In a complex international context, the Undersecretary of Foreign Affairs of Chile, Ms. Gloria de la Fuente, addresses the challenges facing democracy in Latin America. Through her presentation, she analyses common trends such as the weakening of political parties, the rise of personalist leaderships, disinformation, forced migration, and organized crime. The presentation emphasises the need to strengthen democracy, regional cooperation, and sustainable development through collective responses grounded in democratic values and shared principles.

About the Speaker:

This event has been organised in conjunction with the Embassy of Chile in Ireland.

Dr Gloria de la Fuente is a Chilean Political Scientist with a Ph.D. in Social Science from the Universidad de Chile. She currently serves as Undersecretary for Foreign Affairs (since 2023). She has worked extensively on transparency and access to public information, notably as President of the Council for Transparency. She has also served as a consultant for Eurosocial and the Transparency and Access to Public Information Network (RTA), and led projects at Chile Transparente, the Chilean chapter of Transparency International.

Dr. de la Fuente held senior roles at Fundación Chile 21, a Chilean think tank dedicated to promoting democratic governance, social equity, and progressive public policies, where she served as Director of Public Policy, Executive Director, and later as President. In April 2024, she received the Women Leaders of Reference award from the Women Economic Forum, recognizing her leadership in advancing gender equality and advocating for equity and inclusion.