Latin America's Left Regimes Make Presence Felt In Davos

The annual meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland, may seem a strange destination for delegations from Latin America’s newly inaugurated leftist governments.

Photo Insert: Colombian President Gustavo Petro’s speech seemed more calibrated for a convention of leftists than bankers—stressed his desire to green Colombia’s economic model.

But the slow-growing region could benefit from foreign investment, and the event—where billionaires comfortably mingle—is a chance to court financing for their ambitious policy plans, Foreign Policy reported.

Top officials from Colombia and Brazil were among those who made the alpine trip, with Colombian President Gustavo Petro, once a guerrilla in subtropical Bogotá, bundling up in a plaid scarf to greet the Swiss snow.

The center-right presidents of Ecuador and Costa Rica were also in attendance.

Petro’s speech at a political leaders’ panel on Wednesday—delivered in a tone that seemed more calibrated for a convention of leftists than bankers—stressed his desire to green Colombia’s economic model.

Meanwhile, in an interview with Reuters, Colombian finance minister José Antonio Ocampo announced that his country aims to rally Latin American governments to agree to a corporate tax deal that is more far-reaching than one brokered in 2021 by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).

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