Geographies in Depth

In quotes: From climate resilience to trade tensions – what we heard from Latin American leaders in Davos

Latin American leaders in Davos speak at the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting 2025

Latin American leaders in Davos included heads of state, government officials, Indigenous leaders and experts Image: World Economic Forum/Pascal Bitz

Pablo Uchoa
Writer, Forum Stories
This article is part of: World Economic Forum Annual Meeting
  • Latin American heads of state, government officials, Indigenous leaders and experts from academia, multilateral organizations and civil society attended the Forum's Annual Meeting 2025 in Davos.
  • Environmental resilience and the region's economic fortunes in a fragmented world were some of the debates they engaged with.
  • Here are some of their key quotes from Davos week.

Except for inter-state conflicts, Latin America is exposed to several threats that appear in the World Economic Forum's Global Risks Report 2025: extreme weather events, geopolitical tensions, misinformation and disinformation and societal polarization. So the region's agenda in Davos 2025 revolved around issues with potential to have an impact, especially the fragmented geopolitical scenario and efforts to strengthen environmental resilience.

Latin America's economic fortunes

The region's position in an increasingly fragmented world was examined in a session titled "Is Latin America's Economic Tide Turning?". Participants highlighted the region's role in contributing with agroindustries and minerals to feed a growing population and enable the energy transition. Chile's minister of Foreign Affairs, Alberto van Klaveren, warned against the impact of protective measures such as sanctions and tariffs, as well as an escalation of US-China rivalries.

Fragmented trade, sanctions regimes are being applied, and as a result, there are clouds in terms of global trade. Still, we are not pessimistic. We believe that these trends can be overcome. The challenge for our countries is to adapt, have flexibility and not be dragged down by these tensions globally.

Alberto van Klaveren, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Chile
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An illustration of how nationalism can potentially shape trade, Panama's president Jose Raul Mulino Quintero reiterated that "the Panama Canal belongs to Panama" in response to Donald Trump's suggestion of establishing US control of this key trade route. Mulino said Panama is "a longtime friend and ally of the United States" and stressed that the two countries can work together on many issues, for example immigration.

Our border with Colombia receives migrants from Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador and countries as far away as Nepal. We have reduced this migration by 42% compared to the same time last year. I have said on many occasions that the southern border of the United States begins in Panama, not in Mexico. These are situations that should unite us with the United States, not against the United States.

Jose Raul Mulino Quintero, President of Panama

Participants in Davos 2025 also discussed the fault lines of Latin America's economies, such as the interconnected challenges of improving labour productivity, workforce skills and lifelong learning. In a special address, Argentina's president Javier Milei said "the times of change are knocking at the door" and "old political formulas" were exhausted.

If we want to reclaim the West's progress and build a new era, we need a drastic reduction in the size of the state. Not only in each of our countries but also the drastic reduction of all supra-national organizations.

Javier Milei, President of Argentina

Climate and climate resilience

Dwellers of some of the world's most precious ecosystems were active participants in environmental conversations and brought experiences from the private and public sector, as well as civil society to the table. Fanny Castro, coordinator of the Coordinating Body of Indigenous Organisations of the Amazon Basin (COICA), highlighted how social and environmental issues are intertwined. The longest drought in the Amazon in 50 years not only affects aquatic wildlife biodiversity, it also compromises food security and autonomy of Indigenous Peoples, she said.

My message to world leaders is that we should step out of our comfort zone and look at what is seriously affecting humanity: climate change. And those negative impacts are felt most by those of us who live in communities and in the forest.

Fanny Castro, Coordinator, Coordinating Body of Indigenous Organisations of the Amazon Basin (COICA)
Mindahi Crescencio Bastida Munoz, Coordinator, Earth Elders, joined other Latin American Leaders in Davos
Mindahi Bastida highlighted how biodiversity loss threatens Indigenous cultural heritage Image: World Economic Forum / Jakob Polacsek

Mindahi Crescencio Bastida Munoz, coordinator of Earth Elders and the Otomi-Toltec Regional Council in Mexico, said climate change and loss of biodiversity do not affect nature alone but also the cultural heritage of Indigenous Peoples, particularly with regards to sacred sites.

We have been working with UNESCO to protect those sacred sites. In the beginning, they were called spiritual reserves for humanity. But it's a very anthropocentric thought. We need to go beyond that: they have their own right to exist.

Mindahi Crescencio Bastida Munoz, Coordinator, Earth Elders

In a session titled "Addressing Latin America's Fault Lines", President Dina Ercília Boluarte of Peru highlighted one of the region's long term environmental challenges: the problem of water availability and food security. She reminded the audience of the effects of cyclone Yaku, which brought torrents of rain on the country's northern region in 2023 – a reminder of the higher likelihood of extreme weather events in the future.

We have unblocked emblematic projects, also with the view that from now on the concern is going to be food security. And why is there going to be a shortage of food in the world? Because we have water shortages due to climate change.

Dina Ercilia Boluarte, President of Peru

With the next UN Climate Summit COP30 to be hosted in Brazil next November, regional leaders debated how governments, private sector and civil society are embracing innovation and ambitious goals to achieve carbon neutrality. Maisa Rojas Corradi, minister of Environment of Chile, said her country's environmental legislation aims for carbon neutrality by 2050 by addressing causes and consequences of climate change.

Our approach to climate change has been: let’s use all approaches available to us. The transformation that we need in the world is so big that we should use all the tools that are available to us.

Maisa Rojas Corradi, Minister of Environment of Chile

Alicia Bárcena Ibarra, Secretary of Environment and Natural Resources of Mexico, highlighted positive community-led experiences from her country, whose 11,000 kilometres of coastline are at risk of extreme weather events such as hurricanes and storms due to the destruction of natural protections like mangroves. Barcena said such experiences fill her with "optimism" and stressed the importance of cross-generation cooperation to fight for environmental justice.

We have a debt to the young people, at least my generation has. And so the thing that gives me a lot of hope is when I hear young people come with proposals, with things they want to change and do.

Alicia Bárcena Ibarra, Secretary of Environment and Natural Resources of Mexico
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    For hosts Brazil, COP30 is an opportunity to hold climate discussions surrounded by the world's largest rainforest – as the host city, Belém, is one of the largest hubs in the Amazon. In a session in Davos titled "Road to COP30", Hélder Barbalho, governor of host Pará state, said one of the key objectives of the summit will be to agree on rules to enable a global carbon market and to "leave a legacy for the forest".

    COP30 will be about putting things into practice. A forest with its trees must be worth more than a dead one.

    Hélder Barbalho, governor of Para state
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