CAF to Bring Together 2,500 Leaders in Panama to Discuss the Future of the Region

• The Latin America and the Caribbean International Economic Forum will take place in Panama on January 29–30, 2026, gathering more than 2,500 business leaders, investors, government authorities, and representatives from multilateral organizations to strategically position the region on the global geopolitical map.
• Among the participants are José Raúl Mulino, President of Panama; Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, President of Brazil; Daniel Noboa, President of Ecuador; Michio Kaku, theoretical physicist and futurist; Pedro Heilbron, CEO of Copa Airlines; Ricardo Hausmann, Director of the Harvard Growth Lab; and Sergio Díaz-Granados, Executive President of CAF.

The second edition of the Latin America and the Caribbean International Economic Forum 2026, organized by CAF – Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean, will be held at the Panama City Convention Center and will bring together global experts to discuss the region’s challenges and opportunities in a changing global landscape marked by trade frictions and shifts in the international financial architecture.

In this context, the Forum consolidates itself as an annual platform for reflection and action, reaffirming Latin America and the Caribbean’s position and opportunities in key sectors such as agribusiness, mining, gas and clean technologies, energy and environmental transition, powershoring, services, and digitalization.

The Forum, supported by 18 media partners including Grupo PRISA, El País, and World in Progress, will address topics such as trade and investment flows, public–private collaboration, air connectivity and tourism, artificial intelligence, economic outlooks, the role of the private sector, clean energy, the energy transition, and sustainable mining.

Confirmed Special Guests

• José Raúl Mulino, President of Panama

• Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, President of Brazil

• Daniel Noboa, President of Ecuador

• Michio Kaku, Theoretical Physicist and Futurist

• Ricardo Hausmann, Director, Harvard Growth Lab

• Susan Segal, President, Americas Society/Council of the Americas

• Felipe Larraín, Former Minister of Finance of Chile

• Pedro Heilbron, CEO, Copa Airlines

• Isabella Luksic, General Manager, Fundación Luksic

A Transformative Agenda

As part of the Forum, on January 27, 2026, CAF will host the CAF Festival: Voices for Our Region – Culture that Moves the World, a space to promote the cultural and artistic potential of Latin America and the Caribbean through its most prominent creators.

On January 29–30, CAF will also hold the Latin America and the Caribbean Business Roundtable: Connecting to the Global Market, designed to strengthen the region’s commercial integration. The event will bring together 150 international buyers and 300 Latin American exporters in over 4,000 one-on-one meetings, connecting regional supply with global demand.

This platform offers businesses a unique opportunity for internationalization — allowing them, in just a day and a half and in one location, to achieve what would normally take more than two weeks of individual commercial prospecting. Registration is open until December 22, 2025, through www.matchmaking-forum-caf.com, for companies in strategic sectors such as agrifood, manufacturing, textiles, chemicals, life sciences, and technology services.

By integrating the Business Roundtable with the Economic Forum, CAF seeks to turn academic exchange and ideas into tangible business results. Efficiency is a key principle: a single trip allows participants to meet potential partners from more than 15 countries, concentrating in one place what would otherwise require multiple journeys. In this way, CAF fosters sustainable growth and regional integration, maximizing business opportunities while strengthening Latin America and the Caribbean’s global presence.

The Forum is part of CAF’s ongoing efforts to promote the socioeconomic development of Latin America and the Caribbean and to advance a medium- and long-term vision of inclusive growth that benefits all citizens. Since its founding in 1970, CAF has disbursed over USD 210 billion for projects in health, education, infrastructure, mobility, and social and human development across the region.