Venezuela: CAF graduates over 100 new leaders in Governance

CAF Director of Governance and Technical Cooperation Elvira Lupo explained in her opening remarks that the purpose of the Program was to train an institutional critical mass of leaders and their teams in public management and political affairs.

The Program began in May last in the five Andean partner countries of the CAF, in alliance with the George Washington University and local universities. Venezuela was represented by the Andrés Bello Catholic University (UCAB). So far, 1,800 participants have graduated in the five Andean countries: four courses in Bolivia, two in Colombia, three in Ecuador, two in Peru, and two in Venezuela.

In the ceremony, two students, one from Caracas and another from the provinces, spoke in representation of the graduates. Participants also heard from UCAB Rector Father Luis Ugalde and CAF Executive Vice President Luis Enrique Berrizbeitia, who said that the Program originated from an invitation that the CAF made in 2000 to recognized politicians and intellectuals in the Andean subregion to evaluate the process of transforming the State, and the political changes of the last 20 years.

Berrizbeitia said that the evaluation found that democratic culture and ethical values were not sufficiently disseminated among the various social sectors, so it was necessary to stimulate innovative activities to promote these values and principles. He added that the process of modernization of the State had more complex characteristics that went beyond the economic reforms implemented so far. He recognized that without appropriate State institutions no progress could be made in the creation of competitive market economies.