The International Economic Forum in Panama has Confirmed at Least Six Heads of State Attending
Heads of state, former heads of state and international leaders will participate in the Economic Forum on January 28 and 29 of 2026.
Panama will host the Latin America and Caribbean International Economic Forum 2026, an event that will bring together six heads of state, former presidents, ministers and global leaders on January 28 and 29, as announced by the President of the Republic, José Raúl Mulino. Among the leaders who have confirmed their participation are Luiz Inácio “Lula” da Silva, pictured below right, president of Brazil; Daniel Noboa, of Ecuador; Bernardo Arévalo, of Guatemala; Andrew Holness, prime minister of Jamaica; Rodrigo Paz, of Bolivia; and the president-elect of Chile, José Antonio Kast.
The Brazilian president will also be the forum’s keynote speaker. The international meeting will also be attended by ministers, deputy ministers and senior officials from countries such as Colombia, Costa Rica, Paraguay, Peru, the Dominican Republic, Uruguay, Argentina, Mexico, Spain, the United Kingdom, Italy, India, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Morocco, South Africa, Egypt, Thailand and the Philippines, among others. The agenda features five former heads of state as speakers: Colombians Iván Duque and Juan Manuel Santos, former Costa Rican President Laura Chinchilla, former Chilean President Eduardo Frei, and former Italian Prime Minister Enrico Letta.
The participation of representatives from multilateral organizations such as the United Nations, the Organization of American States (OAS), the European Commission, the OECD, OPEC and ECLAC is also expected, reinforcing the strategic nature of the event. The Latin America and Caribbean International Economic Forum 2026 is organized by CAF – Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean, in partnership with the National Government of Panama, and will bring together business leaders and global leaders to analyze the main challenges of the region and define joint actions that promote economic growth, social inclusion and competitiveness.
