The talk will address the main contents of my recent book “Latin America: the vision of its leaders” (Planeta, June 2024), which is the result of an intense and dedicated analyses on the region's main present and future challenges in six thematic areas: poverty and inequality, growth and productivity, environment, democracy, regional integration, and international insertion. It focuses on the main traps and systemic challenges that the region must address to achieve a green, digital, and inclusive development (G+D+I formula) under the strict respect of democratic rules. The book presents a plural and balanced vision of Latin America through a series of 30 interviews conducted by the author with leaders of the region (presidents, former presidents, ministers of state, presidents of multilateral and international organizations, and renowned journalists). It also includes 55 articles written especially for this volume by leading academics, experts and authorities. This text is an indispensable source of reference and consultation, due to its comprehensiveness, dimension and thoroughness. In total, it includes the participation of 106 personalities. Dr. Lourdes Casanova from Cornell participated in this publication.

Andres Rugeles is a political scientist from the Universidad de los Andes, with an emphasis in economics and Latin American studies. He holds a master's degree in international political economy from the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE). In 2023 he was an academic visitor of the Latin America Center at University of Oxford and completed advanced studies in negotiation and leadership at Harvard University. He is currently the vice president of the Colombian Council on Foreign Affairs (CORI). In addition, he is an associate member of the Latin America Center at the University of Oxford, and member of the advisory board of the Global South Unit at the London School of Economics. He has served as Ambassador and DPR of Colombia to the United Nations in New York; Secretary of Transparency of the Presidency of Colombia; Secretary General of CAF - Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean; Chief of Staff of the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Colombia; among many others. He is the author of the books "Latin America: the vision of its leaders" (Planeta, 2024), and “Latin America in the world: 21 ideas for reflection and action” (Planeta, 2024). He writes opinion columns and articles for national and international newspapers and media and is a member of the editorial board of Foreign Affairs Latinoamérica, and Latin Trade Magazine.