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Latin America: High-level Panel to Tackle Citizen Insecurity

President Funes of El Salvador to deliver key note address

The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) and the World Bank (WB) cordially invite media representatives to attend a keynote presentation by Mauricio Funes, President of El Salvador followed by a high level panel debate on “Citizen Insecurity in Latin America: A Threat to Development”. The event will take place on Thursday, April 18th from 12:00 to 2:30 pm at the World Bank C Building (1225 Connecticut Ave, NW).

“Social and economic progress in Latin America have brought a better quality of life to millions of people,” said IDB President Luis Alberto Moreno. “However, too many of the region’s citizens are still affected by violence and crime, and public security institutions have not adapted fast enough to cope with this complex problem. We need to understand what works and what does not, to help countries restore a climate of security in which communities can thrive.”

In recent years over 70 million Latin Americans emerged from poverty to join the ranks of the middle classes. However, high levels of crime threaten to undermine these gains and violence translates not only into suffering for its direct victims but imposes huge economic, social and institutional burdens on countries and communities. 

“Behind Latin America’s economic boom there is a hidden wave of crime and violence that threatens a decade of progress hurting all citizens, particularly the poorest, who have no way to protect themselves.I’m afraid that citizen insecurity is becoming the Achilles’ heel of development,” said HasanTuluy, World Bank Vice President for Latin America and the Caribbean. “Governments, citizens and the private sector pay a huge price, but crime and impunity are also eroding citizen trust in the state and support for democracy.” 

The panel will discuss the response of governments and how development institutions, academia, and the private sector can contribute to a solution to this critical development challenge. Panel members are former and current officials, including Jose Mariano Beltrame, Secretary of Public Safety in the State of Rio de Janeiro, Finance Minister of Costa Rica Edgar Ayales, former Colombian police chief Oscar Naranjo, Lorena Martinez, Mayor of Aguas Calientes, Mexico and Guatemalan business leader Salvador Paiz. 

The event is by invitation only but will be webcast live at envivo.bancomundial.org.

Reporters who want to cover the event should RSVP by April 17th by sending an email to rvargasgomez@worldbank.org or calling (202) 458-0777. Journalists with a camera crew please arrive 30 minutes early.

EVENT: Citizen Insecurity in Latin America: A Threat to Development

WELCOMING REMARKS:
Luis Alberto Moreno
President
Inter-American Development Bank (IDB)

KEYNOTE SPEAKER:
Mauricio Funes
President
El Salvador

MODERATOR:
Juan Carlos Lopez
Correspondent
CNN en Español

PANELISTS:
Edgar Ayales Esna
Minister of Finance
Costa Rica

Lorena Martínez Rodríguez
Mayor of Aguascalientes
México

Jose Mariano Beltrame
Secretary of Public Safety
State of Rio de Janeiro
Brazil

Salvador Paiz
President
Teculutan Investments, Ltd.
Guatemala 

Oscar Naranjo
Former Chief of National Police
Colombia

CLOSING REMARKS:
Hasan Tuluy
Vice President
Latin America and the Caribbean Region
World Bank (WB)


DATE: Thursday, April 18, 2013 

TIME: 12:00 p.m. (noon) to 2:30 p.m. 

LOCATION: Auditorium C 8-150
World Bank C Building
1225 Connecticut Ave, NWWashington, DC 20433

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