Speakers:

• Geert Aalbers, Partner, Control Risks
• Roberto Simon, Senior Director and Head of the Anti-Corruption Working Group, AS/COA

The anti-corruption wave that began a few years ago has clearly lost steam, and in some cases like Brazil and Guatemala appears to be dangerously receding, said Roberto Simon, opening the discussion on the 2020 Capacity to Combat Corruption Index, the report's second edition, during the launch event. The COVID-19 response is putting tremendous fiscal strain on governments in Latin America, which means fewer resources dedicated to anti-corruption, as well as fewer resources dedicated to compliance for companies, said Geert Aalbers. The report authors detailed how the 2020 edition of the report evaluates 15 countries, seven more than the inaugural edition, across 14 variables. They also underscored how the index measures, not the amount or perceived amount of corruption in a country, but the country’s ability to detect and prosecute corruption.

As for the findings, Aalbers noted that one country made gains in each of the three sub-categories: Peru in legal capacity, Argentina in democracy and political institutions, and Colombia in civil society, media, and private sector. Peru was “generally a good news story,” improving in six of seven variables, said Aalbers, but its Achilles Heel remains on the democratic side and legislative ability. The dissolution of Congress allowed for some new blood, he said, but high fragmentation makes it difficult to pass reforms. Mexico, meanwhile, clearly expanded enforcement against financial crimes and also passed some unprecedented laws against tax fraud, said Simon, though observers are still waiting to see what their long-term consequences will be. One area Mexico scores above average? Civil society mobilization against corruption. It’s clear civil society has driven the anti-corruption debate and was able to shape legislation, said Simon, notably in the case of the Ley 3de3.

Aalbers closed the the discussion by noting a “concerning” trend of political polarization from the perspective of companies operating in Latin America. Companies, he said, “need to be acutely aware of not just the standard corruption risks we’re all familiar with, but they need to closely monitor the political risk environment because it’s changing very rapidly in many countries.”

Learn more about the AS/COA Anti-Corruption Working Group.

Speakers:

• Victoria Albanesi, Founder and Partner, Albanesi Tech & Legal Consulting
• Pierpaolo Barbieri, Founder and CEO, Ualá
• Hanna Schiuma, Founder, bankHer, and Partner at PRACK Asset Management
• Jorgelina do Rosario, Editor, Bloomberg (moderator)

Young Professionals of the Americas hosted a panel of fintech experts to discuss the way the industry is growing and changing in Latin America, given a world with adjusting financial needs amid a pandemic. Panelists spoke about the importance of universal financial inclusion in Latin America, with Hanna Schiuma talking about her work in finding systemic solutions to help women in the region find financial independence. Pierpaolo Barbieri spoke about the need for Latin America to access its own capital markets and the need for universal banking. Panelists spoke about how COVID-19 is also changing the financial landscape, and as Victoria Albanesi noted, it is “showing financial authorities that fintech is an industry that can bring essential services to people in crisis mode.” The panelists concurred that collaboration, as it contributes to healthy competition, is key to the future of fintech.

Speakers:

• Alexandra Aguirre, Partner, Morrison & Foerster LLP
• Giannina Marin, Deputy General Counsel for HispAm, American Tower 
• Juliana Sguerra, Managing Director and Partner, Bogotá, BCG
• Ragnhild Melzi, Vice President, Americas Society/Council of the Americas

AS/COA's Women Hemispheric Network hosted a panel discussion with experts about supporting working parents to advance their careers while balancing the demands of family, home, and work. Juliana Sguerra presented the results of Boston Consulting Group's study Making the Workplace Work for Dual-Career Couples, an ongoing report that provides recommendations for companies to support working parents. Panelists also talked about strategies for companies and families during the current critical time.

• Learn more about AS/COA Women Hemispheric Network.
• Watch more videos about making the workplace more equal for women.

Speakers:

• Mariana Aymerich, General Director, Festival Cervantino, Guanajuato 
• Naomi Campbell, Artistic Director, Luminato Festival, Toronto 
• Andrea Giunta, Chief Curator of Mercosul Biennial 12, Porto Alegre 
• Mariana Pestana, Curator, Fifth Istanbul Design Biennial 
• Aimé Iglesias Lukin, Chief Curator and Director of Visual Arts, Americas Society (moderator)
• Sebastián Zubieta, Music Director, Americas Society (moderator)

As the coronavirus crisis affected festivals and biennials all over the world, how are curators for these major art events rethinking this year’s presentations and what will the pandemic mean for the community in the near future? Panelists from Guanajuato, Istanbul, Porto Alegre, and Toronto spoke with Americas Society’s Aimé Iglesias Lukin and Sebastián Zubieta about how they’ve adapted programming by going digital, resurfacing past performances, and delaying presentations.

From waiting on authorities’ decisions in Mexico to going local with performances and design projects in Canada, to rethinking printed materials and their share of responsibility with the environment when printing paper materials in Brazil, panelists talked about how to rethink festivals’ and biennials’ presentations without losing the close contact experience between the public and art that these community events inspire.

Carin Zissis, editor-in-chief of AS/COA Online, spoke to Carolina Sarassa of Univision News about rising COVID-19 cases in Mexico. "The truth is that here in Mexico, people have been concerned and there's anxiety about the health risks, but people have also been supportive of the government. The real anxiety that people are feeling is about the economy," said Zissis. She added that a growing number of people are seeing their economic conditions worsen, so there is a push to reopen the economy. 

Zissis said that Mexico has one of the lowest coronavirus testing rates in Latin America, noting there are about 40 tests per 1,000 people in the United States compared with 1.5 tests per 1,000 people in Mexico. She said the government is trying to reopen areas of Mexico that have no confirmed cases or deaths, that has many asking: "How do you know there are no confirmed cases or deaths if you haven't actually been testing?" Zissis cited a study released by the publication Nexos that reported 8,000 more deaths than normal in the capital since the beginning of the year, though only 1,800 COVID-19 deaths had been counted.

Zissis said that there is concern from the United States and Canada, both part of NAFTA, about disrupted supply chains. "The question is: Can factories protect their workers?" said Zissis.