Ibero-American Alliance for Peace

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In 2018, reports from the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) and the Igarapé Institute were released saying that Latin America was the most violent region on the planet – accounting for 39% of world's murders. I was deeply saddened to look at the figures. We can’t hide the truth; while Latin America is a region with beautiful landscapes and full of people of kindness, it is also home to some of the most violent people on the planet.

I started to think about what could be done about it and the only solution I could come up with was bringing those willing to transform the paradigm of violence in the region to a common space for a meaningful discussion; where those already making a change – and those willing to do it – could meet to co-create solutions and prepare a roadmap for peace in the region.

I began to reach out to politicians, academics, activists, governmental and non-governmental organisations from different countries of Latin America to have a congress committee that could help me organise the gathering. This is how we came out with the idea of having a 1st Latin American Youth Congress for Peace in Medellín, Colombia.

This first summit brought hundreds of youth from the latin american region to Colombia. It was surprisingly amazing to look at those youth, so eager to build a new narrative for the region –one without violence and respect for human rights and dignity.
The attendees came up with bold solutions and proposals to some of the most pressing issues of our time. As a main outcome of the summit the Ibero-American Alliance for Peace was born as a civil society coalition that would aim to promote peacebuilding, human rights, and disarmament in the region.

Since then, the Alliance organizes the Ibero-American Forum for Peace, a summit of the Spanish and Portughese speaking nations of Europe and the Americas. The gathering brings academics, governmental and nongovernmental organizations and activists around the theme of peace in the Ibero-American region. So far the Alliance has organized forums in Colombia, México, Argentina and Spain.

As part of the disarmament efforts of the Alliance, in 2020, together with 28 Colombian congress members we proposed the transfer of 1 billion colombian pesos from military purposes to the health sector, the Colombian Ministry of Defense agreed to do 10% of that, moving 100 million pesos ($25 million). This action inspired Chilean members of parliament to do the same. In 2021, the Alliance supported by 33 Congress members, demanded the president of Colombia, Ivan Duque, that one billion pesos be allocated from the defense sector to the health sector. We also requested the government to refrain from purchasing 24 warplanes that would cost $4.5 million. On may 4, 2021, the Minister of Finance of Colombia, announced publicly that the government will comply with the request to refrain from purchasing the warplanes. This action has become a blueprint for other governments to cut military spending in order to better address the health crisis caused by the covid-19 pandemic.