Ernesto Zedillo to keynote IOA 25th anniversary

Former Mexican President Ernesto Zedillo will join the Institute of the Americas in celebrating its 25th anniversary with a keynote address at a November 15 dinner in San Diego. Zedillo, who now serves as director of the Yale Center for the Study of Globalization, implemented bold economic and political reforms during his presidency, creating the conditions for the July 2000 election of Mexico´s first opposition presidential candidate in 71 years.

In addition to the dinner, the Institute will sponsor a conference on Latin America´s Next 25 Years on Nov. 14-15 at its headquarters on the campus of the University of California, San Diego. Leading analysts, academics and politicians will discuss the outlook for Latin America in the coming years with special focus on the policies necessary for economic growth, environmental sustainability and democratic stability. For more information, contact Sherry White

.Conference experts: LNG fills energy gap
caused by declining regional production

Heightened concerns about energy security in Latin America and the construction of several new liquefied natural gas (LNG) projects in coastal areas signal a decline in regional energy integration, industry experts said during the Institute's 17th Annual La Jolla Energy Conference on May 13-14.

Venezuela's oil company PDVSA will begin exporting liquefied natural gas (LNG) by the end of 2014, senior executive Ruben Figuera announced during last month's conference.

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La Jolla Conference summary

Buenos Aires Roundtable on Energy Integration
in Southern Cone set for August

             

Energy integration in the Southern Cone will be the focus of an Institute of the Americas roundtable set for August 12 in Buenos Aires. LNG, regional geopolitics, national energy policies and the role of private investment in energy development plans will be discussed at this high-level session co-sponsored by the Andean Development Corporation (CAF).

On August 13, the Institute will hold a half-day conference on the current status of carbon trading, lessons learned from other markets and the potential for carbon trading in the Southern Cone. Attendees at the August 12 roundtable are invited to participate in the August 13 conference without charge. Separate registration for the August 13 event is also available.

Registration

U.S. official praises Calderón for “dramatic” steps
to curb drug trafficking
        
Confronted with a rise in drug violence, Mexican President Felipe Calderón is challenging cartels by deploying an unprecedented number of army troops to hot spots across Mexico, Thomas A. Shannon Jr., Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs, said last month during a San Diego visit hosted by the Institute of the Americas.

“The steps that Calderón has taken at the beginning of his presidency are
really dramatic by Mexican standards,” Shannon said in a May 14 Q&A with
The San Diego Union-Tribune. “I think Calderón has learned Colombia’s
lesson. You need to draw a line in the sand and say, ‘This is where
we fight.’ “

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Art & Culture: Photos and Textiles
from the Altiplano of Bolivia and Peru
        
The Institute´s Cepas program exhibited the intricate, vibrant work of the Quechua Indians of Bolivia and Peru during a June 5 event attended by nearly 100 San Diego residents.

Festival costumes, traditional clothing and handmade textiles created in artisan villages were displayed by Andean textile expert Cynthia LeCount Samake, who talked about the Quechua culture and the talented weavers who create the unique designs.

Also on display were more than 40 striking images by La Jolla photographer Jeffrey Roth, who captured the stark beauty of life in the high plains of the Andes. The Institute's guests sampled Peruvian beverages such as chicha morada and Inca Kola along with papas a la guancaina, an appetizer served with a piquant sauce.

The principal sponsors of the Institute's Cepas community outreach program are: Bimbo Bakeries USA, Deloitte Baja California, Jose Cuervo, The Reinhart Foundation, Wells Fargo International Banking and Procopio, Cory, Hargreaves, Savitch LLP. The San Diego House of Peru and MexGrocer.com provided support for the event.

ExpoForum attracts over 700 participants in Mexico City
for Review of Country's Digital Agenda

        
An unprecedented collaboration between the Institute of the Americas and the Chamber of Deputies of the Mexican Congress resulted in a three-day ExpoForum to explore accomplishments and goals for designing Mexico’s digital agenda.

More than 700 people – chief information officers, economic development officials, secretaries of state, academics and members of the public -- participated in the April 8-10 ExpoForum to exchange ideas on the measures Mexico must take to reshape the country into an information and knowledge society.  The event emphasized political leadership for Mexico’s digital agenda and created a setting where federal, state and local officials could share their projects and identify best practices for e-government and technology solutions deployment.

Mexico plans to develop a digital agenda, creating the conditions that will keep talented and trained professionals in the country and working toward innovation and value added creation.  That agenda will allow state, federal and local governments to leverage their programs, avoid duplication, standardize and more efficiently use their resources.

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