The first CEPAS Conference, held in Santiago, Chile in 2025, highlighted a series of structural challenges that persist in Latin America, such as low economic growth, productivity constraints, persistent inequality, and the deterioration of security, as well as the growing impact of technological transformations and global geopolitical tensions on the region.

Building on this assessment, the second CEPAS Conference, organized by the Brazilian Center for International Relations (CEBRI) in Rio de Janeiro, proposes to reflect on the profound changes in global geopolitical dynamics and their particular impact on Latin America, especially as they affect principles of particular relevance to CEPAS, such as sovereignty, regional autonomy, the sustainability of democracy, and multilateralism.

In particular, the conference will seek to analyze Latin America’s external relations in light of the renewed prominence of hemispheric dynamics that point to a “Monroe Doctrine 2.0”, characterized by greater geopolitical pressures, strategic competition, and renewed forms of intervention and influence. In this context, the region’s interaction with Europe and China will be examined, as well as its engagement with Asian countries — particularly in Southeast Asia (ASEAN) — which are emerging as increasingly relevant fronts for diversifying partnerships and reducing vulnerabilities.

Considering the challenges arising from this context of great-power competition, the meeting will incorporate themes that have gained prominence among member centers — such as security, economic development, artificial intelligence governance, and the climate transition — linking them to a broader reflection on the role of think tanks in providing spaces for dialogue and in building collective responses aimed at greater regional coordination.