Young Professionals of the Americas recibió al chef “paisa” Juan Manuel Barrientos, o Juanma, para su segundo evento de la serie de Gastrodiplomacia. El chef, nacido en la ciudad de Medellín, nos enseñó a preparar dos cócteles de su carta en su restaurant ElCielo, uno el Lady Old Fashioned, y el otro, No Dar Papaya, representando la cultura colombiana con una frase casual que significa "no darle importancia" a algo. En su modo ligero y alegre, Juanma preparó los tragos y luego el plato del día, la tortilla de papas arrugadas. Durante la clase, Juanma contestó preguntas sobre el estado del turismo en Colombia, cómo la pandemia ha afectado a emprendedores de todas las industrias, en particular en la alimenticia, y qué consejos tiene para jóvenes emprendedores con sueños de negocios. A eso, el chef contestó que hay que "soñar en grande, dedicar tu vida a hacer tus sueños realidad, y si no son grandes los sueños, no valen la pena", y que se debe ser "irrealista al soñar, y realista al planear".

(Interview starts at 27:05).

Eric Farnsworth, vice president of AS/COA, spoke to Bloomberg's Shery Ahn about China's efforts to expand its role in the Americas. Farnsworth said that, amid the coronavirus crisis, countries across the region are willing to take help from wherever they can get it, explaining that China has been offering ventilators and protective equipment "with great fanfare."

"This isn’t just a scenario of 'medical diplomacy,' it goes much deeper than that. It's a play for the long-term hearts and minds of Latin America and the Caribbean," Farnsworth said. "I think the broader narrative even is that China is looking to try to create a narrative to equate its own system with Western democracies in terms of being of equal value. This is critically important because if they can show through the coronavirus scenario that the Chinese system can produce better results, quicker recoveries, more equipment, and the Western democracies continue to struggle in that way, you come out of this with at least a question in many markets around the world of what is the 'superior system?' That is really what’s at stake here."

Farnsworth said that many countries in Latin America could not react the same way China did to the pandemic, emphasizing that the Chinese system is "adept" and "centrally planned." He said countries like Venezuela or Nicaragua, where leaders do not behave in a democratic manner, may be more susceptible to influence. "Countries with weak rule of law, weak protections of civil liberties, human rights, and perhaps weak democratic institutions—I think those are the ones who are going to be more vulnerable to this kind of exploitation down the road."

Participantes:

• Enrique Avogadro, Ministro de Cultura, Gobierno de la Ciudad de Buenos Aires
• Danielle Barros, Directora de Cultura y Economía Creativa, Estado de Rio de Janeiro
• Magdalena Moreno Mujica, Directora Ejecutiva, International Federation of Arts Councils and Culture Agencies
• Ramiro Pallares, Director de Cultura, Intendencia Municipal de Montevideo
• Aimé Iglesias Lukin, Sebastián Zubieta, Americas Society, (moderadores)

Continuando la serie de conversaciones con profesionales de las artes organizada por Americas Society durante la pandemia del coronavirus, profesionales de gobiernos locales hablaron de cómo pueden apoyar a artistas e instituciones durante la cuarentena y cómo lugares como museos pueden adoptar un nuevo rol después de la crisis. Enrique Avogadro habló de una nueva plataforma que presenta una oferta de películas, teatro y tours a museos para una población en cuarentena obligatoria. Danielle Barros y Ramiro Pallares discutieron sobre los fondos y concursos para fomentar actividades de artistas en este momento y Magdalena Moreno Mujica habló de ejemplos de otros países y cómo la interacción con instituciones de arte va a cambiar.

Speakers:

• Kevin McAleenan, former Acting Secretary of U.S. Homeland Security 
• Martin Olmedo, Head of Supply Chain, Latin America, Roche
• Eric Farnsworth, Vice President, Council of the Americas (moderator)

In health crises, medical supply chains might be able to provide new business opportunities, but with the COVID-19 pandemic, production has slowed while demand has put countries' health systems and governments on edge.

AS/COA's Healthcare series hosted experts at the public and private sectors to discuss how to improve supply chain management and join public and private forces in responding to the pandemic. Kevin McAleenan said he sees opportunities for the Western Hemisphere to reduce dependency on China by increasing options for manufacturing medical supplies in the region. Roche's Martin Olmedo said it is important at this time to flexibilize regulations and be bold to keep up with demand. he said. McAleenan added that personal protection equipment production need to increase and countries should adopt a principle of dynamic management of supply chains to prioritize the needs where the crisis is more severe.