On June 20, 2022, the United States will host the IX Summit of the Americas. The summit will be a renewed opportunity to bring about long-lasting regional cooperation and a collaborative hemispheric response to pressing issues. Within the summit’s focus on “Building a Sustainable, Resilient, and Equitable Future” for the hemisphere, this talk convened ambassadors Juan Carlos Pinzón (Colombia), Ivonne Baki (Ecuador), and Andrés Durán (Uruguay) to analyze their views on the challenges and opportunities related to the Summit of the Americas on key topics. These topics include: economic recovery, social inclusion, migration, governance, climate change, and sustainable development, as well as the mechanisms to ensure accountability and action on these critical themes. Alejandro Werner, founding director of the Georgetown Americas Institute, moderated the discussion.
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Ivonne A-Baki is the ambassador of Ecuador to the United States, having previously served in the position from 1998 to 2002. She is an artist, painter, diplomat, peace negotiator, humanist, and politician. Her prior government appointments include honorary consul of Ecuador in Beirut (1981), honorary consul of Ecuador in Boston (1992-1998), and minister of foreign trade, industry, regional integration, fisheries, and competitiveness (2003-2005). Between 1994 and 1997, Ambassador A-Baki was member of the board of directors of Harvard University’s Conflict Management Group. She had an active participation on the achievement of the Peace Agreements between Ecuador and Peru, signed in October 26th, 1998. In 2002, A-Baki was a candidate for the presidency of the Republic of Ecuador. She studied arts at the Sorbonne University and obtained master’s degrees in public administration and in public policy at the Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University (1993).
Andrés Durán is the ambassador of Uruguay to the United States. Ambassador Durán has over 20 years of experience in the private sector in general management and as a corporate legal advisor. Prior to taking office as ambassador, he acted as executive advisor for Latin America in the private equity and real estate division of Ashmore Group, leading M&A and financial restructuring transactions in Latin America while also coordinating activities between the company’s New York and Bogotá offices (2018- 2020). Durán was a founding partner of the law firm Bragard & Durán (2011-2018; Uruguay) and a partner and associate of the law firm Hughes & Hughes (1998-2011; Uruguay). He was also a visiting attorney in Slaughter and May (2008; London) and worked in the legal division of the Inter-American Investment Corporation (currently IDB Invest, 2002; Washington, DC). Duran earned a J.D. from the Catholic University of Uruguay, a LL.M. from Georgetown Law as a Fulbright scholar, and an MBA from the MIT Sloan School of Management.
Juan Carlos Pinzón is the ambassador of Colombia to the United States, having previously served in the position from 2015 to 2017. During his tenure, he oversaw the approval of Peace Colombia or Plan Colombia II ($450 million per year) that increased the U.S. funding package for security and development. Additionally, he helped establish the CEO U.S.-Colombia Business Council at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the Atlantic Council's Colombia Task Force. The accession of the Hass avocado to the U.S. market was an important highlight. Prior to that, Ambassador Pinzón served as minister of defense of Colombia for nearly four years. Under his leadership, the Colombian Armed Forces significantly weakened the FARC, ELN, and other organized crime entities, highly degrading their logistics, structure, and leadership. Pinzón also strengthened all capabilities of the Colombian armed forces and established Colombia as a regional cooperation leader.
Alejandro Werner (moderator) is the founding director of the Georgetown Americas Institute and a non-resident senior fellow at the Peterson Institute. He recently completed almost nine years as director of the Western Hemisphere Department at the International Monetary Fund. Prior to that appointment, he rose to undersecretary in Mexico’s Finance Ministry and taught at leading universities in Mexico, Spain, and the United States. He earned his Ph.D. in economics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1994.
