FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE  
September 28, 2026  
Contact: Gemma Givens  
press@thedialogue.org 

WASHINGTON, DC – The Inter-American Dialogue is pleased to announce that Mayor Federico Gutiérrez of Medellín will receive the Distinguished Leadership for the Americas Award for Youth Opportunity and Crime Reduction at the 2026 Leadership for the Americas Awards Gala, to be held on Thursday, October 22, 2026, at the Organization of American States in Washington, DC. The annual Gala convenes an influential network of policymakers, diplomats, business executives, and civil society leaders from across the Americas to recognize individuals whose leadership is helping address the region’s most pressing challenges. 

The award recognizes Mayor Gutiérrez’s leadership in advancing an integrated approach to public safety, combining effective law enforcement with economic and social opportunities for young people vulnerable to recruitment by criminal groups. At the center of this approach is Medellín’s Parceros program, which provides at-risk youth with pathways to education, employment, skills development, and community engagement. 

“We are honored to recognize Mayor Gutiérrez and highlight the work of the Parceros program at this year’s Gala,” said Inter-American Dialogue president & CEO Dr. Rebecca Bill Chavez. “Medellín’s experience shows that effective responses to crime and violence require more than enforcement alone. By pairing enforcement with meaningful pathways to education, employment, and social support for young people, Parceros has demonstrated that well–crafted prevention programs can strengthen security and foster thriving communities.” 

Medellín has seen significant improvements in public safety in recent years. In 2025, the city’s homicide rate fell to 11.7 per 100,000 people, its lowest level in 40 years and less than half the rate of Colombia as a whole. Street robberies also fell 40 percent that year. Among surveyed participants in the Parceros program, large majorities reported greater confidence, new educational or employment opportunities, and improved conflict resolution skills. 

Previous Leadership for the Americas Awards honorees include Mónica Aspe, president & CEO of AT&T Mexico; Andrea Grobocopatel, president and founder of Fundación FLOR; Marie Arana, author and journalist; Djamila Ribeiro, Brazilian philosopher, writer, and academic; and Jaime Pumarejo, former mayor of Barranquilla, Colombia. 

Note to Editors 

The Inter-American Dialogue engages our network of global leaders to foster democratic resilience, shared prosperity, social inclusion, and sustainable development across the Americas. Together, we shape policy, devise solutions, and enhance cooperation across the Western Hemisphere. 

The annual Leadership for the Americas Awards Gala recognizes public and private sector innovators at the forefront of advancing democratic resilience, shared prosperity, social inclusion, and sustainable development across the Americas. The event convenes policymakers, diplomats, private sector partners, and civil society advocates to celebrate the Dialogue’s mission and to envision solutions to shared regional challenges. 

For inquiries, please contact gala@thedialogue.org or +1-202-822-9002.