Corchado, who is Mexico bureau chief at the Dallas Morning News, depicts in an autobiographical style his return to his native Mexico as a journalist in 1994, just as the narco-violence began. The author describes Midnight in Mexico as “searching for the flickering light during the darkest night and believing in the promise of a new day.”

Speaker:

• Alfredo Corchado, Author of Midnight in Mexico: A Reporter’s Journey Through a Country’s Descent into Darkness (May 2013)

Discussants:

• Ginger Thompson, The New York Times
• Andrew Selee, Vice President for Programs and Senior Advisor to the Mexico Institute, Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars

Moderator:

• Christopher Sabatini, Editor-in-Chief, Americas Quarterly and Senior Director of Policy, Americas Society/Council of the Americas

A continuación del panel "Colombia a los ojos de Wall Street" de la Latin American Cities Conference en Bogotá, Adriana La Rotta de AS/COA habló con el jefe para América Latina de JP Morgan Luis Oganes. En la entrevista, Oganes habló sobre las posibilidades de crecimiento de Colombia para el 2013 y de su desempeño comparado con el de otros actores regionales.

A pesar del bajo desempeño económico en el primer trimestre del año, Colombia todavía puede crecer a un nivel del 4 por ciento en el 2013, dice Oganes. En respuesta a las predicciones negativas sobre el país, señala que si bien la recuperación económica puede ser lenta, Colombia mantiene altos niveles de exportaciones. A pesar de las dificultades de la economía global, Oganes incluye a Colombia en "club de los ganadores" de la Alianza del Pacífico, que también incluye Chile, México y Perú. Aunque su perspectiva para Colombia sigue siendo positiva, Oganes está de acuerdo con el Ministro de Hacienda de Colombia Mauricio Cárdenas en que el país debe tener un "Plan B” en materia de estrategia económica.

Translation: Following the “Colombia in the Eyes of Wall Street” panel at AS/COA’s 2013 Latin American Cities Conference in Bogota, AS/COA's Adriana La Rotta spoke with J.P. Morgan’s Head of Latin America Luis Oganes. In the interview, he comments on the Colombia’s growth prospects for 2013 and its performance among the regional players.

Despite underperforming in the first quarter, Colombia can still reach 4 percent growth in 2013, says Oganes. In response to negative predictions about the country’s prospects, he notes that while recovery from the economic crisis may be slow, Colombia maintains strong export levels. In terms of performance, the Andean country is not alone; despite the difficulties involved with the global economy, Oganes places Colombia in a “club of winners” that include the country’s Pacific Alliance partners Chile, Mexico, and Peru. Yet while his outlook for Colombia remains positive, he agrees with Minister Mauricio Cárdenas that Colombia must have a "Plan B" for its economic strategy.

Production, Interview: Adriana La Rotta
Images, Editing: Luisa Leme
Text: Nneka Etoniru

At AS/COA's 2013 Bogota conference, a panel on free-trade agreements and competitiveness discussed ways for Colombia to improve the ease of doing business and expand trade.

Speakers:

• Juan Camilo Nariño, Vice President of Foreign Trade, National Business Association of Colombia (ANDI)
• Javier Díaz, President, National Association of Foreign Trade (ANALDEX)
• Laura Lochman, Economic Advisor, Embassy of the United States, Colombia
• Moderated by Sergio Clavijo, President, ANIF

AS/COA's 2013 Bogota panel on Colombia in the eyes of Wall Street addressed the country's prospects in the medium- and long-term and analyzed Colombia's economic growth in the broader context of Latin American markets. Presentations addressed perspectives for Latin American economies amid a global recovery, Colombia's investment indicators, and the region's macro-economic prospects as a whole.

Speakers:

• Luis Oganes, Head for LatAm, Emerging Markets Research Group, JP Morgan (Download his presentation)
• Roberto Sifon Arévalo, Lead Analytical  Manager, Sovereigns & Public Finance Ratings, Standard & Poor’s (Download his presentation)
• David Gruppo, Managing Director, Head of Latin America Corporate & Investment Banking, Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ (Download his presentation)
• Moderated by Victor Traverso, CAF Representative, Colombia

Following the "Women's Economic Empowerment in Colombia: Lessons from the Top" roundtable on June 12, Maria Emma Mejía discussed women’s leadership in an interview with AS/COA. The former foreign minister of Colombia and the president of the Board of Directors of Fundación Pies Descalzos spoke about achievements and obstacles for women in Colombia, and the role of mentorship in furthering gender equality in the public and private sectors.

• Learn more about AS/COA Women's Hemispheric Network.

Mejía noted that in the late 1980s, Colombian women began to gain a larger presence in the political arena as vice ministers, which started a political transformation. This led to a push for gender laws and quotas which she believes are critical to women’s success. Despite the fact that women now represent over 50 percent of Colombia’s university students, violence—especially in rural areas—represents an obstacle for Colombian women, she explained.

In addition, Mejía credited the late Congressman Luis Carlos Galán as her mentor, and said women need a similar figure to provide guidance. "[Women] have to take take risks," she noted. In spite of challenges and failures, she urged women not leave the labor force. "It's a life-long commitment," she said.

During AS/COA's 2013 Bogota conference, Juan Pablo Zárate, co-director of Bank of the Republic, spoke about the finance and exchange situation in Colombia. In his presentation, he outlined Colombia's monetary policy in the context of today's world monetary and exchange rate scenario. (in Spanish, starting at 11'47")