Oradores:

• Susan Segal, Presidenta y CEO, Americas Society/Council of the Americas
• Jaime Nebot, Alcalde de Guayaquil
• Ragnhild Melzi, Vice Presidenta, Americas Society/Council of the Americas (introducción)

La imagen del Ecuador ha cambiado significativamente. "Hace 20 años eran pocos los que veían el potencial de Guayaquil", dijo la presidenta y CEO de AS/COA Susan Segal. Pero hoy, "la ciudad es un ejemplo para la región, reconocida como un centro de comercio y cultura". En sus palabras de bienvenida en la apertura del evento 2019 Latin American Cities Conferences: Guayaquil, Segal habló del los sectores con el mayor potencial para impulsar la economía ecuatoriana.

Luego pasó al escenario el alcalde de Guayaquil Jaime Nebot, quién recibió un aplauso fuerte al hablar de lo necesario que es, no solamente abrir la economía del país, sino también reducir la presencia del estado y manejar la deuda pública "con cierta audacia y heterodoxia", dijo Nebot. "No puedes tratar igual a quien te estafa y a quien te presta dinero licito".

Vea más videos de la conferencia.

President of El Salvador Nayib Bukele was at the 49th Washington Conference on the Americas before he took office on June 1. He spoke about his hopes to increase investment and jobs in his country to fight what he called "forced migration," as one third of Salvadorans live outside the country today. In a conversation with CNBC's Michelle Caruso-Cabrera about the challenges for his presidency, Bukele estimated that every job created would be able to keep five people from emigrating. And, “the only way we can grow is with the help of international investment,” was his appeal to the room.

• Read a summary of the conference.
• Watch more speaker videos.

At the 49th Washington Conference on the Americas, Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) received the 2019 Chairman’s Award from AS/COA Board Chair Andrés Gluski, who highlighted the senior senator from Florida’s leadership on Capitol Hill on U.S. policy toward Latin America and on Venezuela, in particular. Rubio, chairman of the Senate's Western Hemisphere Subcommittee, then spoke about the situation in Venezuela and how the country is part of what he described as a global battle between totalitarianism and democracy. “A lot of chavistas are too materialistic to be communists,” he said, dismissing the notion that loyalists to Nicolás Maduro are ideologues and saying that the regime instead is held together by a desire to stay in power so chavistas can protect their families and the millions of dollars they’ve stashed in foreign banks.

• Read a summary of the conference.
• Watch more speaker videos.

At the 49th Washington Conference on the Americas, Mexican Foreign Affairs Minister Marcelo Ebrard outlined the priorities of the new administration of President Andrés Manuel López Obrador. He also discussed his government's plans to stem the migratory waves making their way from Central America by fostering development in Northern Triangle countries along with the southern region of Mexico. Moreover, Ebrard addressed Mexico's non-interventionist policy and efforts toward dialogue in the case of Venezuela's political standoff.

Speakers:

• Daniel Artana, Chief Economist, FIEL, Presentation: “Argentina: Fiscal and External Challenges”
• Juan Luis Bour, Chief Economist, FIEL, Presentation: “Stagflation”
• Fernando Navajas, Chief Economist, FIEL, Presentation: “High-frequency Data on Prices: Do worry, don’t be happy”
• Santiago Urbiztondo, Chief Economist, FIEL, Presentation: “Regulation of Public Utilities: Halfway crossing the river”
• Ragnhild Melzi, Vice President, Americas Society/Council of the Americas (moderator)

In AS/COA’s annual New York event with the Fundación de Investigaciones Económicas Latinoamericanas (FIEL), a leading think tank based in Argentina, chief economists provided analysis on the country's economic prospects as Argentina prepares for general elections in October. The worst of the country's recent recession is over—“unless the new administration decides to commit suicide,” said Daniel Artana, referring to the potential for a reversal in economic policy. The economists broke down the data in relation to the Macri administration's policies on inflation, the exchange rate, and fiscal subsidies and concurred that it's essential for the next government to implement structural reforms in order to bring macroeconomic stability to the country.

Guillermo Zubillaga de AS/COA habló con CNN Dinero sobre lo ocurrido en Venezuela el 30 de abril y 1 de mayo. "Ayer [30 de abril] empezó un nuevo capítulo donde se abrieron espacios para una transición. Dada la magnitud del impacto que ha tenido la crisis migratoria venezolana en los países vecinos, este momento donde se ve un espacio, no se va a desaprovechar". Zubillaga explica que este momento "crucial" no será rápido: "Pero sí estamos en una etapa crucial para lograr una posible transición pacífica".

Zubillaga también habló sobre cómo esta crisis ha afectado a los países vecinos de Venezuela que tuvieron "romance con el socialismo del siglo 21". "A pesar de la crisis migratoria que afecta sus propios países, como es el caso de Ecuador de Correa...Es decir, yo no he visto ninguno de esos ex-amigos saliendo y decir ‘bueno mira eso no era, no hemos debido apoyarlo’". Zubillaga dice que la izquierda ha tenido un "doble discurso" y que como tal no ha actuado como un "bloque monolítico".