Latin America Program

PRESS RELEASE

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, November 28, the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars will honor private and public sector leaders who have made extraordinary contributions to Latin America.

At its Latin America Program awards gala in Miami, Florida, the center will recognize:

• Ilan Goldfajn, of Brazil, president of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB)
• Maria Elena Lagomasino, of the United States, CEO & managing partner of WE Family Offices and a member of the board of directors of Disney and Coca-Cola;
• Darío Werthein, of Argentina, chairman of the Board of Directors of Vrio Corp.; and,
• the election observation missions in Guatemala from the European Union and the Organization of American States (OAS).

Lagomasino serves on the boards of The Walt Disney Company and The Coca-Cola Company. She is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and as of March 2019, she became a Trustee of the Carnegie Corporation of New York. Werthein is a technology industry leader and philanthropist. His innovative Escuela Plus initiative has helped bring digital connectivity to schools in Latin America.

The recipients of the Wilson Award for Public Service are helping Latin America navigate a period of immense challenges, from uneven economic recovery to political turbulence, environmental degradation, democratic backsliding, and unprecedented migration. As the IDB president, Goldfajn is driving investment to the region’s energy transition, supporting projects to increase economic competitiveness, and championing sustainability. For their part, the OAS and European Union election observation missions have stood by Guatemala amid profound challenges to the country’s democracy.

“I’m honored to be recognizing these extraordinary individuals and institutions,” Benjamin N. Gedan, PhD, director of the Wilson Center’s Latin America Program, said. “At the Wilson Center, we’re committed to drawing attention and resources to the region’s struggles and also its enormous opportunities, and to strengthening US relationships throughout our hemisphere.”

Since 1977, the Wilson Center’s Latin America Program has provided insights to policymakers, private sector actors, journalists, and opinion leaders in the United States and throughout the region. Drawing on the Wilson Center’s strength as the nation’s leading nonpartisan forum, the Latin America Program, including its one-of-a-kind Brazil Institute, is a vital bridge between the worlds of scholarship, business, and government.