Universidad de los Andes Student Wins #IdeasForTheFuture Essay Competition

Universidad de los Andes student María Gutiérrez Hurtado was the winner of the #IdeasForTheFuture competition in Colombia, an initiative of CAF—development bank of Latin America—in the framework of its 50th anniversary, and Banco de la República. The initiative aims to leave a record of the vision of young Ibero-Americans about the future of their countries.

In her essay “No Plastic Bags, With or Without State,” entered in the Public Policies for the Future category, María Gutierrez posits the challenge facing Colombia to implement public policies that ensure compliance with environmental regulations, given the high degree of informality of the economy. The author puts forward a set of proposals based on the case study of distribution of plastic bags across the country.

As the winner of the competition, Gutiérrez was congratulated by Carolina España, CAF representative in Colombia, and Juan José Echavarría, Manager of Banco de la República, and will be eligible for the USD 2,000 prize for the winner of the initiative at Ibero-American level, to be awarded during the CAF Conference in Quito, Ecuador, on November 7, 2019.

“Throughout its 50-year experience, CAF has actively promoted regional integration, sustained growth and improvement of living standards of Colombians. And what better way to celebrate our anniversary than by summoning young talent to exchange ideas on how to foster prosperity and inclusiveness in Colombia and the region,” said España. 

“It is an honor for Banco de la República to present the #IdeasForTheFuture Award, which compiles ideas from young university students on public policy, integration and innovation. The initiative was positively welcome, inspiring proposals from 34 universities nationwide, a clear sign of our ability to further deepen and strengthen academic coordination in Colombia,” said Juan José Echavarría, general manager of Banco de la República.

#IdeasForTheFuture is one of CAF’s 50th anniversary celebration activities, and promotes the exchange and discussion of ideas that help foster sustainable development and regional integration by encouraging the best university talents in Ibero-America.