Conversations about connectivity and digital issues actually include broader discussions about democracy and development. That idea resonated during my talk this Sunday. Connecting the future: investing in high-quality digital infrastructure; It was part of a business forum convened by the European Union, the Colombian government, CAF Latin American and Caribbean Development Bank, and IDB Group, held in Santa Marta, Colombia, in parallel with the 4th Summit of the 27 European Union (EU) and 33 Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC).
The panel’s initial approach was that investing in high-quality, sustainable digital infrastructure is essential to fostering inclusive growth and accelerating a just digital transition. It requires not only physical infrastructure but also “soft” capabilities in artificial intelligence, 5G, cybersecurity, and data governance. The EU-regional Global Gateway Investment Agenda and multilateral development banks are both supporting this transformation through projects that strengthen resilience, improve governance frameworks and develop regional capacities.
“The basic premise is that all these debates and debates have no meaning if we do not start from the premise of democracy. If democracy, the rule of law, principles, values and democratic institutions are not respected here, then we are simply discussing in a vacuum,” said Fernando Carrillo Flores, first vice president of EL PAÍS’ publishing group PRISA, in a conversation with Michel Mouchette, director for Latin America. United Nations Development Program (UNDP) Caribbean region. Karim Lesina, Millicom. and Celedonio von Utenau of Nokia. “Connecting cables is definitely very important. Connecting infrastructure. But above all, we have to connect democratic principles, values and institutions,” he added in a debate moderated by Sebastian Nieto of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Development Centre.
Muschett agreed. “Today we are not talking about connectivity or digital issues. This is a conversation about democracy, development and the future of the region,” UNDP officials stressed. He pointed out that rapid technological evolution not only presents as a pressure point on the development trajectory, but also acts as a relief valve. It’s both a problem and a solution. More digital literacy and transparent data governance are needed as it impacts democracy, changes political discourse and increases polarization.
“We need simple rules that are predictable and don’t change,” asked Regina, Millicom’s external director for the private sector. “The companies and governments that are expanding artificial intelligence today will be the market leaders tomorrow, and for that period of time,” he predicted. Meanwhile, Nokia’s head of government relations in Latin America, von Utenau, said digitalization is a “great opportunity for countries to provide high-quality public services”, but warned that everything is possible thanks to networks, which are an expensive and important investment.
Mr. Carrillo regretted that there are currently no limits or sanctions for misinformation. “There is a brazen display of the power of technology,” he warned. “Professional, rigorous journalism that supports and verifies is the answer to all of this,” he added. And in that context, he concluded, cooperation between the European Union and Latin America is “very important”.
Latin America and the Caribbean face three major ‘development traps’: insufficient economic growth, high inequality due to low social mobility, and weak institutions due to ineffective governance. Furthermore, the region must combat climate change and move towards environmentally sustainable development. Digital transformation is the future and key to overcoming these challenges, report explains Connecting regions, bridging gaps, and building sovereigntyfrom the Carolina Foundation and the European Council on Foreign Relations. However, the digital divide is a structural problem in the region, which hinders the achievement of these goals, adds the working paper, which was developed precisely with the EU-CELAC summit in mind.
“The convergence of visions and goals between Latin America and the Caribbean and the European Union was materialized in the EU-LAC Digital Alliance, launched in March 2023 with the aim of revitalizing bi-regional cooperation,” the authors point out. The Alliance will establish political dialogue on digital governance, connectivity, the Copernicus Satellite Network, and the promotion of business digitization as part of its work. “In a context characterized by increasing international instability and geopolitical conflicts, the digital cooperation initiated between the EU and the countries of Latin America and the Caribbean has acquired new strategic importance,” the diagnosis states. “Instead of relying on unstable geopolitics dictated by US and Chinese interests, the EU and Latin America and the Caribbean have an opportunity to build an autonomous, interdependent and resilient co-operation zone.”
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