President Fernández and 200 Other Global Leaders Discuss in Miami How to Engineer a Resilient Economy

The President of GFDD/Funglode and former President of the Dominican Republic, Dr. Leonel Fernández, along with and 200 other global leaders met in Miami to discuss, within the framework of the fifth edition of the World Strategic Forum, the way to engineer a resilient economy in an environment rich in opportunities and political, economic and environmental challenges.

The meeting, organized by the International Economic Forum of the Americas, took place
with the purpose of promoting a greater understanding of the issues and trends that steer the global economy in the areas of finance, innovation, energy and trade, as well as to serve as a meeting platform for businesses in a wide range of industries.

As part of the official program of the event, Dr. Fernández engaged in dialogue with the Secretary General of the
Organization of American States (OAS), José Miguel Insulza, in which the Dominican leader addressed the political crisis affecting Venezuela, while reaffirming his satisfaction with the rapprochement that is taking place between the United States and Cuba.

In regard to the situation in Venezuela, the president of GFDD/Funglode argued that the solution must be found by way of dialogue, and not on the basis of promoting a coup to depose the current government through
violent means. "The era of coups in Latin America is over, as is also that of leftist guerrillas. Solutions to our problems today must be sought by way of dialogue and consensus building," said the statesman.

The politician and scholar indicated that the most expeditious way of resolving conflict is to issue a call for dialogue and, through it, bring about a national agenda in which all sectors of the South American country may participate.

In this regard, he recalled that the process of democratization in Venezuela was possible thanks to the Punto Fijo Pact that was carried out by the then President Rafael Caldera and other political leaders of the time.

According to Fernández, the government of Venezuela is responsible for undertaking the first step with a view to reaching a satisfactory institutional understanding between the various sectors that revolve around the political life of that
nation.

In regard to the beginning of the end of the conflict between the United States and Cuba, Fernández asserted that the symbolic value of this rapprochement is that it puts an end to the "cold war" in the Caribbean and in Latin America. "Therefore, we are excited; we are happy, because this opens new perspectives and new possibilities for rapprochement," he said.

Other participants
Besides Fernández and Insulza, the following leaders participated as speakers in the World Strategic Forum: Nicholas Rémillard, Chairman of the event; Fred P. Hochberg, Chairman of the Export-Import Bank of the United States; Strobe Talbott, President of The Brookings Institution; Shaukat Aziz, former Prime Minister of Pakistan, and John D. Negroponte, Counselor of the Council of the Americas.

Also, Rafael Moreno Valle, Governor of the State of Puebla, Mexico; Wilfredo R.
Cerrato, Minister of Finance of Honduras; Herman Daems, Chairman of BNP Paribas Fortis; Ernesto Torres Cantú, CEO of Grupo Financiero Banamex; Amadou Diallo, CEO of DHL Freight, and Luis Robles Miaja, Chairman of the Association of Banks of Mexico.

In addition, other participating speakers were: Justin Chinyanta, CEO of The Loita Group; Julio Velarde, Governor of Central Bank of Peru; Carlos G. Fernández Valdovinos, Governor of Central Bank of Paraguay; Mario Bergara,
Governor of the Central Bank of Uruguay; Sergio Argüelles González, CEO of FINSA; Anne Fulenwider, Editor in Chief of Marie Claire; Wandee Khunchornyakong, CEO SPCG Public Company Limited, and Sherife AbdelMessih, CEO of Future Energy Corporation.

Dr. Fernández’s Agenda
Dr. Fernández arrived in Miami on Monday morning, where he carried out a four-day working agenda that included his participation in the 2015 World Strategic Forum
and other engagements.

The former President””s press office reported that his program of activities also included working meetings with various personalities and entrepreneurs as well as meetings at several universities where Fernández presented the report: Strategic Alliance Dominican Republic/Florida. This report is the result of a strategic outreach program promoted by the former President, which seeks to exploit the advantages and opportunities of strengthening
educational, commercial and cultural relations between the State of Florida and the Dominican Republic.