activity, encompassing the areas of Regulation, Innovation and Development. Previously, in 2001, as Director of Asset Management (Exploitation) of the renewables division, she assumed the responsibilities of Operation, Maintenance and Energy Sales of the company's assets. She began her professional career at Iberdrola Engineering and Construction, as well as at Duro Felguera, in areas of activity related to the electricity sector, which allowed her to acquire extensive experience in managing complex projects. Likewise, she is a member of the Council of different associations and boards related to the energy sector and the business world.

Adriana Mejía

Ambassador, Permanent Representative of Colombia to the OECD

She has a degree in Finance, Government and International Relations from the Universidad Externado de Colombia. She assumed her duties as Permanent Representative of Colombia to the OECD on August 30, 2021. Previously, she served as Vice Minister for Multilateral Affairs at the Colombian Ministry of Foreign Affairs for two presidential terms; first, between 2006 and 2010 and recently, between 2018 and 2021. She also served as Vice Minister of Culture; Director of the Institute of Culture and Tourism of the Mayor's Office of Bogotá; and Director of Citizen Participation of the Comptroller of Bogotá. Her experience in multilateral organizations includes the position of Director of Public Security of the Organization of American States (OAS) in Washington D.C. In the private sector, she has participated in RCN Television, as Social Responsibility Manager and as Executive President of the Colombian Book Chamber. She has been a consultant for the Presidential Human Rights Program and the Office of the High Commissioner for Peace. Additionally, she was part of the Advisory Commission of the Government of Colombia and the United Nations Program against Drugs and Crime (UNODC) for the Reform of Drug Policy; she is a member of the Board of Directors of the Smurfit Kappa Foundation, and a member of the Open Society Foundations Global Drug Policy Program Advisory Board. From 2015 to 2018, she served as Executive Director of the Hernán Echavarría Olózaga Institute of Political Sciences, a think tank dedicated to promoting democracy, free enterprise, and the design and implementation of public policy.

Michael Reid

Periodista, The Economist

Es periodista, escritor y comentarista sobre asuntos latinoamericanos  e internacionales. Escribe la columna Bello (sobre América Latina) en The Economist y es Editor Senior de la revista para América Latina y España. Fue editor para las Américas de The Economist y antes fue corresponsal en Brasil, México y los países andinos. Sus libros incluyen “Forgotten Continent: The Battle for Latin America's Soul” (nueva edicion en 2017 publicado en español por Critica) y “Brazil: The Troubled Rise of a Global Power” (2014), ambos publicados por Yale University Press y en portugués por Editora Elsevier. Recibió el premio Maria Moors Cabot otorgado por la escuela de post-grado del periodismo de la Universidad de Columbia, además de la Orden Nacional de Cruz del Sur de Brasil.

Dan Restrepo

Socio, Dinámica Américas.

Es Fundador de Restrepo Strategies LLC y trabaja con compañías multinacionales, fondos de inversión, fundaciones y grandes filántropos, dirigentes de organismos multilaterales y candidatos y partidos políticos navegando la intersección de la política pública, política electoral, comunicación, y derecho en los Estados Unidos e Iberoamérica. Por seis años, fue el asesor principal del Presidente Obama con respecto a todos los aspectos de la relaciones de Estados Unidos con los países de Latinoamérica, el Caribe, y Canadá, incluyendo tres años y medio en el Consejo de Seguridad Nacional en la Casa Blanca y en sus dos campañas presidenciales. Ha aconsejado a las últimas seis campañas presidenciales demócratas en Estados Unidos sobre políticas ante Latinoamérica y Latinos en Estados Unidos y formó parte de los equipos de transición en 2008-2009 y en 2020-2021. Anteriormente, se desempeñó como asesor para un juez de segunda instancia en el sistema judicial federal y fue funcionario encargado de la política ante Latinoamérica y el Caribe en el Comité de Relaciones Exteriores de la Cámara de Representantes en el Congreso. Es conferencista y frecuente comentarista ante los medios de comunicación sobre temas de política, relaciones internacionales y seguridad.

Cristina Gallach

Special Commissioner for the Alliance for the New Language Economy

She has a degree in Information Sciences from the Autonomous University of Barcelona, ​​and a Master's degree in International Relations from Columbia University in New York, completed with a Fulbright-La Caixa scholarship. In her professional experience, she has been Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs and for Ibero-America and the Caribbean (February 2020-March 2022), High Commissioner of the Government of Spain for the 2030 Agenda (July 2018-January 2020), European Union high official (leave of ), head of the Equal Opportunities Office (European Union Council, Brussels) (setp.2017-July 2018), deputy secretary general of the United Nations, special adviser to the Secretary General (April 2017-June 2017), head of the DPI Department, deputy secretary general of the United Nations for Information and Public Communication (Feb 2015-April 2017), Head of Public Relations and Spokesperson - European Union Council. (July 2010-Dec. 2014), spokesperson for the Spanish Government - Presidency Council of the European Union (January 2010-June 2010), Head of Division, Spokesperson and Director of High Representative Communication European Union Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP). Responsible for foreign policy "public diplomacy" (Oct. 1999-Nov. 1999) and Communication advisor and spokesperson for the Secretary General of NATO (Javier Solana) (May 1996-Oct. 1999). She has also served as European correspondent for Agencia Española Noticias EFE, Brussels (Oct. 1992-April 1996), as correspondent for Agencia Española Noticias EFE, Moscow (April 1990-Sept. 1992), as editor of "El Periódico de Cataluña", section . Society and International. (Oct.1986-April 1990), as a correspondent in the USA. Free-lance for: AVUI, Catalonia Radio, weekly newspaper EL MON and TVE (1984-Sept.1986), as a reporter for information services. TVE Catalonia (1983-August 1984) and as a reporter for the Political section "EL NOTICIERO UNIVERSAL" (Barcelona) (1982-Feb.1983).

Concepción Andreu

President of the Autonomous Community of La Rioja

She has studies in Biological Sciences and is a Winemaker at a Rioja winery. She is currently the President of the Autonomous Community of La Rioja. Previously, she has been a regional deputy in the Parliament of La Rioja since 2011, Secretary of Agriculture, Livestock and Rural Development and Environment of the Regional Executive Commission of the PSOE since February 2012, Socialist candidate for the European Parliament in the elections of May 2014 (number 27 PSOE list), Spokesperson of the Socialist Parliamentary Group since 2015 (where she was a candidate), Executive Secretary of the PSOE del Mundo Rural since 2017 and PSOE Candidate for the Presidency in 2019.

Michael Stott

Editor para América Latina, Financial Times

Es graduado de la Universidad de Cambridge con una maestría en Idiomas Modernos y habla con fluidez español, portugués, francés, alemán y ruso. Es el editor para América Latina del Financial Times con sede en Londres. Anteriormente, estuvo en Tokio como editor gerente de Nikkei Asian Review, una publicación hermana que cubre negocios y política asiáticos. Antes de eso, fue editor de noticias del FT en el Reino Unido. Informó desde América Latina entre 1990-1998, viviendo en Brasil, Colombia y México. Anteriormente, se desempeñó como jefe de la oficina de Moscú y editor para Europa, Medio Oriente y África en Reuters, se unió al FT en 2014.

L. Enrique García

Former president of CAF-Development Bank of Latin America-

(Bolivia) was the president of CAF-Development Bank of Latin America- from 1991to 2017, treasurer of the Inter-American Development Bank, and minister of Planning and Coordination of Bolivia. He currently serves as chairman of The Trust for the Americas and The Council of International Relations of Latin America (RIAL), co-vice chair of the Inter-American Dialogue and member of several boards and advisory councils.

Enrique Iglesias

Former president, Inter-American Development Bank

He has studies in Economics and Administration at the University of the Republic of Uruguay and specialization studies in the United States and France. He held the positions of President of the Central Bank of Uruguay in 1967 and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Uruguay (1985-1988). He was Executive Secretary of ECLAC (1972-1985) and Secretary General of the United Nations Conference on New and Renewable Energy Sources that took place in Nairobi, Kenya (1981). He was elected president of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) for the first time in March 1988 and re-elected in 1993, 1998 and 2003, ending his administration in 2005. In 2004 he was elected as Ibero-American Secretary General, a position he held until 2014. received numerous national and international distinctions and awards, including the Prince of Asturias Award, the Grand Cross of Isabel la Católica, as well as the highest decorations from Latin American, European and Asian countries; he was also invested by S.M. the King of Spain, as a Knight of the Order of the Golden Fleece. He has been awarded an honorary doctorate by a large number of universities in the world. He currently chairs the Astur Foundation and is a member of numerous academic and institutional councils.

Antonio Garamendi

President of the Spanish Confederation of Business Organizations (CEOE)

He holds a law degree from the University of Deusto. Has been a member of the Board of Directors of the Vizcaya Business Confederation (CEBEK), President of the Energy Commission of CEOE, CEOE's President of the Creation of Companies Commission and President of the Spanish Metal Confederation (CONFEMETAL). At present, he holds the following representative positions: Member of the IEE Economic Studies Institute, Member of the FORMETAL Foundation, Member of the Vizcaya Metal Executive Commission and of the Vizcaya Chamber of Commerce. He currently chairs the AYUDARE FOUNDATION and is a member of: Fundación de Ayuda contra la Drogadicción (Foundation for Aid in fighting Drug Addiction); International Women's Chair Advisory Council, Business and Sports of the UCAM University; Deusto Business School Council of the University of Deusto; and AVENIR Women's Advisory Council. He was on the Board of Trustees of the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao and has been a member of Bilbao Metrópoli -30 as well as the Vizcaya Chamber of Commerce.

José Juan Ruiz

President of the Elcano Royal Institute

He is currently president of the Elcano Royal Institute, and has been a member of its Scientific Council for a decade. An economist by training, he belongs to the State Corps of Economists and Commercial Technicians. Throughout his professional life, he has held positions in the Ministry of Economy, worked in the private sector –as Chief Economist of Argentaria, AFI and Banco Santander in Latin America– and, more recently, has been the Chief Economist and Director of the Department of Research of the Inter-American Development Bank. He is currently a member of the Advisory Council for Economic Affairs of the First Vice President of the Government. He has extensive experience in international organizations, both European and global. Member of several boards of directors of public and private companies, he has been a professor and also president of the Social Council of the University of Castilla-La Mancha. Frequent contributor to the media, he has been part of the editorial boards of Foreign Policy, Prisa and Grupo Recoletos.

Alicia Montalvo

Gerenta de Acción Climática y Biodiversidad Positiva de CAF

Adriana Mira

Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs of El Salvador

Internationalist, experienced in international economic promotion and diplomacy. He studied a master's degree in Business and International Law at the European University of the Atlantic in Santander, Spain. She worked as a Regional Manager for International Advisors, a company dedicated to difficult cases of migration to the United States such as asylums and DACA. Later, he supported the company CIENC Corporation to connect Salvadoran enterprises with US investors. Currently, she has been working at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for five years, of which four were in the foreign service, as Minister Counselor in charge of economic promotion at the Embassies of El Salvador in the United Kingdom and Colombia. To date, she serves as Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs, in charge of Foreign Policy, Economic Relations, Human Rights, Cooperation, Public Diplomacy and Sovereignty. Guide to the embassies of El Salvador in the world to attract investment, promote exports and tourism in their destinations. It supports initiatives such as the Salvadoran aeronautical cluster, Economic Takeoff Plan, promotion of the Strategic Projects portfolio, technological innovation, Coffee Ambassadors and internationalization of MSMEs. He has studies on territorial economic development, the orange economy, the global reporting initiative for the sustainability of United Nations companies and links with the diaspora for business.

Gabriela Ramos

Assistant Director-General for Social & Human Sciences, UNESCO

She is Deputy Director General for Social and Human Sciences at UNESCO from where she oversees the institution's contributions to building inclusive societies. Her mandate includes the fight against economic inequalities of income and opportunities, the promotion of social inclusion and gender equality. She also oversees the youth support agenda, the promotion of values ​​through sport, the fight against racism and discrimination, and the ethics of science including neuro-technology and the internet of things. In addition, she has overseen the development and adoption of the first global instrument to promote the ethics of artificial intelligence, approved, by acclamation in 2021, by the UNESCO General Conference. She also launched the Global Forum Against Racism, to catalyze the political support that member countries have given to this cause. In terms of gender, she has advanced various initiatives, particularly to fight against stereotypes and gender bias, including in new technologies. Previously, she worked as Cabinet Director and Sherpa for G20/G7APEC at the OECD, contributing to increasing the global impact of the OECD and leading key initiatives such as "Inclusive Growth", "New Approaches to Economic Challenges", "Climate Change and Growth” gender strategy and work on well-being and childhood. In the G20 she contributes to the international reform of tax systems; to the adoption of the gender quota (to reduce the labor gap) and the establishment of the W20; and the adoption of the principles of artificial intelligence, among others. She also oversees the OECD's global relations and membership enlargement process. In 2019, she launched the “Business for Inclusive Growth” (B4IG) platform, bringing together 40 multinational companies committed to reducing inequalities. She was previously Director of the OECD Office in Mexico and Latin America where she supported reforms in education, telecommunications, gender and health. She was a member of the Mexican Foreign Service. In 2013 she was awarded the Order of Merit (Ordre du Mérite) by the President of France. Her work to promote gender equality has earned her several accolades including by Forbes and Apolitico. She has been a fellow of the Fulbright Foundation and Ford McArthur. She is a former student of the master's degree in public policy from Harvard University and the bachelor's degree in International Relations from the Universidad Iberoamericana. She is a member of the council of the “Paris Forum for Peace”; of the “UNICEF Advisory Council”; of the “Lancet Commissions on COVID and on Violence by men against women”; and Danone's "Entreprise à Mission" Committee.

Juan Fernández Trigo

Secretary of State for Ibero-America and the Caribbean and Spanish in the World of Spain

He has a degree in Law and entered the Diplomatic Career in 1986. He has been assigned to the diplomatic representations of Spain in the European Union, Morocco, Vietnam, the United Nations in New York and Cuba. He has also been deputy director general of Multilateral International Economic Relations and Air, Maritime and Land Cooperation. Between 2007 and 2011 he was the Spanish ambassador to Haiti and between 2011 and 2013, the Spanish ambassador to Paraguay. Between 2013 and 2017 he held the position of Ambassador-Head of Delegation of the European Union in Uruguay. From 2017 to 2018 he was an advisory member in the Cabinet of the Undersecretary for Foreign Affairs and Cooperation and coordinator for the application of art. 155 of the Spanish Constitution in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation. Between 2018 and 2020 he was the Spanish ambassador to Cuba and since November 2020 he was the Chargé d'Affaires of Spain in Venezuela.

Richard Benjamins

Chief AI & Data Strategist at Telefónica

He is head of artificial intelligence and data strategist at Telefónica. He is among the 100 most influential people in data-driven business (DataIQ 100, 2018). He is also co-founder and vice-president of the Spanish observatory of ethical and social impacts of AI (OdiseIA), and a member of the board of directors of the non-profit environmental organization CDP. He was Group Chief Data Officer at AXA (Insurance) and previously held executive positions at Telefónica in Big Data and Analytics for 10 years. He is the founder of Telefónica's Big Data for Social Good department, an expert at the EP's AI Observatory (EPAIO), a member of the EC's Group of Experts on B2G data exchange and a frequent speaker at Artificial Intelligence events. He has a doctorate in Cognitive Sciences, has published more than 100 scientific articles and is the author of the books "The myth of the algorithm: tales and truths of artificial intelligence" (Spanish) and "A company based on data". He is a strategic advisor to several startups including BigML, Focus360 and Nexus Clips. Before joining Telefónica, he was director and member of the board of directors of iSOCO, a company he co-founded in 1999. Thanks to his work, iSOCO received the National Award for Computing. He held positions at the Polytechnic University of Madrid, the University of Amsterdam, the University of Sao Paulo, Brazil, the University of Paris-Sud, France, and the Artificial Intelligence Research Institute of Spain in Barcelona. He is a founding member of the editorial board of Springer's AI Ethics Journal, a member of the ETNO Task Force on Artificial Intelligence and the GSMA Task Force on AI for Impact.