MIAMI. – A prominent group of former presidents from Latin America and Spain will meet in Miami on October 17 to participate in the IX Presidential Dialogue, a forum dedicated to analyzing the challenges facing the Western Hemisphere, with special emphasis on the situation in Venezuela.
This year’s forum takes on greater importance because Venezuela is going through a deep political, economic and social crisis aggravated by allegations of fraud in the July 28 elections, in which the dictator Nicolás Maduro claimed a victory that the electoral records conferred on the opponent Edmundo González Urrutia.
The event, organized by Miami Dade College (MDC), Grupo IDEA, the Mezerhane Chair and the Atlantic Institute of Government, will be held under the motto “Democracy of citizens and migrations: Venezuela and July 28.”
The choice of this topic occurs in a context marked by political instability, the violation of human rights, economic collapse and the massive migration of Venezuelans that has generated a significant impact on the region.
Among the confirmed former presidents are renowned figures such as José María Aznar (Spain), Laura Chinchilla (Costa Rica), Vicente Fox (Mexico), Felipe González (Spain), Osvaldo Hurtado (Ecuador), Jamil Mahuad (Ecuador), Andrés Pastrana (Colombia), Jorge Tuto Quiroga (Bolivia) and Miguel Ángel Rodríguez (Costa Rica).
According to the organizers, confirmation is expected from José María Figueres (Costa Rica).
Program
The Presidential Dialogue will be structured in two panels. The first, “Venezuela – Citizen democracy vs. tyranny of organized crime”, moderated by Andrés Pastrana, will analyze the political and social crisis that Venezuela is going through.
This segment of the forum includes the deterioration of democratic institutions, political persecution, the growing influence of organized crime and the implications of electoral fraud in the search for a democratic solution.
The second panel, “Politically resilient migrations or social destabilization”, moderated by Laura Chinchilla, will focus on the impact of migrations, especially those from Venezuela, on the region.
The panel will explore strategies to manage this migratory flow without compromising the social stability of the receiving countries.
Madeline Pumariega, president of the MDC, highlighted the importance of the event. “As College of Democracy, we are honored to receive this group of distinguished world leaders (…) This vital dialogue underscores our commitment to democratic principles and human rights,” he said.
The IX Presidential Dialogue will take place at the MDC Wolfson Campus. Admission is free, but prior registration is required.
