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Georgetown Americas Institute

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Georgetown Americas Institute

GAI is a platform for dialogue, research, and impact around the key challenges facing the Americas.

09/04/2026

Democracy across the Americas is at a critical juncture.

Political polarization, declining public trust, pressure on electoral institutions, and the concentration of executive power are reshaping democratic governance across the hemisphere. While some countries have demonstrated remarkable democratic resilience, others have experienced serious backsliding and the erosion of institutional checks and balances.

The Georgetown Americas Institute at Georgetown University and Red FORMA will convene the Third Annual State of Democracy in the Americas Conference to examine these challenges and the forces shaping the region’s democratic future.

📅 September 14, 2026
📍 Copley Formal Lounge & YouTube

The conference will bring together leading scholars, practitioners, and experts to explore:
• 📊 What the latest data tells us about democratic resilience and backsliding
• 🗳️ How electoral institutions can safeguard free and fair elections amid growing political pressure
• 🏛️ The role of political parties and political representation in preventing democratic regression
• 🇻🇪 The prospects for political change in Venezuela
• 🌎 How shifting geopolitical dynamics are affecting Cuba, Nicaragua, and the broader democratic landscape
The day will feature expert panels, keynote remarks, and opportunities for discussion, followed by a closing reception.

We’re pleased to count on the participation of distinguished panelists including: Alejandro Werner, Julio Borges, Gerardo Berthin, Diana Kapiszewski, José Antonio Aguilar Rivera, Lorenzo Cordova, Jennie Lincoln, Paulina Chávez Alonzo, María Molina, Michael Coppedge, Juan Pablo Luna, Hans Noel, Paola de Aleman, Francisco J. Monaldi, Javier Corrales, Kurt Weyland, and Juan Sebastian Chamorro.

08/27/2026

This week we were proud to partner with the UC Stone Center for Research on Wealth Inequality & Mobility and Universidad Icesi to host the Summer School on Socioeconomic Opportunity and Inequality in Cali, Colombia.

More than 40 Master’s and PhD students from Colombia and abroad gathered for three days of courses on inequality and social mobility taught by distinguished lecturers from Latin America and beyond.

The summer school concludes today with the conference: Who Gets Ahead and Why: Inequality, Meritocracy, and Social Mobility in the Americas.

We invite you to join us in-person or virtually! RSVP: https://americas.georgetown.edu/events/who-gets-ahead-and-why-inequality-meritocracy-and-social-mobility-in-the-americas

08/25/2026

In the latest chapter of our GEO-LAC series, G*I fellow and series host Nicolas Albertoni welcomed Sergio Abreu, general secretariat of ALADI—one of Latin America's leading economic integration institutions.

Abreu evaluated the organization’s achievements during his tenure and goals that remain outstanding. The conversation also looked forward: what type of integration does Latin America need in an international landscape marked by greater geoeconomic fragmentation? How can the shift be made from primarily institutional integration to a more practical form of integration—one that reduces costs and generates new productive opportunities?

Watch the full event recording here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=my_LOlJcYHg&list=PL43weGK93QgbE5ZTvBlQGBbokHl27JbT-

08/18/2026

Last month, we welcomed Salvador Romero, former program member of Bolivia’s Supreme Electoral Tribunal and former vice president of the Departmental Electoral Court of La Paz as a featured speaker in our virtual series: Challenges to Democracy: The Latin American Landscape.

In conversation with G*I fellow Lorenzo Cordova, the session explored the origins of democracy in Bolivia, challenges the country has faced, and what lies ahead. If you missed the event, you can catch up with the snapshot below, or watch the full recording on our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mN18rN6WBwU

08/13/2026

In continuation of our series “Challenges to Democracy: The Latin America Landscape,” we hosted Catalina Botero, director of the UNESCO Chair on Freedom of Expression at the Universidad de los Andes, to explore democracy in Colombia.

With the series host and G*I fellow Lorenzo Cordova, the conversation discussed the country’s 1991 constitution, persistent violence in the country, the crisis of political parties, and the 2026 election.

Watch the recap below, or find the full event recording on our YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/live/D_QagJRZMgE?si=zZsgyjajo8Wy14jI

08/12/2026

On Tuesday, August 18, “Challenges to Democracy: The Latin America Landscape” continues with our next chapter on Ecuador. Join the G*I fellow Lorenzo Cordova as he leads a conversation exploring the state of democracy in Ecuador with Flavia Freidenberg.

Freidenberg is a researcher at the Legal Research Institute of the National Autonomous University of Mexico. She is also a professor at the Center for Political Studies of UNAM’s Faculty of Political and Social Sciences and in the Graduate Program in Political and Social Sciences, as well as a faculty advisor in UNAM’s Graduate Program in Law.

RSVP: https://americas.georgetown.edu/events/the-state-of-democracy-in-ecuador

08/07/2026

Peruvian President Keiko Fujimori took office on July 28, inheriting an economy that has shown resilience but continues to face significant structural challenges. The new administration must work to address issues such as weak private investment, persistent political uncertainty, high labor informality, declining productivity, and growing demands for infrastructure and public services have constrained Peru's long-term growth potential.

In this context, the Georgetown Americas Institute is pleased to host a conversation with Luis Miguel Castilla, former minister of economy and finance of Peru and former ambassador of Peru to the United States, and Alejandro Werner, G*I founding director, on the economic challenges awaiting Peru’s incoming government.

On August 12, we invite you to join us for a timely discussion on the policy priorities, fiscal constraints, and reform agenda that will shape Peru's economic outlook under the Fujimori administration.

RSVP here: https://americas.georgetown.edu/events/peru-the-economic-agenda-for-the-new-government

08/06/2026

G*I grant recipient Victoria Saeki Serna visited the Archivo Histórico Genaro Estrada de la Secretaria de Relaciones Exteriores in Mexico City to examine memorandums from the Mexican government detailing collaboration with the United States on issues of political instability during the Cold War.

Read more about her project: https://gufaculty360.georgetown.edu/s/contact/0031Q00002ZgDtKQAV/victoria-kaori-saekiserna

08/04/2026

Last week, we welcomed a group of students from the Universidad Panamericana to the Georgetown campus for the program: The Americas in Transition: Geopolitics, Security, and Economic Dynamics.

Students and GU faculty held in-depth discussions on the most pressing issues facing the Americas: economic and foreign policy challenges, investment, violence and insecurity, climate change, and migration. Using historical context and analysis of the current situation, the group explored new solutions to some of the region’s most persistent challenges.

We’re grateful for their participation and can’t wait to see the positive impact each will make in their careers. We would also like to extend our gratitude to the distinguished professors who led our seminars: Alejandro Werner, Michael Shifter, Robert Rogowsky, Matthew Kroenig, Ferdinando Monte, Michael Reed-Hurtado, Arik Levinson, and Andrew Selee.

To learn more about G*I’s partnerships with international universities, please visit: https://americas.georgetown.edu/topics/partnerships

07/30/2026

Abelardo de la Espriella won Colombia's presidential runoff and is set to take office on August 7. A narrow victory and a divided Congress leave the incoming government without a broad mandate to tackle the difficult set of structural problems it inherits, including a widening fiscal deficit, credit downgrades, labor-cost pressures, security concerns, and energy and health crises.

In this context, G*I is pleased to host a conversation with Marcela Meléndez, executive director of Fedesarrollo, and Alejandro Werner, G*I founding director, on the economic challenges awaiting Colombia's incoming government.

Join us for a timely discussion on the policy priorities, fiscal constraints, and multilateral engagement that will shape Colombia's economic path as the De la Espriella government takes office.

📅 Date: August 3 | 4 PM
📍 Location: Zoom
🔗 RSVP here: https://americas.georgetown.edu/events/colombia-the-economic-agenda-for-the-new-government

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Thursday	9am - 5pm
Friday	9am - 5pm

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