Panama hosted the International Economic Forum Latin America and the Caribbean 2026, drawing over 6,500 participants from 70 countries. The event was organized by CAF – development bank of Latin America and the Caribbean – in partnership with the Government of Panama.
Attendees included heads of state such as José Raúl Mulino of Panama, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva of Brazil, Rodrigo Paz of Bolivia, Gustavo Petro of Colombia, Daniel Noboa of Ecuador, Bernardo Arévalo of Guatemala, Andrew Holness of Jamaica, and Chile’s president-elect José Antonio Kast.
CAF’s Executive President Sergio Díaz-Granados described the forum as a significant regional gathering. “This Forum is the most important event in the region for mobilization and alliances. The deliberations of these days will provide inputs to turn ideas into actions that improve the lives of people throughout the region,” he said.
Díaz-Granados also emphasized CAF’s evolving role: “CAF’s role is not only to be a financial institution, but to build bridges and create spaces for dialogue like this one to strengthen the voice of Latin America and the Caribbean. This was a necessary space in the face of global challenges and today we are consolidating our position as a platform that promotes the region around the world.”
The agenda featured 250 panelists discussing topics such as regional integration, trade, artificial intelligence, energy transition, financing for development, innovation and sustainability. More than 400 thousand people viewed these panels online. Leaders from 12 international organizations were also present.
Nobel laureates James Robinson and Philippe Aghion spoke on growth and innovation. Physicist Michio Kaku addressed artificial intelligence’s impact on global economics. Former presidents Juan Manuel Santos and Iván Duque (Colombia), Laura Chinchilla (Costa Rica), Eduardo Frei (Chile), and Francisco Sagasti (Peru) discussed governance and competitiveness.
Beyond discussions, more than 400 bilateral meetings took place among governments, businesses and multilateral organizations. CAF introduced a networking application enabling over 1,100 additional meetings between participants.
The forum received support from several partners including Adam Smith Center for Economic Freedom, COX, Copa Airlines and Coca-Cola.
The event signaled increased efforts toward coordination within Latin America and an intent to play a stronger role in shaping international economic policy.
