With the presence of Chile’s Minister of Energy, Diego Pardow; the Executive Secretary of the Latin American and Caribbean Energy Organization (OLACDE), Andrés Rebolledo; and authorities from major multilateral organizations, the tenth edition of the Energy Week of the Latin American and Caribbean Energy Organization (OLACDE) was inaugurated.
During his remarks, OLACDE’s Executive Secretary, Andrés Rebolledo, highlighted the importance of the gathering within the framework of integration: “Over these ten years, Energy Week has become a true laboratory of ideas and, indeed, a platform for cooperation where our region analyzes, deliberates, and, above all, builds the future. (…) Our organization’s mission is to develop the energy sectors, coordinate, convene, achieve energy integration, but also carry the voice of Latin America and the Caribbean to the world.”
“Our thanks to the Government of Chile for welcoming us in Santiago with generosity and the warmth that characterizes them. This hospitality is a clear sign of Chile’s commitment to regional integration and to the collective building of a more just, sustainable, and sovereign energy future,” Rebolledo added.
For his part, Chile’s Minister of Energy, Diego Pardow, underscored the importance of this space for addressing the region’s energy challenges. “The challenge at this Energy Week is to take the tensions that exist today in our societies and turn them into decisions that accelerate the transition toward a region with cleaner, cheaper, safer, and more equitably accessible energy.”
The opening ceremony also featured remarks from the Chief of the Energy Division of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), Marcelino Madrigal; the Manager of the Energy Sector Management Assistance Program of the World Bank (WB), Gabriela Elizondo; the Regional South Manager of the Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean (CAF), Jorge Srur; and the Director of the Global Energy Transformation Programme at GIZ, Daniel Werner.
The 10th Energy Week seeks to strengthen Latin American energy integration, drive international cooperation, and promote the transition toward cleaner, safer energy systems. Throughout the week, common challenges will be addressed, such as decarbonization, electromobility, green hydrogen development, and supply security.
One of the central milestones will be the OLACDE Meeting of Ministers of Energy, the organization’s highest political decision-making body, where the 27 member states will define strategic guidelines to advance energy security, integration, and sustainability in Latin America and the Caribbean.
The program will continue on Wednesday the 1st, Thursday the 2nd, and Friday the 3rd of October, with more than 60 panels, workshops, and technical sessions featuring the participation of ministers of Energy, international organizations, academic experts, business leaders, and representatives of civil society, cementing this event as an open, highly relevant space for the entire region.
