Registration: 8:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m.

Conference: 9:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
...

The Westin Camino Real Hotel
14 Calle 0-20
Guatemala City
Guatemala
Live Broadcast

Live broadcast

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2014 Latin American Cities Conferences: Guatemala City

Public- and private-sector leaders will examine Guatemala’s role as a regional leader and an investment destination.

Registration: 8:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m.

Conference: 9:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
...

The Westin Camino Real Hotel
14 Calle 0-20
Guatemala City
Guatemala
Live Broadcast

Live broadcast

Share

Overview

GUATEMALA: REGIONAL LEADERSHIP

In collaboration with: Cámara de Comercio de los Estados Unidos en Guatemala (AmCham) and Cámara de Industria de Guatemala (CIG)

Americas Society/Council of the Americas hosted its first Latin American Cities Conference in Guatemala City in partnership with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Guatemala and Fundesa. Guatemala has recently sparked interest within the international business community because of its 3.5 percent GDP growth in 2013 as well as the significant steps taken by the country to improve the well-being of its citizens. In an increasingly globalized world, Guatemala will be an important leader as the region continues to further integrate.

This conference focused on Guatemala’s role as a regional leader and its development as an economy of interest for investment. A distinguished group of internationally recognized business leaders, government officials, economists, and journalists discussed Guatemala’s development and subsequent role in regional integration, with a focus on the economy, security, and investment.

Speakers:

  • Otto Pérez Molina, President, Guatemala
  • Luis Fernando Carrera Castro, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Guatemala
  • Sergio de la Torre, Minister of Economy, Guatemala (Download his presentation)
  • Mauricio López Bonilla, Minister of the Interior, Guatemala
  • Juan Carlos Paiz, Presidential Commissioner for Competitiveness and Investment, Guatemala
  • Alexandra Aguirre, Shareholder, Greenberg Traurig LLP
  • Fernando Bolaños, CEO, AgroAmerica
  • Felipe Bosch, President, FUNDESA
  • Luis Fernando Carrera Castro, Minister of Foreign Relations, Guatemala
  • Bernardo Chacin, Country Officer, Citi Guatemala
  • Enrique Godoy, Journalist, Canal Antigua
  • Oscar Calvo González, Chief Economist for Central America, World Bank
  • Orlando López, Country Manager, Enel Green Power
  • Mauricio Medina Hernandez, Business Development Manager, ICA International
  • Jorge Mario Mendoza, Senior Manager, Operations, Guatemala and Costa Rica, FedEx
  • Luis Pellecer, Journalist, Grupo Albavisión
  • Osman Rodríguez, CEO, Telefónica Centroamérica
  • Vanessa Rubio, Undersecretary for Latin America and the Caribbean, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Government of Mexico
  • Susan Segal, President and CEO, Americas Society/Council of the Americas
  • Juan Carlos Zapata, Executive Director, FUNDESA
     

Event Information: Ernesto Aguilar | eaguilar@as-coa.org | 1-212-277-8393
Sponsorship Opportunities: María Otero | mgarciaotero@as-coa.org  | 1-212-277-8373
COA Corporate Membership Information: Monica Vieira | mvieira@as-coa.org | 1-212-277-8344
Press Inquiries: Adriana La Rotta | alarotta@as-coa.org | 1-212-277-8384

In partnership with:

 

 

Agenda

Agenda

Dowload a PDF of the agenda.

Baje la agenda en español

8:00   –  9:00 a.m.    Registration 

9:00   –  9:45 a.m.   Opening Remarks: 

  • Susan Segal,  President & CEO Americas Society/Council of the Americas
  • Felipe Bosch, President, FUNDESA
  • Luis Fernando Carrera Castro, Minister of Foreign Relations, Guatemala

9:45   –  10:15 a.m.  Keynote Remarks:

  • Oscar Calvo González, Chief Economist for Central America, World Bank 

10:15  – 11:00 a.m. Panel: Development and Regional Integration

  • Alexandra Aguirre, Shareholder, Greenberg Traurig LLP (moderator)
  • Juan Carlos Paiz, Presidential Commissioner for Competitiveness and Investment, Guatemala
  • Osman Rodríguez, CEO, Telefónica Centroamérica
  • Mauricio Medina, Business Development Manager, ICA International

Questions for discussion: What policies can be enacted to facilitate regional integration? What have been the major achievements towards regional integration? What are the challenges towards better coordination in the region? How can Guatemala become a regional leader?

11:00  –  11:15 a.m.  Keynote Remarks:

  • Mauricio López Bonilla, Minister of the Interior, Guatemala 

11:15  –  12:00 p.m.  Panel: Development and Security

  • Luis Pellecer, Journalist, Grupo Albavisión (moderator)
  • Juan Carlos Zapata, Executive Director, FUNDESA
  • Fernando Bolaños, CEO, AgroAmerica
  • Vanessa Rubio, Undersecretary for Latin America and the Caribbean, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Government of Mexico

Questions for discussion: What kind of solutions has Guatemala taken to improve the rule of law? What impact will development have on security and vice versa? How will the expected increase in labor and capital movements affect regional integration and development? What is the role a country like Mexico can play to strengthen the region?

12:00 – 12:15 p.m.   Keynote Remarks:

12:15  – 1:00 p.m.   Panel: Investment Destination

  • Enrique Godoy, Journalist, Canal Antigua (moderator)
  • Orlando López, Country Manager, Enel Green Power
  • Jorge Mario Mendoza, Senior Manager, FedEx Guatemala
  • Bernardo Chacin, Country Officer, Citi Guatemala

Questions for discussion: What measures have been implemented to attract investment? How will Consulta Previa impact business investment in Guatemala and the region? What are some of the risks and benefits for transnational companies investing in Guatemala? What are the possible economic and social impacts of this rise in investments in the country?

1:00 – 1:30 p.m.    Closing Remarks

  • Otto Pérez Molina, President, Guatemala  

Speakers

Felipe Bosch Gutiérrez
President, FUNDESA

Felipe Bosch Gutiérrez es presidente de Losa Inversiones y de la Fundación para el Desarrollo de Guatemala (FUNDESA). Es miembro de la junta directiva y presidente de la Comisión Estratégica de Corporación Multi Inversiones, en la cual Losa Inversiones es una de las dos empresas...

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Oscar Calvo González
Chief Economist for Central America, World Bank

Oscar Calvo-González is the chief economist for Central America and the sector leader of the Poverty Reduction department for Latin America and the Caribbean in the World Bank. Prior to his current positions, he was the chief economist for Peru and a member of the economic teams...

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Luis Fernando Carrera Castro
Minister of Foreign Affairs, Guatemala

Luis Fernando Carrera Castro is the minister of Foreign Affairs of Guatemala. Prior to his current position, he was head of the Presidential Secretariat for Planning and Programing. Between 2010 and 2011, Carrera Castro was executive director of the Soros Foundation in Guatemala...

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Bernardo J. Chacín
Country Officer, Citi Guatemala

Bernardo J. Chacín S. has worked as the Citi country officer (CCO) of Guatemala since November 2011, where he is responsible for the franchise and oversight of several legal vehicles, including Citibank N.A. Guatemala Branch and Banco Citibank de Guatemala, S.A. He is directly...

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Sergio de la Torre Gimeno
Minister of Economy of Guatemala

Sergio de la Torre Gimeno has served as the minister of economy of Guatemala since January 2012. He also has longstanding professional experience in the private sector. Prior to his current position, Minister de la Torre was the president of the Editorial Council of the...

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Mauricio Medina Hernández
Business Development Manager, ICA International

Mauricio Medina Hernández is a Business Development manager in ICA International (ICA). As such, he is responsible for coordinating and developing new foreign construction projects for the firm. Prior to joining ICA, Medina occupied various positions in mortgage institutions...

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Orlando López
Country Manager, Enel Green Power

Orlando López is the country manager of Enel Green Power Guatemala. He joined the company in 2005 working in the finance and management control area. Before his time at Enel Green Power, López spent 13 years in the financial sector, notably in banking.  He has also occupied...

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Jorge Mario Mendoza
Senior Manager, Operations, Guatemala and Costa Rica, FedEx

Jorge Mario Mendoza is senior manager of operations for Guatemala and Costa Rica for the FedEx Express Latin America and Caribbean Division. He began his FedEx career in 2000 as country manager for Guatemala. Previously, Mendoza worked as an engineer creating and improving the...

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Juan Carlos Paíz
Presidential Commissioner for Competitiveness and Investment, Guatemala

Juan Carlos Paíz has occupied the position of presidential commissioner for Competitiveness and Investment in Guatemala since 2010. He was also recently appointed commissioner for the Millennium Challenge Corporation by President Pérez Molina. As an entrepreneur, Paíz is the co...

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Otto Fernando Pérez Molina
President, Guatemala

Otto Fernando Pérez Molina has been the president of the Republic of Guatemala since 2012. He was one of the founders of the Partido Patriota in 2001 and worked as the party’s secretary general. In 2004 he became a member of the Guatemalan Congress. Pérez Molina retired from the...

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Vanessa Rubio Márquez
Undersecretary for Latin America and the Caribbean, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Government of Mexico

Vanessa Rubio Márquez was appointed undersecretary for Latin America and the Caribbean by the President of Mexico, Enrique Peña Nieto, in 2013. She previously worked for the National Commission for the Retirement Savings System, where she was director general for Communication...

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Susan Segal
President and CEO, Americas Society/Council of the Americas

Susan Segal was elected president and CEO of the Americas Society and Council of the Americas in August 2003 after working in the private sector with Latin America and other emerging markets for over 30 years. A passionate supporter of Latin America, she joined the organizations...

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Fernando Bolaños Valle
CEO, AgroAmerica

Fernando Bolaños Valle is the chief executive officer of AgroAmerica, one of the largest and leading diversified agricultural companies in Central America with interests in tropical fruits, palm oil, transportation and logistics. AgroAmerica also holds a strategic partnership in...

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Juan Carlos Zapata
Executive Director, FUNDESA

Juan Carlos Zapata is the chief executive officer of the Guatemalan Development Foundation (FUNDESA). He is also a columnist for elPeriódico, Revista Crónica and RepúblicaGT, an online magazine. Zapata is responsible for the editorial content of the magazine Mejoremos Guate. He...

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