# The David Rockefeller Center for Latin American Studies 30th Anniversary Symposium ![DRCLAS 30th Anniversary Celebration](/sites/g/files/omnuum12451/files/styles/hwp_5_4__480x385/public/2025-01/DRCLAS%20LinkedIn%2030%20Proposals%20%28Instagram%20Post%29.png?itok=SGfxBr1L) #### calendar\_today Date and Time **April 26, 2025** 08:30AM - 06:00PM EDT #### pin\_drop Location **Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences** [150 Western Ave. Boston, MA 02134 United States ]() Please note that this event will be held in person only. Registration is now closed. Please check back periodically in case additional seats become available. ### As we commemorate 30 years of impactful achievements, we reflect on DRCLAS’s legacy and look ahead to the pressing challenges and opportunities facing our region. ### Join us for a day of insightful dialogue as we explore key issues shaping Latin America, including the state of democracy, climate change, and the impact of crime on society. We will also celebrate the region’s creativity, resilience, and innovation with a special focus on entrepreneurship and a keynote from a world-renowned artist. ### Let’s come together to celebrate our past, envision the future, and make impossible conversations possible. # Featured Panelists ### Michelle Bachelet Former United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (2018-2022); Former President of Chile (2006 – 2010 and 2014 – 2018). ![Michelle Bachelet](/sites/g/files/omnuum12451/files/styles/hwp_16_9__480x270/public/2025-04/7.png?itok=J-kthf6l) ### María Corina Machado Venezuelan Opposition Leader; Political Activist; Member of the National Assembly of Venezuela (2011-2014) ![MCM](/sites/g/files/omnuum12451/files/styles/hwp_16_9__480x270/public/2025-04/15.png?itok=dTi-hU2Z) ### Ernesto Zedillo President of Mexico (1994-2000) ![Ernesto Cedilla](/sites/g/files/omnuum12451/files/styles/hwp_16_9__480x270/public/2025-04/16.png?itok=x-oyCH09) ### Linda Rottenberg Co-founder and CEO of Endeavor ![Linda Rottenberg](/sites/g/files/omnuum12451/files/styles/hwp_1_1__360x360_scale/public/2025-02/6.png?itok=jrKGvGlM) ### Vik Muniz Artist and Photographer ![Vik Muniz ](/sites/g/files/omnuum12451/files/styles/hwp_1_1__360x360_scale/public/2025-02/DRCLAS%20LinkedIn%2030%20Proposals%20%28Large%20Rectangle%20%28IAB%29%29-13.png?itok=hbYI0YKv) ### Carlos Alvarado Quesada President of Costa Rica (2018-2022). ![Carlos Alvarado Quesada](/sites/g/files/omnuum12451/files/styles/hwp_16_9__480x270/public/2025-02/3_0.png?itok=7cCPrOCS) ### Enrique Ortiz Program Director of the Andes Amazon Fund ![Enrique Ortiz](/sites/g/files/omnuum12451/files/styles/hwp_16_9__480x270/public/2025-02/2.png?itok=v5B3CrkF) ### Mónica Serrano Professor of International Relations at El Colegio de México; United Nations University (UNU) Council; Faculty of the Doctorate on Organised Crime at the University of Milan; and an Associate Fellow of the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS). ![Mónica Serrano](/sites/g/files/omnuum12451/files/styles/hwp_16_9__480x270/public/2025-02/4_0.png?itok=73Qidu4B) ### Izabella Teixeira Co-Chair of the UN International Resource Panel; Member of the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs High-Level Advisory Board; Former Minister of the Environment of Brazil (2010–2016). ![Izabella Teixera](/sites/g/files/omnuum12451/files/styles/hwp_16_9__480x270/public/2025-04/5.png?itok=FH64pPUo) ### Daniel Vogel Co-Founder and CEO of Bitso ![Daniel Vogel](/sites/g/files/omnuum12451/files/styles/hwp_16_9__480x270/public/2025-04/8.png?itok=3zVVAB0B) ### Martin Migoya Co-founder, CEO, and Chairman of Globant; DRCLAS Advisory Board Member ![Martin Migoya](/sites/g/files/omnuum12451/files/styles/hwp_16_9__480x270/public/2025-03/DRCLAS%20LinkedIn%2030%20Proposals%20%28Large%20Rectangle%20%28IAB%29%29%20%281%29.png?itok=jhgePOlf) ### Martín Escobari Co-President and Head of Global Growth Equity of General Atlantic; DRCLAS Advisory Board Member ![Martin Escobari](/sites/g/files/omnuum12451/files/styles/hwp_16_9__480x270/public/2025-04/10.png?itok=etd2IWDw) ### Carolina de Mattos Ricardo Executive Director of Instituto Sou da Paz ![Carolina Matto](/sites/g/files/omnuum12451/files/styles/hwp_16_9__480x270/public/2025-04/13.png?itok=paeDlG0I) ### Sergio Jaramillo Caro President of Fundación Acordemos; High Commissioner for Peace (2012-2016); National Security Advisor to the President of Colombia (2010-2012) ![Sergio Jaramillo](/sites/g/files/omnuum12451/files/styles/hwp_16_9__480x270/public/2025-03/DRCLAS%20LinkedIn%2030%20Proposals%20%28Large%20Rectangle%20%28IAB%29%29%20%286%29.png?itok=slC3JSiM) arrow\_back arrow\_forward ## Symposium Agenda ## 8:30 AM | Check-in Open all sections Close all sections ### Parking Information expand\_more Guests have a number of parking options available to them the day of the event. Daily permits are available up to 7 days in advance through the [HOPPS website](https://hopps.vpcs.harvard.edu/login) for the [2 Hague Street](https://maps.app.goo.gl/nPXeQxWA5Fc2mAXAA) or [114 Western Avenue](https://maps.app.goo.gl/3KyHafqdiQoSGWCP7) lots. Guests may also choose to pay an hourly rate at either of these locations or at the Soldier Field Garage by downloading the free [ZipBy App](https://transportation.harvard.edu/zipby). All options are available to non-Harvard affiliates. ## 9:15 AM | Welcome and Introduction of Faculty Director Remarks by **Sol Carbonell**, DRCLAS Executive Director Open all sections Close all sections ### Sol Carbonell, DRCLAS Executive Director expand\_more ![Sol Carbonell](/sites/g/files/omnuum12451/files/styles/hwp_1_1__360x360_scale/public/2024-09/Carbonell_Headshot_9_26_2023.jpg?itok=FekdmDxp) **Sol Carbonell** serves as the Executive Director, responsible for guiding strategy, programming, faculty and student engagement, fundraising and donor relations, staffing, and budget. She manages resource allocation and planning and oversees the internal and external communication and outreach strategy for the Center. She overseas DRCLAS' offices abroad, in Brazil, Chile and Mexico, and collaborates with them on strategic priorities. With more than 20 years of experience across multiple sectors, Carbonell comes to DRCLAS from the Federal Reserve, where she spent almost ten years focused on promoting the economic strength of low-income communities and leveraging the research and convening power of the Fed to inform policy and practice. Carbonell holds a Master in Public Administration from Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government. She also studied at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, the University of Buenos Aires in her native Argentina and the MIT Sloan School of Management. She has been an advisor to national organizations such as the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute and the Association of Latinos for America and is currently a board member at the Boston Museum of Science. She has been recognized for her community contributions by the U.S. Congress, InBusiness Magazine, the Boston Business Journal and Amplify Latinx. ## 9:30 AM | State of Democracy Plenary Session During this session, **Steven Levitsky**, Professor of Government and Faculty Director of the David Rockefeller Center for Latin American Studies will engage in a discussion with two former presidents and the region’s most prominent democratic opposition leader about the state of democracy in the region. Levitsky will offer framing remarks, and invite prominent leaders to offer their perspectives on key questions: What are the major threats to democracy in Latin America today? What fuels the number of populist outsiders in the region? What can be done to rebuild trust in political institutions and bridge the gap between politicians and the growing number of citizens who feel alienated and disengaged from politics? What role can the international community play in protecting democracy? Open all sections Close all sections ### Steven Levitsky, Director, David Rockefeller Center for Latin American Studies; David Rockefeller Professor of Latin American Studies; Professor of Government, Harvard expand\_more ![headshot of Steven Levitsky](/sites/g/files/omnuum12451/files/styles/hwp_1_1__360x360_scale/public/drclas2/files/levitsky_headshot_-_web.png?itok=sITNG_Kq) **Steven Levitsky** is David Rockefeller Professor of Latin American Studies and Professor of Government and Director of the David Rockefeller Center for Latin American Studies at Harvard. He is Senior Fellow at the Kettering Foundation and a Senior Democracy Fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations. His research focuses on democratization and authoritarianism, political parties, and weak and informal institutions, with a focus on Latin America. He is co-author (with Daniel Ziblatt) of *How Democracies Die*, which was a *New York Times* Best-Seller and was published in 30 languages, and *Tyranny of the Minority: Why American Democracy Reached the Breaking Point*. He has written or edited 11 other books, including *Transforming Labor-Based Parties in Latin America: Argentine Peronism in Comparative Perspective* (Cambridge University Press 2003), *Competitive Authoritarianism: Hybrid Regimes after the Cold War* (with Lucan Way) (Cambridge University Press, 2010), and *Revolution and Dictatorship: The Violent Origins of Durable Authoritarianism* (with Lucan Way) (Princeton University Press, 2022). He and Lucan Way are currently working on a book on democratic resilience across the world. Professor Levitsky has written for *New York Times*, *The Washington Post*, *The Atlantic*, *Foreign Affairs*, and *The New Republic*, and he has been a columnist for *La Republica* (Peru) and *Folha de São Paulo* (Brazil). ### Michelle Bachelet Jeria, President of Chile (2006-2010; 2014-2018); United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (2018-2022) expand\_more ![Bachelet](/sites/g/files/omnuum12451/files/styles/hwp_1_1__360x360_scale/public/2025-03/Bachelet%20Headshot.JPG?itok=nxllGwzp) Michelle Bachelet was born in Santiago on September 29. She lived in the United States briefly in 1962-1963 and completed most of her high school at Liceo No. 1 Javiera Carrera in Santiago. In 1970, she enrolled in Medicine at the University of Chile, joining the Socialist Youth during the Popular Unity Government. In 1974, her father Alberto Bachelet died from a heart attack after being tortured during her imprisonment. In 1975, Michelle and her mother were arrested and tortured at Villa Grimaldi and Cuatro Alamos. After their release, they went into exile in Australia and the German Democratic Republic, where she learned German and continued her medical studies at Humboldt University in Berlin. Returning to Chile in 1979, she resumed her medical studies and graduated as a Surgeon in 1982. She specialized in pediatrics and public health at Roberto del Rio Hospital. In the 1990s, Bachelet worked for the Pan-American Health Organization and the World Health Organization, later serving as an advisor to the Ministry of Health. In 2000, she became Chile's Minister of Health and, in 2002, Minister of National Defense, becoming the first woman to hold this position in Chile and Latin America. In 2006, she became the first woman elected President of Chile, serving until 2010. In 2010, she was appointed Director of UN Women, and in 2013, she returned to Chile to become President again from 2014 to 2018. In 2018, she founded Horizonte Ciudadano to foster progressive dialogue in Chile. Later that year, she was appointed UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, a role she held until 2022. ### Maria Corina Machado, Venezuelan Opposition Leader; Political Activist; Member of the National Assembly of Venezuela (2011-2014) expand\_more ![MCM](/sites/g/files/omnuum12451/files/styles/hwp_1_1__360x360_scale/public/2025-03/Maria%20Corina%20Machado%20Headshot.jpg?itok=zMRNNVdM) **María Corina Machado** is the leader of the democratic movement in Venezuela, following her resounding victory in the primary elections on October 22, 2023, where she secured more than 92% of the votes. She is the founder and national coordinator of VENTE, a political party established in 2012. Despite her undeniable triumph in the primaries, the Maduro regime upheld her disqualification from running in the presidential elections on July 28. After attempting to nominate Professor Corina Yoris as her substitute, the regime also blocked this decision, leading to the registration of Ambassador Edmundo González Urrutia as the candidate, with the support of all democratic forces. Machado became the architect of an unprecedented presidential campaign, defying all adversities and operating under extreme conditions to secure González Urrutia’s victory. She organized an electoral transparency movement unparalleled in the region, enabling nearly a million volunteers within Venezuela to help safeguard the vote. As a result, on July 28, Edmundo González Urrutia was elected president of Venezuela with nearly 70% of the votes. In record time, more than 83.5% of the official tally sheets— courageously obtained by opposition witnesses—were digitized and made available to the world, revealing the truth. Today, from hiding and under intense persecution by the regime against her and her team, Machado continues to lead efforts alongside Venezuelans and the international community to achieve a democratic transition. She has been recognized as one of the 100 most influential and inspiring leaders by the BBC. In 2024, she was awarded the Václav Havel Human Rights Prize by the Council of Europe and the Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought by the European Parliament. She holds a degree in Industrial Engineering from Andrés Bello Catholic University (UCAB), with a specialization in Finance from the Institute of Advanced Management Studies (IESA). In 2009, she was also part of Yale University’s World Fellows program. She is the mother of three children. ### Ernesto Zedillo, President of Mexico (1994-2000) expand\_more ![Zedillo](/sites/g/files/omnuum12451/files/styles/hwp_1_1__360x360_scale/public/2025-03/Zedillo%20Headshot.JPG?itok=mgC4b6na) **Ernesto Zedillo** is a Senior Fellow at the Jackson School of Global Affairs and Frederick Iseman ’74 Director of the Program for the Study of Globalization; Professor in the Fields of Economics and Political Science; and Professor Adjunct of Environmental Studies at Yale University. He served as President of Mexico from 1994-2000. He is a member of The Elders, an independent group of global leaders using their collective experience and influence for peace, justice and human rights worldwide. In 2020 he was asked to serve on the Independent Panel for Pandemic Preparedness and Response (IPPPR), mandated by the World Health Assembly to analyze the Covid-19 pandemic’s early emergence, global spread, health, economic and social impacts, and how it was controlled and mitigated. Currently he serves on the Global Commission on Drug Policy and on the Selection Committee of the Aurora Prize for Awakening Humanity and the Hilton Humanitarian Award. From 2016 to 2021 he served as Chairman of the Rockefeller Foundation Economic Council on Planetary Health and formerly was Chair of the Board of the Natural Resource Governance Institute, Chair of the Global Development Network, and Co-Chair of the Inter-American Dialogue. He is a Member of the Group of 30, a consultative group on international economic and monetary affairs. In 2011 he was elected an international member of the American Philosophical Society. Besides op-eds and journal articles, his edited volumes include: *Trade in the 21st Century: Back to the Past?* (2021); *Africa at a Fork in the Road: Taking Off or Disappointment Once Again?* (2015); *Rethinking the War on Drugs through the US-Mexico Prism* (2012); *Global Warming: Looking Beyond Kyoto* (2008); and *The Future of Globalization: Explorations in Light of Recent Turbulence* (2008). He earned his Bachelor’s degree from the School of Economics of the Natìonal Polytechnic Institute in Mexico and his M.A. and Ph.D. from Yale University ## 11 AM | Criminality, Security and Conflict Violence and insecurity remain pressing challenges in Latin America, but innovative solutions are emerging. This panel brings together top practitioners to examine the region’s struggles with organized crime, public security breakdowns, and rising conflicts within and across borders. Panelists will spotlight justice reform models, grassroots public security efforts, and groundbreaking conflict resolution strategies inspired by global networks of collaboration. This conversation will reveal how bold, interconnected approaches are helping communities and nations confront violence and chart a path toward lasting security and peace. Open all sections Close all sections ### Diane Davis, Charles Dyer Norton Professor of Regional Planning and Urbanism, Harvard; Co-Chair, Mexico Studies Program, David Rockefeller Center for Latin American Studies (DRCLAS); Executive Committee Member, DRCLAS expand\_more ![Diane Davis](/sites/g/files/omnuum12451/files/styles/hwp_1_1__360x360_scale/public/2025-03/Diane%20Davis%20Headshot.jpg?itok=zfXZDxvo) **Diane E. Davis** is the Charles Dyer Norton Professor of Regional Planning and Urbanism at Harvard’s Graduate School of Design (GSD). Before moving to Harvard in 2012, Davis served as the head of the International Development Group in the Department of Urban Studies and Planning at MIT. Trained as a sociologist with an interest in cities in Latin America (BA in Geography, Northwestern University; Ph.D. in Sociology, UCLA), Davis has published widely on the relations between urbanization and national development, urban governance, urban social movements, and informality in Mexico, Brazil, and Argentina. Her recent research has focused on urban violence as well as spatial strategies to minimize risk and foster resilience in the face of these and other vulnerabilities. She is also Co-Chair of the Mexico Studies Program at the David Rockefeller Center for Latin American Studies (DRCLAS) and a member of the DRCLAS Executive Committee. ### Natalia Garbiras-Díaz, Assistant Professor of Business Administration, Harvard expand\_more ![Natalia G-D](/sites/g/files/omnuum12451/files/styles/hwp_1_1__360x360_scale/public/2025-03/Natalia%20G-D%20Headshot.jpg?itok=uKjMb176) **Natalia Garbiras Díaz** is an Assistant Professor in the Business, Government, and the International Economy (BGIE) unit at Harvard Business School. She received her Ph.D. in Political Science from the University of California, Berkeley, and was previously a Max Weber Fellow at the European University Institute. Her research focuses on comparative politics and political economy, examining civil conflict, post-conflict peace, governance, service delivery, elections, and accountability, with a regional focus on Latin America. Her work has been published in the American Economic Review, Journal of Peace Research, Journal of Conflict Resolution, and Conflict Management and Peace Science. She holds an M.A. in Economics from the University of Los Andes (Colombia). ### Sergio Jaramillo, President of Fundación Acordemos; High Commissioner for Peace (2012-2016); National Security Advisor to the President of Colombia (2010-2012) expand\_more ![Sergio Jaramillo](/sites/g/files/omnuum12451/files/styles/hwp_1_1__360x360_scale/public/2025-03/Sergio%20Jaramillo%20Headshot.jpg?itok=DistegOQ) **Sergio Jaramillo Caro** served as High Commissioner for Peace for Juan Manuel Santos, the 2016 Nobel Peace Prize laureate, between 2012 and 2017. As National Security Advisor (2010-2012), he designed the “National Territorial Consolidation Policy” and in parallel led the secret negotiations in Havana with the country's largest guerrilla group, the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) that ended with the “General Agreement” (a framework agreement) of August 2012. He then served for five years as High Commissioner for Peace. Together with Humberto de la Calle, he led the public negotiations for four years in Havana. In 2016, the Colombian Congress approved a peace accord with the FARC, ending one of the world's longest running conflicts. As Peace Commissioner Mr. Jaramillo also had to oversee the disarmament and demobilization process of the FARC, which ended in August of 2017 when the UN verification mission extracted the last container with weapons from a FARC cantonment area. Prior to serving in this role, Mr. Jaramillo served as Vice Minister of Defence for Policy and International Affairs, where he was responsible for security policy, intelligence and human rights. In particular, he sought to establish a state presence in conflict-afflicted territories throughout Colombia. Mr. Jaramillo has served in a wide array of government positions throughout his career, including as advisor of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in charge of the Diplomacy for Peace Program and political advisor at the Embassy of Colombia in France. In addition to his service in government, he was executive director of Ideas for the Peace Foundation – FIP in Bogotá (2003-2006). Mr. Jaramillo studied philosophy and Greek at the University of Toronto and at Oxford University. He holds an M.Phil in philosophy from the University of Cambridge and for many years did postgraduate work in Greek at the University of Heidelberg. He served as Colombian Ambassador to the EU and Belgium (2017-2018). In the last few years, he has been advising negotiations in various parts of the world (Afghanistan/ Doha, Venezuela, confidential talks in Africa, among others) based in Brussels. He is currently President of Acordemos Foundation in Bogotá, Colombia. He has also been leading the campaign ¡Aguanta Ucrania! of Latin American solidarity with Ukraine. ### Carolina Ricardo, Executive Director of Instituto Sou da Paz expand\_more ![Carolina Ricardo](/sites/g/files/omnuum12451/files/styles/hwp_1_1__360x360_scale/public/2025-03/Carolina%20Ricardo%20Headshot.jpg?itok=d6bcmO1P) **Carolina de Mattos Ricardo** is a Lawyer and a sociologist. She has a master's in legal Sociology (University of São Paulo). She has been a World Bank and IDB consultant on public safety and crime prevention issues. She was a fellow in the Draper Hills Summer Fellows program (2018) offered by the Center on Development, Democracy and the Rule of Law at Stanford University, CA. She is a member of the Advisory Board of Disarmament Matters of the United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs. She is the Executive Director of the Instituto Sou da Paz, a nongovernmental organization focused on reducing violence and promoting democracy in Brazil. ### Mónica Serrano, Professor of International Relations, El Colegio de México expand\_more ![Monica Serrano](/sites/g/files/omnuum12451/files/styles/hwp_1_1__360x360_scale/public/2025-03/M%C3%B3nica%20Serrano.jpg?itok=x4oxA76R) **Mónica Serrano** is Professor of International Relations at El Colegio de México. She serves on the United Nations University (UNU) Council; is part of the International Faculty of the Doctorate on Organised Crime at the University of Milan; and an Associate Fellow of the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS). Her research focuses on the interfaces between security, drug-trafficking/organised crime and human rights. She is especially concerned with the consequent tensions for the regional and global governance architectures. She was the founding Executive Director of the Global Centre for the Responsibility to Protect (2008-2011), Senior Fellow at the Ralph Bunche Institute at CUNY, Senior Research Associate at the Centre for International Studies, Oxford University and co-editor of Global Governance. She served on the International Advisory Board of the FRAME Project—Fostering Human Rights Among European (External and Internal) Policies—and on the Board of Directors of the Academic Council on the United Nations System ACUNS. Mónica Serrano has taught at Oxford University, the Institute of Latin American Studies, London University, and at the Universitá Degli Studi Di Milano. and has published extensively on international security and Latin America, with particular reference to international institutions, security, human rights, transnational crime and civil-military relations. Her recent books include: Human Rights Regimes in the Americas (2009); After Oppression: Transitional Justice in Latin America and Eastern Europe (2012); Mexico’s Security Failure: Collapse into Criminal Violence (2012); The International Politics of Human Rights. Rallying to the R2P Cause? (2014); El Tratado de Tlatelolco. Una mirada retrospectiva a medio siglo de su firma (2017) and Verdad, Justicia y Memoria. Derechos Humanos y Justicia Transicional en México (2023). She currently serves on the editorial boards of Conflict, Security and Development, Global Responsibility to Protect, Foro Internacional and Perfiles Latinoamericanos. ## 12:15 | Lunch and Networking Open all sections Close all sections ## 1:45 PM | Climate Change and the Environment What does Latin America’s future hold in the face of a changing climate? This dynamic panel brings together leading experts and policymakers to explore the region's critical role in addressing environmental challenges. Discussions will center on advancing sustainable policies, balancing ecological protection with economic growth, and the transformative impact of conservation efforts—such as large-scale nature reserves and rewilding—on both human health and the planet’s resilience. Discover how Latin America is shaping innovative solutions and playing a pivotal role in the global fight against climate change. Open all sections Close all sections ### Marcia Castro, Andelot Professor of Demography, Harvard; Chair, Department of Global Health and Population, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health; Chair, Brazil Studies Program,DRCLAS;Executive Committee Member, DRCLAS expand\_more ![Marcia Castro](/sites/g/files/omnuum12451/files/styles/hwp_1_1__360x360_scale/public/2025-03/Marcia%20Castro.png?itok=tPbZlQQv) **Marcia Castro** is Andelot Professor of Demography, Chair of the Department of Global Health and Population at the Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health, and Chair of the Brazil Studies Program of the David Rockefeller Center for Latin American Studies. She has projects on malaria, COVID-19, arboviruses, infant/child mortality and development, and climate change in the Brazilian Amazon. Castro serves on several advisory boards in Brazil, including the Institute for the Studies of Health Policies (IEPS), the Science Center for Early Childhood (NCPI), and Instituto Todos Pela Saúde (ITpS). She earned a PhD in Demography from Princeton University. ### Carlos Alvarado, President of Cost Rica (2018-2022); Professor of the Practice of Diplomacy, Tufts University expand\_more ![Carlos Alvarado Headshot](/sites/g/files/omnuum12451/files/styles/hwp_1_1__360x360_scale/public/2024-11/Carlos%20Alvarado%20.jpeg?itok=58Af2gPf) **Carlos Alvarado Quesada** (1980) served as the 48th President of Costa Rica (2018-2022). Under his leadership, Costa Rica became the first country to create a decarbonization plan (2019) following the Paris Agreement. Also, Costa Rica expanded Coco Island’s protected area to safeguard 30% of Costa Rican oceans. His climate policies and successful response to COVID-19 earned widespread recognition. Alvarado’s administration implemented key reforms that strengthened the economy, provided stability, and led to Costa Rica's accession to the OECD. During his term, same-sex marriage was legalized, and emergency contraception and in cases of risk of life of women were made available. In 2019, he was named one of TIME’s "100 Next," and in 2022, received the Planetary Leadership Award from the National Geographic Society. ### Nina Gualinga, Indigenous Land and Rights Defender from the Kichwa People of Sarayaku expand\_more ![Nina Gualinga Headshot](/sites/g/files/omnuum12451/files/styles/hwp_1_1__360x360_scale/public/2025-04/Nina%20G.jpg?itok=L6VFYCuP) Nina Gualinga, from the Kichwa people of Sarayaku in the Ecuadorian Amazon is a fierce advocate for the protection of the Amazon rainforest and Indigenous peoples’ rights. As a member and co founder of Mujeres Amazónicas, a collective of Indigenous women various Amazonian nations, Nina works with her Indigenous sisters against extractivism and gender-based violence. Mujeres Amazónicas has been instrumental in protecting Indigenous ancestral territories, notably halting the intrusion of oil companies in the southern Ecuadorian Amazon. ### Enrique Ortiz, Senior Program Director, Andes Amazon Fund expand\_more ![Enrique Ortiz](/sites/g/files/omnuum12451/files/styles/hwp_1_1__360x360_scale/public/2025-03/EO%20recent%20.jpeg?itok=JU9bJ7ld) **Enrique Ortiz** is the Senior Program Director of the Andes Amazon Fund. Enrique is one of Peru's most respected conservationists. Trained as a tropical ecologist, he has worked ecological systems in coastal areas, deserts, highlands, and tropical forests. He is also known for his leadership throughout Peru and Latin America in biodiversity and ecosystem conservation. For over two decades working for philanthropic organizations, he has facilitated the funding to governments and organizations that support conservation in the Andes-Amazon, resulting in more than 20 million hectares of new protected areas throughout the region. He is also a founder and board member of several NGOs in various countries. He holds degrees from San Marcos University (Peru) and Princeton University (USA). ### Izabella Teixeira, Co-Chair of the International Resource Panel; Minister of the Environment of Brazil (2010-2016) expand\_more ![Izabella Teixera](/sites/g/files/omnuum12451/files/styles/hwp_1_1__360x360_scale/public/2025-03/Izabella%20Teixeira.jpg?itok=_fN48-uM) **Izabella Teixeira** is co-chair of the UN International Resource Panel and a member of the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs High-Level Advisory Board. As Brazil's Minister of the Environment (2010-2016), she was pivotal in negotiating the Nagoya Protocol, the SDGs, the Minamata Convention, and the Paris Agreement, also serving on the High-Level Panel to develop what became the 2030 Agenda. In 2013, Teixeira received the "Champions of the Earth" Global Award for Political Leadership. She holds several private and non-profit board positions. Teixeira earned a B.Sc. in Biological Sciences (UnB) and a M.Sc. and Ph.D. in Energy Planning (UFRJ). ## 3:00 PM | Break and Connect Open all sections Close all sections ## 3:30 PM | Entrepreneurship and the Future of Latin America Can Latin America foster a thriving technology sector driven by entrepreneurship? What conditions must be met for this vision to become a reality? How would a stronger tech sector benefit the region’s economy and society? This discussion will explore the role of entrepreneurship in shaping Latin America’s future and the steps needed to unlock its full potential. Open all sections Close all sections ### Álvaro Rodríguez Arregui, Harvard Business School Executive Fellow; DRCLAS Advisory Board Member expand\_more ![Álvaro Rodriguez Arregui](/sites/g/files/omnuum12451/files/styles/hwp_1_1__360x360_scale/public/2025-03/%C3%81lvaro%20Rodriguez%20Arregui%20Headshot.jpg?itok=3k_nvdFk) **Alvaro Rodríguez Arregui** is the Co-Founder and Managing Partner of IGNIA, the largest and oldest venture capital firm based out of Mexico that invests in world-class tech entrepreneurs solving problems faced by the emerging middle class in Latin America. Álvaro is a former Harvard Business School (HBS) Senior Lecturer and Executive Fellow. For the past four years he has been teaching entrepreneurship and financial inclusion to HBS MBA students and in HBS Executive Education programs. For 30 years he has been deeply involved in financial inclusion having served as the Chairman of the Board for Compartamos Banco (Gentera), the largest microfinance institution in the Americas, and Chair of ACCION International, a 65-year-old US non-profit organization. ### Martín Escobari, Co-President and head of Global Growth Equity of General Atlantic; DRCLAS Advisory Board Member expand\_more ![Martin Escobari](/sites/g/files/omnuum12451/files/styles/hwp_1_1__360x360_scale/public/2025-03/Martin%20Escobari%20Photo.jpg?itok=YkZXyvis) **Martín Escobari** is Head of Global Growth Equity, Co-President, and Managing Director. Martín is Chairman of the firm’s Investment Committee and also serves on the Portfolio and Executive Committees. Before joining General Atlantic in 2012, Martín was a Managing Director at Advent International where he focused on the financial services sector. Prior to that, he was Co-Founder and CFO of Submarino.com, a leading Brazilian online retailer that went public on the Bovespa and was sold to Lojas Americanas in 2006. Martin started his career as a management consultant at The Boston Consulting Group. ### Martin Migoya, CEO Globant; DRCLAS Advisory Board Member expand\_more ![Martin Migoya](/sites/g/files/omnuum12451/files/styles/hwp_1_1__360x360_scale/public/2025-03/Martin%20Migoya%20-%20Headshot.jpg?itok=EQ7kfUEf) **Martín Migoya** is the co-founder, CEO and Chairman of Globant (NYSE: GLOB). He founded the company in 2003 with three friends - Guibert Englebienne, Martín Umaran and Néstor Nocetti - under the goal of finding the best talent to create technological solutions for companies all over the world. In 2014, Globant was the first Latin American software company to list on the New York Stock Exchange, and so ensued a period of exponential growth with a unique focus of empowering its teams throughout the company to scale up quickly and sustainably. Today, Globant has become the largest technology services company from Latin America serving the global market. It is the talent nexus to 30,000 employees in 35 countries and was recognized by Forbes as one of the fastest growing companies in the world in 2023. Globant is one of the most relevant examples of global growth from the region. Passionate about entrepreneurship, teamwork, and disruptive innovation, he has co-authored two books, *The Never Ending Digital Journey* and *Embracing the Power of AI*, where he shares his thoughts on how technology is changing the world and how brands need to adapt to lead this revolution. Martín is an advocate for entrepreneurship as a pathway to development through his role as Chairman of Endeavor Argentina and regularly mentors entrepreneurs throughout the world. Business chambers and financial media have consistently recognized Martín’s expansive leadership style with several awards, including the CEO of the Year Award from Cronista Comercial and the Sadosky Prize in 2020, Top CEO of the Year at the CEO World Awards in 2019, the Entrepreneur of the Year Award from Ernst & Young in 2013, and Globant’s recognition of the BRAVO Company of the Decade Award by the Council of the Americas. He holds an MBA from CEMA University and a degree in electronic engineering from the National University of La Plata. Although the duties of chief executive are consuming, Martín still makes time for his love for music, rehearsing and performing regularly with his band Sonic Diamonds. His passion has become part of Globant’s DNA, as many of the company’s facilities include rehearsal studios complete with instruments for Globers’ use. ### Linda Rottenberg, Co-founder and CEO of Endeavor expand\_more ![Linda Rottenberg](/sites/g/files/omnuum12451/files/styles/hwp_1_1__360x360_scale/public/2025-03/Linda_Headshot.jpg?itok=Qv77ipWv) **Linda Rottenberg** is Co-Founder & CEO of Endeavor, the Global Network of Trust of, by, and for entrepreneurs in nearly 50 countries. Linda also oversees Endeavor Catalyst Funds, the global investment fund of Endeavor, which counts $540M AUM, 350+ investments, and 61 $1B+ “Unicorns” in its portfolio. She has been named “Innovator for the 21st Century” (TIME), one of “America’s Best Leaders” (U.S. News), “The World’s Mentor Capitalist” (Tom Friedman) and “The Entrepreneur Whisperer” (ABC). Linda serves on several public company boards (NYSE: GLOB; Lead Independent Director) (NYSE: OLO), (NYSE: SPARC); vice-chairs Yale’s President’s Council on International Activities; and joined the founding advisory board of Yale Ventures. Her book CRAZY IS A COMPLIMENT was a NYT bestseller. Linda is a graduate of Harvard College and Yale Law School; she lives in Brooklyn with her husband, author Bruce Feiler; their identical twin daughters attend Yale College. ### Daniel Vogel, CEO Bitso expand\_more ![Daniel Vogel](/sites/g/files/omnuum12451/files/styles/hwp_1_1__360x360_scale/public/2025-03/Daniel%20Vogel%20Headshot.png?itok=PvrwHB-u) Daniel Vogel is the Co-Founder and CEO of Bitso, a leading cryptocurrency exchange in Latin America. Under his leadership, Bitso has expanded its operations across multiple countries and has become a significant player in the crypto market. Vogel's vision and strategic direction have been instrumental in Bitso's growth and success. ## 4:45 PM | Keynote by Vik Muniz **Mary Schneider Enriquez**, DRCLAS Advisory Board member and former Houghton Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art at the Harvard Art Museums, will introduce our keynote speaker, renowned Brazilian artist and photographer **Vik Muniz**. Celebrated for his groundbreaking explorations at the intersection of art, memory, and perception, Muniz invites audiences to question the reliability of images and the narratives they construct. Using unconventional materials—such as chocolate, sugar, and discarded objects—he transforms everyday substances into striking compositions that reimagine iconic artworks and cultural symbols. Muniz’s belief in art as a catalyst for social change is powerfully reflected in projects like *Pictures of Garbage*, which highlighted the lives of Brazilian waste pickers and became the focus of the Academy Award-nominated documentary *Waste Land*. Through his thought-provoking practice, Muniz compels viewers to look beyond the surface, embracing the power of art to inspire, challenge, and transform. Open all sections Close all sections ### Vik Muniz, Artist and Photographer expand\_more ![Vik-by_Lucas-Blalock](/sites/g/files/omnuum12451/files/styles/hwp_1_1__360x360_scale/public/2025-03/Vik-by_Lucas-Blalock-2010_square.jpeg?itok=8B60JC75) *Photograph by Lucas Blalock.***Vik Muniz**, born in 1961 in São Paulo, Brazil, lives and works between Brooklyn and Rio de Janeiro. His work blends art history, media, and everyday life, using unconventional materials—chocolate, diamonds, dust, and more—to reconstruct and reinterpret familiar images before photographing them. His creations challenge perception, blurring the line between reality and illusion. Muniz has held numerous solo exhibitions, and his works are in major collections worldwide, including MoMA, the Met, Tate Modern, the Art Institute of Chicago, and the Victoria and Albert Museum. His 2010 documentary *Waste Land*, which explores the lives of Brazil’s *catadores* (garbage pickers), was nominated for an Academy Award and won the Sundance Audience Award. Named a UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador in 2011, he received the World Economic Forum’s Crystal Prize in 2013. Dedicated to social impact, Muniz founded Escola Vidigal, an art and technology school for children in Rio de Janeiro. He contributed to the Gates Foundation’s *The Art of Saving a Life* (2015) and designed elements of the 2017 Rio Paralympic Games opening ceremony. After the 2018 fire at Brazil’s National Museum, he helped salvage artifacts for *Museum of Ashes* (2019). In 2024, he partnered with the Innocence Project NY to create portraits of exonerees, with proceeds supporting the organization. A sought-after speaker, Muniz has lectured at Harvard, Yale, TED Talks, MoMA, and the World Economic Forum. He has been a visiting professor at Oxford and Bard College and participated in residencies at MIT and the Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture. His writings have been published by Aperture, Ivorypress, and others. ### Mary Schneider Enriquez expand\_more ![Mary Schneider Enriquez](/sites/g/files/omnuum12451/files/styles/hwp_1_1__360x360_scale/public/2025-04/IMG_0331.jpg?itok=kXBMh2Nh) **Mary Schneider Enriquez** was the Houghton Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art at the Harvard Art Museums for 13 years until she recently retired. She received her Ph.D at Harvard focusing on 20th-21st century art of Latin America, and under her curatorial leadership she brought numerous works of art by Latin American artists into the Harvard Art Museums collection, as well as organized solo and group exhibitions highlighting these artists within the Harvard Museum galleries. ## 5:30 PM | Poetry Reading and Closing Remarks To conclude the day, join us for a poetry reading by **Andrea Garza Erdmann**, Ph.D. candidate in Romance Languages & Literatures at Harvard, who will read *¿Por qué comer un huayruro?* by visual artist **Naomi Gamarra**. This poem is part of a video performance filmed by the artist in Bolivia’s Chuquisaca department and on view at DRCLAS as part of the exhibition *Three Variations of a Diasporic Landscape*. The video presents a ritual where the artist seeks to heal the wounds of her grandmother's absence, her search for a home, and celebrates the cultural imprints left by her time in Switzerland. Following the poetry reading, **Steven Levitsky**, Professor of Government, David Rockefeller Professor of Latin American Studies and Faculty Director of the David Rockefeller Center for Latin American Studies, will deliver closing remarks to reflect on the themes and discussions of the day. Open all sections Close all sections ### Steven Levitsky, Director, David Rockefeller Center For Latin American Studies; David Rockefeller Professor of Latin American Studies; Professor of Government expand\_more ![headshot of Steven Levitsky](/sites/g/files/omnuum12451/files/styles/hwp_1_1__360x360_scale/public/drclas2/files/levitsky_headshot_-_web.png?itok=sITNG_Kq) **Steven Levitsky** is David Rockefeller Professor of Latin American Studies and Professor of Government and Director of the David Rockefeller Center for Latin American Studies at Harvard. He is Senior Fellow at the Kettering Foundation and a Senior Democracy Fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations. His research focuses on democratization and authoritarianism, political parties, and weak and informal institutions, with a focus on Latin America. He is co-author (with Daniel Ziblatt) of *How Democracies Die*, which was a *New York Times* Best-Seller and was published in 30 languages, and *Tyranny of the Minority: Why American Democracy Reached the Breaking Point*. He has written or edited 11 other books, including *Transforming Labor-Based Parties in Latin America: Argentine Peronism in Comparative Perspective* (Cambridge University Press 2003), *Competitive Authoritarianism: Hybrid Regimes after the Cold War* (with Lucan Way) (Cambridge University Press, 2010), and *Revolution and Dictatorship: The Violent Origins of Durable Authoritarianism* (with Lucan Way) (Princeton University Press, 2022). He and Lucan Way are currently working on a book on democratic resilience across the world. Professor Levitsky has written for *New York Times*, *The Washington Post*, *The Atlantic*, *Foreign Affairs*, and *The New Republic*, and he has been a columnist for *La Republica* (Peru) and *Folha de São Paulo* (Brazil). ### Andrea Garza Erdmann, Ph.D. candidate in the Romance Languages and Literature Department expand\_more ![Andrea Garza](/sites/g/files/omnuum12451/files/styles/hwp_1_1__360x360_scale/public/2025-04/Andrea%20Garza%20Headshot.jpg?itok=02ZlUoSd) **Andrea Garza Erdmann** is a Ph.D. candidate in the Romance Languages and Literature Department. Her dissertation focuses on contemporary Mexican literature regarding forced disappearances and femicides. She proposes new modes of reading that allow the reader to engage with violence without normalizing it. Furthermore, she stipulates these forms of reading can strengthen our ethical ties to each other. The secret is to allow oneself to be *haunted*. Andrea’s research interests also include oral histories, Cuir and decolonial theory, testimonio, immigration, media studies, and horror. Andrea has a master’s degree in Romance Languages and Literature from Harvard, and a master’s degree in Latin American Studies from Stanford. ![Partners and collaborators](/sites/g/files/omnuum12451/files/styles/hwp_1_1__960x960_scale/public/2025-04/Partners%20and%20collaborators%20for%20Website-4.png?itok=905KfMN2) [ Register Now arrow\_circle\_right ](https://cvent.me/oNe3az) *The views expressed at this conference are the views and opinions of the speakers and do not represent the official view of DRCLAS or the University.* --- Attachments- [ picture\_as\_pdf DRCLAS 30th Anniversary Symposium Program\_final.pdf ](/sites/g/files/omnuum12451/files/2025-04/DRCLAS%2030th%20Anniversary%20Symposium%20Program_final.pdf) --- See also:- [ Cambridge ](/locations/cambridge-office) - [ Andes & Southern Cone ](/programs-initiatives/andes-southern-cone) - [ Art, Film, & Culture ](/programs-initiatives/art-film-culture) - [ DRCLAS 30 Years ](/programs-initiatives/drclas-30-years) - [ Brazil Studies ](/programs-initiatives/brazil-studies) - [ Central America & the Caribbean ](/programs-initiatives/central-america-caribbean) - [ Cuba Studies ](/programs-initiatives/cuba-studies) - [ LatinX ](/programs-initiatives/latinx) - [ Mexico ](/programs-initiatives/mexico) - [ Tuesday Seminar Series ](/programs-initiatives/tuesday-seminar-series) Share on:- [ Facebook ](#) - [ Twitter ](#) - [ Linkedin ](#) Save: [ Add to calendar calendar\_today ](https://www.drclas.harvard.edu/node/1588066/event-feed.ics) Copy link link