What Latin American leaders are prioritizing in 2022
- Political leaders from Peru, Colombia, Guatemala, Costa Rica and Ecuador, along with the President of the Inter-American Development Bank spoke at Davos Agenda 2022 on their goals for the year future.
- Latin America is focused on increasing COVID-19 vaccination rates, pursuing a rapid economic recovery, and integrating climate action into their policies.
- Here are some of the highlights from this session.
Social unrest, polarization and economic uncertainty amid the pandemic are just some of the biggest challenges Latin America has faced in the past two years.
What are the region’s priorities and objectives heading into the year, and how can leaders work together decisively to overcome obstacles and foster long-term prosperity? Here are some of the questions addressed by a panel that included: Guillermo Lasso, President of the Republic of Ecuador; Jose Pedro Castillo Terrones, President of the Republic of Peru; Ivan Duque, President of Colombia; Carlos Alvarado Quesada, President of Costa Rica; Alejandro Giammattei, President of Guatemala; Mauricio Claver-Carone, President, Inter-American Development Bank.
The session was moderated by Borge-Brende, Chairman, World Economic Forum Geneva and Marisol Argueta de Barillas, Regional Agenda Manager, Latin America, World Economic Forum.
Priority #1: Increase the number of vaccinated people in Latin America
Costa Rican President Carlos Alvarado Quesada said his country’s population was more than 85% doubly vaccinated against COVID-19 and that it would be essential to push the vaccination program forward.
José Pedro Castillo Terrones, President of Peru, shares that more than 84% of the Peruvian population is vaccinated against COVID-19, with 55 million more doses on the way this year.
Priority #2: Ensure economic growth and recovery in Latin America
Vaccinations will ensure that economies are no longer disrupted. Ivan Duque, Colombia’s president, said his goal for 2022 was to continue mass vaccination and reach the highest numbers over the next year. With more people receiving first and second vaccines, the country can grow its economy and “regain pre-pandemic momentum.”
Guillermo Lasso, President of Ecuador, agreed. He noted that Ecuador recovered 70% of the jobs lost in 2020 due to the pandemic. Vaccinations can keep economies resilient. “Vaccinations don’t just protect health,” he said. “They will reactivate social reactivation, social recovery.”
Latin American countries also have other economic priorities. Guatemalan President Alejandro Giammatei said his country’s GDP reached 7.5% in 2021, a peak that would not have been needed in two decades. The country’s challenge this year, he said, will be to maintain that rate of growth and “keep pace with the economic recovery.”
These leaders realize that there are still equity gaps that need to be addressed and prioritized. Mauricio Claver-Carone, President of the Inter-American Development Bank, says that despite inflation and the many other challenges facing the region, “we cannot have a decade of missed opportunities in terms of closing the gap economic”.
Jobs and opportunity was a key priority for many speakers and a mechanism to foster continued resilience and prosperity. Alejandro Giammatei says: “If people have jobs, if people have security, if people have health and quality education, people will not migrate. People migrate because they need to.
Priority #3: Keep Latin America Climate Action Goals in Mind
Leaders recognize the key role that climate protection will play in the short and long term. To that end, Ecuadorian President Guillermo Lasso has shared news about the expansion of a conservation project around the Galápagos Islands announced earlier this year, a project ensuring safe passage for marine life.
Citing the World Economic Forum’s Global Risks Report 2022, Carlos Alvarado Quesada pointed out that preventing biodiversity loss and mitigating the worst impacts of climate change are a critical part of Costa Rica’s goals for this year. “As far as the environment, we have to integrate the environment into these components, we must not consider the environment as a separate element.”
The Colombian government recently approved a climate action bill, in which its goal is to reach net zero by 2050. The government is also focusing on renewable energy and has also committed to the World Economic Forum’s One Trillion Trees initiative, as well as the BiodiverCities Initiative by 2030.
Watch the full session here.
