LA JOLLA, Calif., May 6, 2022 /PRNewswire-HISPANIC PR WIRE/ — On May 12-13, 2022, the Institute of the Americas is sponsoring a virtual forum, U.S. Policies Toward Authoritarian States in the Americas: Fresh Thinking Amidst Changing Geo-Politics featuring top diplomats, researchers, and thought leaders from across the Americas. The virtual forum will examine the strengthening of authoritarian regimes across hemisphere, learn about their roots and resilience, and examine innovative ideas and policies that the U.S. government, international actors, and civil society organizations need to pursue to address these developments.

The forum is being organized in anticipation of the United States hosting the IX Summit of the Americas next month in Los Angeles. The Summit marks the first time that the host government is not inviting governments which lack democratic credentials to attend, namely Cuba, Nicaragua, and Venezuela. This historic diplomatic fracture may have strong repercussions for inter-American relations going forward.  

The Summit of the Americas’ Declaration of Principles –-signed by all 34 Heads of State of the Americas except Cuba at the first Summit in 1994– was established on the premise of mutually promoting “development and prosperity based on the preservation and strengthening of the community of democracies of the Americas“. That said, according to Richard Kiy, President & CEO of the Institute of the Americas, “two of the Declaration’s original signatories, Nicaragua and Venezuela, are countries where today the pillars of democracy have been systematically weakened and dismantled.”

The forum is being organized in an effort to better understand the roots and resilience of the Hemisphere’s authoritarian regimes and the rapidly evolving international context that facilitates their survival, particularly in light of the war in Ukraine. It aims to elicit fresh perspectives to inform future policies of the U.S. government, other international actors, and engaged civil society organizations.  

The forum is free and open to the public with simultaneous interpretation in English and Spanish. To register visit:  https://iamericas.org/fresh-thinking-forum/

About the Institute of the Americas:
The Institute of the Americas located on the campus of the University of California, San Diego,  is a non-partisan, independent nonprofit organization whose mission is to be a catalyst for promoting economic development and integration, emphasizing the role of the private sector, as a means to improve the economic and social well-being of the people of the Americas.
https://iamericas.org

SOURCE Institute of the Americas