Guillermo Lasso: "Latin America cannot resign itself to being a sacrificial piece on the geopolitical chessboard".

Students of the Degree in Philosophy, Politics and Economics (PPE) held the V workshop St. Thomas More, patron saint of rulers. Guillermo Lasso, former president of Ecuador, gave the central session, degree scroll "Latin America under increasing global geopolitical pressure", in which he warned of the risks and opportunities facing Latin America in an international context marked by the rivalry between the United States and China.

The event, held in the Magna classroom of the Central Building, was inaugurated by Julia Pavón, dean of the School of Philosophy and LettersShe recalled the relevance of the figure of Thomas More and the need to vindicate the dignity of the public function of rulers in a historical moment like this. For her part, Julia Urabayen, director of the department of Political Science and Sociology, stressed that the thought of the English humanist inspires this workshop "for his confidence in the ability to transform society based on justice and human dignity.

The guest speaker then took the floor. In his speech, Lasso stressed that Latin America is going through "an accelerated transition" in which the skill between Washington and Beijing is reconfiguring alliances and generating tensions: "Latin America cannot be a sacrificial piece in this global chess game", he said. In this sense, he pointed out the reduction of U.S. relations with the region to a national security vision, "which has weakened trust and historical cooperation". At the same time, he warned that China has been able to take advantage of this withdrawal, offering investments and technology, although with risks of dependence. In addition, the former president has defended that Latin American countries should negotiate intelligently and without falling into the false dilemma of choosing between one or the other bloc. "The real challenge is not only in Washington or Beijing, but in ourselves: in our capacity to build cohesive nations, to generate a Latin American diary and to consolidate reliable institutions", he affirmed.

Lasso also highlighted Latin America' s advantages - water, biodiversity, strategic minerals, clean energy and human talent -which should be negotiated for the benefit of the population. In particular, he pointed out the importance of its demographic wealth: "We have millions of young people with talent, energy and dreams capable of transforming our societies. The challenge is to turn this potential into a future bonus so that staying in Latin America is the best decision, and not a sacrifice". On the other hand, the former president warned about global threats such as climate change, organized crime and the digital revolution, insisting on the need to prepare young people in areas such as artificial intelligence, cybersecurity and digital Economics .

Before concluding, he recalled that geopolitics is not resolved only in chancelleries, but in the daily life of citizens: in the quality of Education, in the strength of the courts and in the safety of the streets. "To govern is to make difficult decisions, often unpopular, but necessary. Latin America needs to recover the ethics of service: justice and freedom for every citizen". In conclusion, he called for optimism: "The multipolar world is our present and can become the greatest opportunity in our history, if we are intelligent, courageous and honest. Latin America can and must be a sovereign, prosperous and respected region".