FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 27, 2026
Contact: Gemma Givens
press@thedialogue.org
Washington, DC — The Inter-American Dialogue is pleased to announce that President Santiago Peña of Paraguay will deliver the keynote address 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.
“We are honored to have President Peña of Paraguay join us for this special evening and share his perspective on the opportunities and challenges facing the Americas,” said Dialogue president & CEO, Dr. Rebecca Bill Chavez. “His leadership offers critical lessons in advancing regional cooperation, attracting foreign investment, and investing in the social contract while pursuing fiscal discipline. President Peña has also prioritized engagement with the rest of the Western Hemisphere to address shared economic and security challenges. Such engagement and collaboration are at the heart of the Dialogue’s mission.”
His Excellency Santiago Peña was elected president of Paraguay in 2023. Prior to his election, he served as an economist at the Central Bank of Paraguay, taught financial theory and economic policy, and was appointed minister of finance in 2015.
As president, Peña has advanced important fiscal policy reform, earning the country investment grade status. His administration has also launched major social initiatives, including the Zero Hunger in Schools (Cero Hambre en las Escuelas) program.
President Peña has also strengthened Paraguay’s ties with Washington, including through his government’s engagement on regional security. As Mercosur’s pro tempore president, he hosted the January 2026 signing of the EU-Mercosur free trade agreement, closing out nearly three decades of negotiations. He has also made important progress toward Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) accession.
Past keynote speakers at the Inter-American Dialogue Gala include, Bernardo Arévalo, president of Guatemala; the Honorable Mia Amor Mottley, prime minister of Barbados; Michelle Bachelet, former president of Chile; Laura Chinchilla, former president of Costa Rica; and Juan Manuel Santos, former president of Colombia.
Notes 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 within 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.
#####
