Joseph Oughourlian: “Journalism helps us break the cycle of violence”

In a world where wars are ravaging international actors, regions that serve as bridges between opposing powers are becoming more important. Latin America can play an essential role in this area, although it must first solve its internal problems. The main one is security, both citizen and legal and territorial. To this end, experts advocate intensifying the fight against transnational crime and drug trafficking, without losing focus on human rights.

This is one of the central conclusions of the seminar The challenges of security in Latin America, organized by Grupo Prisa, publisher of EL PAÍS, the Carolina Foundation and the Toledo International Center for Peace (CITpax), and held this Thursday at the Casa de América headquarters in Madrid.

The event was attended by the president of Prisa, Joseph Oughourlian, who pointed out that insecurity is “the most serious problem affecting Latin America” and highlighted the group’s efforts to “work on projects of public interest and social issues.” He also stressed the importance of journalism in helping society “get out of the cycle of violence.” Oughourlian concluded: “The media is obliged to have intellectual rigor. This is how we look at the facts and how we can understand different positions.”

One of the central events of the session was the conversation between the former Colombian president and Nobel Peace Prize winner in 2016, Juan Manuel Santos, and the former Israeli Foreign Minister and vice president of CITpax, Shlomo Ben Ami, with Pepa Bueno, director of EL PAÍS, as moderator.

Santos opened the discussion with what he considers central to improving security in Latin America: supporting the elements that promote it from early childhood. “It is the best social investment for a country,” he said. He also explained how the experience in the peace process with the FARC guerrillas has changed his concept of violence. “I emerged in the world of politics because I was successful in the war as Minister of Defense, but I wanted to make peace. Shlomo [Ben Ami] “He convinced me when he made me think about whether I would rather have the legacy of continuing the war for political popularity than seeking peace.”

Ben Ami, who advised the peace process in Colombia, has given a more global perspective to the conversation, speaking about the “collapse of the world order” of the great empires after the end of the Cold War. “The American system of globalization is dismantled. We already know that it introduced many to well-being, but left many others behind and that fueled the populism to which we are subjected,” the expert said.

Both guests have stated that, in order for the fight against violence in Latin America to be successful, a balance must be found between security and respect for human rights. “Can peace be made in the midst of war? My answer is yes. People should not be treated as enemies but as adversaries, because enemies are eliminated and adversaries are defeated so that we can live with them for the rest of our lives,” Santos argued.

For his part, Ben Ami has warned of the “fragility of institutions” that promote the idea among the electorate that a heavy hand is the solution. “This is the case of El Salvador with Nayib Bukele. He believes that putting half the country in jail is the way to achieve peace,” he said ironically.

Another session of the seminar included the participation of Mariano Jabonero, Secretary General of the Organization of Ibero-American States for Education, Science and Culture, who received this year’s Princess of Asturias Award for International Cooperation. Jabonero pointed out that insecurity “is not an isolated problem” but rather “is a backbone” of all of Latin America. However, he pointed out that the manifestations are very different and so are their causes, which range “from childhood education to illegal immigration.”

At the same session, Nathalie Alvarado, head of the citizen security group at the Inter-American Development Bank, outlined some of the solutions her organization has implemented: “We are strengthening our work on security, with various forums supported by our European partners. For example, we have supported reintegration projects in countries such as Panama, Jamaica and Chile.” She added: “Some may have a pessimistic perception of our region, but we have the potential to solve global challenges.”

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