{"id":254252,"date":"2026-05-01T17:48:45","date_gmt":"2026-05-01T17:48:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/254252\/"},"modified":"2026-05-01T17:48:45","modified_gmt":"2026-05-01T17:48:45","slug":"miami-dade-college-welcomes-inaugural-cohort-of-hemispheric-leaders-for-institute-for-freedom-in-the-americas-fellowship","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/254252\/","title":{"rendered":"Miami Dade College Welcomes Inaugural Cohort of Hemispheric Leaders for Institute for Freedom in the Americas Fellowship"},"content":{"rendered":"

MDC welcomed its inaugural cohort of fellows for the Institute for Freedom in the Americas Fellowship<\/a> this week, convening emerging leaders from across Latin America and the Caribbean in Miami from April 29 to May 1 for the program\u2019s official launch.<\/p>\n

Selected from a competitive pool of applicants representing 21 countries, the cohort includes policymakers, public servants and civic leaders working at the forefront of democratic governance, economic reform and institutional strengthening across the region.<\/p>\n

The Inaugural Fellows:<\/p>\n

Argentina
Carlos Roberto Pereira, representative for the province of San Luis<\/p>\n

Bolivia
Carolina Ribera A\u00f1ez, human rights activist and advocate for the release of political prisoners<\/p>\n

Brazil
Paulo Velasco, associate professor at the State University of Rio de Janeiro and international political commentator<\/p>\n

Chile
Benjam\u00edn Moreno Bascur, representative for the Maule region<\/p>\n

Colombia
Alejandra Cifuentes, political activist and former candidate for the Chamber of Representatives
Juan Felipe Corzo, member of Congress<\/p>\n

Costa Rica
Henry Salazar, councilmember and president of the municipal council of Alajuelita<\/p>\n

Cuba
Roberto Hechavarr\u00eda Pilia, director of Cubanet Noticias<\/p>\n

Dominican Republic
Jean Marco Pumarol, chief of staff at the Ministry of Housing and Buildings<\/p>\n

Ecuador
Paola Mahuad Calder\u00f3n, former first lady<\/p>\n

El Salvador
Ricardo Godoy, director of the Conservative Training Institute and VP of the ARENA Political Party<\/p>\n

Guatemala
Alejandro Palmieri Waelti, political editor of Rep\u00fablica<\/p>\n

Honduras
Ana Regina S\u00e1nchez, vice president, international affairs commission, National Party<\/p>\n

Mexico
Alejandra Garc\u00eda Morl\u00e1n, representative in Oaxaca<\/p>\n

Nicaragua
Jonathan Mart\u00edn Duarte, executive director, Foundation for Freedom of Nicaragua<\/p>\n

Panama
Ana Giselle Rosas, head of the women\u2019s secretariat, Democratic Change party<\/p>\n

Paraguay
Salma Ag\u00fcero, minister of youth<\/p>\n

Peru
Rosangella Barbar\u00e1n, member of Congress; chair, pro-investment commission<\/p>\n

Spain
Germ\u00e1n Alcayde, director general, Atlantic Institute of Government<\/p>\n

United States
Natalie Milian Orbis, Miami-Dade County commissioner<\/p>\n

Uruguay
Hern\u00e1n Bonilla, founding president, Center for the Study of Development<\/p>\n

Venezuela
Santiago Aguiar Dorante, managing partner, Aguiar & Asociados<\/p>\n

Hosted at MDC\u2019s iconic Freedom Tower, the opening convening brought fellows together with distinguished leaders from the public and private sectors for a three-day program of policy dialogue, leadership development and collaboration. The launch included a private reception on Wednesday, April 29, offering a unique opportunity to engage with global thought leaders and regional stakeholders.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

The yearlong fellowship is designed to equip participants with the tools, networks and policy expertise needed to address some of the most pressing challenges facing democracy in the Americas.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis inaugural cohort represents a powerful step forward in our commitment to fostering principled leadership across the Americas,\u201d said Madeline Pumariega, president of Miami Dade College. \u201cAs Democracy\u2019s College, we are proud to bring together leaders who are dedicated to advancing freedom, strengthening institutions, and building a more resilient future for our hemisphere.\u201d<\/p>\n

Dr. Asdr\u00fabal Aguiar, secretary general of Grupo IDEA, underscored the regional significance of the initiative:<\/p>\n

\u201cThe launch of this inaugural cohort marks an important milestone in strengthening democratic leadership across the Americas. Through this fellowship, we are cultivating a new generation of leaders committed to freedom, institutional integrity, and the advancement of our societies.\u201d<\/p>\n

The fellowship will culminate with participation in the XI Presidential Dialogue of Grupo IDEA (Nov. 9-11, 2026), where fellows will engage directly with former heads of state and global leaders to present insights and contribute to high-level discussions on the future of democracy in the region.<\/p>\n

The Institute for Freedom in the Americas builds on MDC\u2019s longstanding role as a hemispheric hub for civic engagement and dialogue, including its Presidential Dialogue series, which has convened former heads of state and global leaders in Miami for the past 10 years.<\/p>\n

For more information about the Institute for Freedom in the Americas and its fellowship, please contact Pamela Fuertes Berti, dean of MDC\u2019s Miguel B. Fernandez Family School of Global Business, Trade & Transportation, at pfuertes@mdc.edu<\/a>, 305-237-0698 or visit: Institute for Freedom in the Americas<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"MDC welcomed its inaugural cohort of fellows for the Institute for Freedom in the Americas Fellowship this week,…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":254253,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[15],"tags":[225,227,226],"class_list":["post-254252","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-hialeah","tag-hialeah","tag-hialeah-headlines","tag-hialeah-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/254252","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=254252"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/254252\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/254253"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=254252"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=254252"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=254252"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}