Ibero-American Secretary highlights the “triple challenge” of the region in Uruguay

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – During his visit to Montevideo, the Ibero-American Secretary-General, Andrés Allamand, highlighted the “triple challenge” the community of nations faced in a regional scenario marked by the recovery of covid-19.

The former Chilean foreign minister highlighted it on May 4 during the conference he gave at the Latin American Integration Association (Aladi) headquarters. He assured that the Ibero-American countries must make “a common effort” in the face of three major challenges.

Specifically, Allamand said that the first goes hand in hand with the necessary economic recovery that the region must face after the covid-19 pandemic. He stressed that this crisis “hit it unbalanced” and, therefore, it must seek a “different” way out.

“The recovery must be politically inclusive, socially viable, and environmentally sustainable,” he said.

The second, he said, is that of “growth”, since the countries of the community, made up of 19 Latin American and three European nations, have a growth rate of around 2% and must “overcome their structural gaps” to become a zone “that attracts investment” and has “greater confidence”.

On this point, Allamand stressed that Aladi could play a key role as an association that brings together 13 of the 19 countries whose unity is supported by the Ibero-American General Secretariat since it has a strong concern about encouraging interregional trade and reducing the digital divide.

The successor of Costa Rica’s Rebeca Grynspan at the head of Segib indicated that a third important challenge is that of “the narrative” since there is a tendency to look only at the negative aspects and not at the advantages the region has.

“When looking at our region, the problems are emphasized much more than the real opportunities. We also need to show the positive aspects, that good things are happening in the region, for example energy development and the importance of Latin America to face the problems of climate change,” he said.

In statements to Agencia Efe, who served from 2020 until this February as foreign minister in the last government of Sebastián Piñera in Chile, he stressed, on the other hand, the importance of Uruguay as a key partner for this region, which, he said, unites “an invisible thread” with culture as the axis.

“Uruguay plays a vital role in the Ibero-American Summit since it represents a solid democracy based on strong institutions, capable of guaranteeing legal security, economic growth, and social cohesion,” said the Secretary.

Allamand, who met this Wednesday with the President, Luis Lacalle Pou, as well as with the Uruguayan Ministers of Education and Culture, Pablo da Silveira, and of Foreign Affairs, Francisco Bustillo, thus culminated another of the visits of the tour that began in Panama, Dominican Republic and Argentina and will continue in Colombia and Costa Rica.

With information from EFE