MADRID — Against a backdrop of shifting global power dynamics and rapid technological advancement, former Dominican President Leonel Fernández has sounded a clarion call for Latin America to step out of its passive role and shape its own destiny amid a sweeping reordering of the post-Cold War international system. Delivering his address at the Funglode Ibero-American Forum held in the Spanish capital, Fernández argued that the global framework constructed at the close of the 20th century is now in the throes of deep, irreversible transformation, giving rise to a far more fragmented and unpredictable global landscape than the region has ever faced.
In his keynote remarks, the former leader outlined the most pressing challenge confronting Latin America: breaking away from its long-standing reliance on a raw material export-led economic model to build a new growth paradigm rooted in knowledge, innovation, advanced technology, digital transformation and artificial intelligence. Fernández framed the persistent digital gap across the region as a modern iteration of illiteracy, warning that nations that delay widespread adoption of emerging cutting-edge technologies will face marginalization in the competitive 21st century global economy, unable to keep pace with more digitally advanced economies.
Fernández further emphasized that meaningful progress requires coordinated effort across key sectors, calling for strengthened strategic collaboration between higher education institutions, private industry, and national governments. This tripartite partnership, he argued, is critical to advancing groundbreaking research, scaling innovative solutions, and crafting effective public policies that drive inclusive growth. The three-day forum brought together policymakers, academics, and business leaders from across the Ibero-American community to deliberate on a broad slate of pressing shared issues, from shifting geopolitical alignments and cross-border migration to the defense of democratic institutions, sustainable economic expansion, cross-regional academic collaboration, and the opportunities and risks of new technological innovation.
Closing his remarks, Fernández reiterated that targeted investment in artificial intelligence and the intentional development of regional innovation ecosystems are non-negotiable steps for Latin America to boost its global competitiveness, unlock new economic opportunities, and secure a prosperous foothold in an increasingly digitized global economy.