We are living in particularly complex and challenging times. Energy development today unfolds in a scenario marked by persistent geopolitical tensions, an increasingly urgent environmental agenda, and unprecedented technological acceleration. Energy today, more than ever, stands at the core of national security, economic competitiveness, and the social stability of our countries.
The decisions we make today in the energy sector will not only define our development trajectories but will also directly impact the quality of life of our societies and the well-being of future generations.
The guiding principle is to continue advancing the decarbonization of our economies. To achieve this, it is imperative to move forward with the electrification of energy consumption. At the same time, it requires recognizing the strategic role of low-emission molecules—such as low-emission hydrogen, synthetic fuels, and biofuels—while paying attention to new technological solutions that contribute to this effort.
This transition requires not only diversifying energy sources but also modernizing networks, improving demand management, deepening energy efficiency, and strengthening regional integration.
In this challenging context, Latin America and the Caribbean hold a position of comparative advantage at the global level. Our region possesses conditions that no other region combines to the same extent.
Today, nearly 70% of the electricity generated in the region comes from renewable sources, far above the global average. We are leaders in hydropower and have made strong progress in solar and wind energy. Together, these two sources now account for 20% of the electricity produced in the region.
Not only do we possess some of the world’s best solar, wind, and hydropower resources, but we are also endowed with strategic reserves of critical minerals—such as copper and lithium—essential for energy storage, electrification, and transition technologies.
The period now concluding has been key to consolidating OLACDE as a regional technical and political reference:
i) We significantly advanced the international projection of our organization by strengthening energy diplomacy efforts, enabling Latin America and the Caribbean to participate with its own voice in global energy debates. To this end, we reinforced our presence in multilateral forums—an action that is today more important than ever.
ii) We actively promoted regional energy integration, both electric and gas-based. In this regard, we fulfilled our role as Technical Secretariat in regional integration processes such as CELAC and the Brasília Consensus. We also created the Regional Energy Planning Council, a strategic space designed to think long-term and develop planning beyond domestic markets.
iii) In terms of institutional strengthening:
a) we created the OLACDE Business Council, institutionalizing public–private dialogue as a key platform to support the energy transition in our region;
b) we incorporated the European Union as a Permanent Observer; and
c) we gave explicit visibility to our Caribbean identity by incorporating it into the name of our Organization, now called OLACDE.
The period that begins requires us to act with strategic clarity, a sense of urgency, and a deeply regional vision. The management plan that will guide our work is one of continuity, but also of deepening and projection:
i) We will strengthen regional technical cooperation, including South–South and triangular cooperation. OLACDE will continue to serve as a trusted platform for mobilizing knowledge, capacities, and resources, with special attention to countries with lower levels of development and to the Caribbean.
ii) We will place special emphasis on energy security, access, and equity. We will continue working to close energy access gaps, promote solutions for vulnerable communities, and advance clean cooking initiatives, making energy a driver of inclusion and social cohesion.
iii) For this reason, we have created our program “Energy that Powers Opportunities”, aimed at bringing both our organization and energy closer to people’s daily lives, delivering concrete solutions with direct impact on communities and territories.
iv) We will incorporate into our activities emerging issues that are increasingly prominent in the energy agenda, such as energy storage, grid digitalization, electromobility, artificial intelligence, among others.
v) We will continue promoting regional electricity and gas interconnections, regulatory convergence, and long-term regional energy planning. Integration does not mean giving up sovereignty. It means exercising it more effectively and efficiently. It means transforming our energy diversity into a shared strength.
