Miami, October 30, 2025 – Miami Dade College (MDC) will once again host the Presidential Dialogue, celebrating its tenth anniversary this year under the theme “Latin America and the End of Its Dictatorships.” The gathering will bring together former heads of state, democratic leaders, scholars, and international figures on Wednesday, November 12, 2025, at MDC’s Wolfson Campus in Downtown Miami. The program will be conducted in Spanish and English, with simultaneous translation available.
“At Miami Dade College, we reaffirm our unwavering commitment to democratic governance and to the defense of institutions that guarantee the freedom and progress of our communities,” said Madeline Pumariega, President of Miami Dade College. “We are deeply honored to host the X Presidential Dialogue and to contribute, through education and the free exchange of ideas, to the strengthening of more just, free, and participatory societies.”
Organized by Miami Dade College and the Democratic Initiative of Spain and the Americas (Grupo IDEA), in collaboration with the Cátedra Mezerhane at Miami Dade College, Instituto Atlántico de Gobierno, and the Institute for Freedom in the Americas, the X Presidential Dialogue will explore Latin America’s political transformation, the threats of transnational crime, and prospects for a new regional democratic pact.
Participating Presidents and Leaders
- Luis Almagro – Former Secretary General of the Organization of American States
- José María Aznar – Former President of the Government of Spain
- Laura Chinchilla – Former President of Costa Rica
- Federico Franco – Former President of Paraguay
- Luis Alberto Lacalle Herrera – Former President of Uruguay
- María Corina Machado – 2025 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate
- Jamil Mahuad Witt – Former President of Ecuador
- Andrés Malamud – University of Lisbon
- Hipólito Mejía – Former President of the Dominican Republic
- Andrés Pastrana – Former President of Colombia
- Rosa María Payá – Cuban Civil Society Leader
- Jorge “Tuto” Quiroga – Former President of Bolivia
- Álvaro Uribe – Former President of Colombia
- Berta Valle – Nicaraguan Journalist and Activist
Preliminary Program – Wednesday, November 12, 2025
General Registration: http://bit.ly/3JtLrV6
8:00 – 9:15 a.m. | Registration
9:00 – 9:30 a.m. | Official Opening of the X Presidential Dialogue
- Madeline Pumariega, President, Miami Dade College
- Nelson J. Mezerhane Gosen, Trustee, IDEA Democrática Foundation; Editor, Diario Las Américas
- Asdrúbal Aguiar, Secretary General, Grupo IDEA
9:30 – 9:45 a.m. | Opening Remarks
9:45 – 10:15 a.m. | Introductory Panel: “The End of Dictatorships”
10:15 – 10:30 a.m. | Thematic Conference: “The Real Domains of Globalization and Their Geopolitical, Financial, and Institutional Impacts”
10:30 – 11:30 a.m. | Panel 1: “The Global Geopolitical Crisis: Possible Foundations for a New Democratic Pact in Latin America”
11:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. | Panel 2: “Narcoterrorism Threats to Freedom”
12:00 – 12:15 p.m. | Official Closing of the 10th Presidential Dialogue
Event Details
WHAT: X Presidential Dialogue: “Latin America and the End of Its Dictatorships”
WHEN: Wednesday, November 12, 2025
WHERE: MDC Wolfson Campus Auditorium, Building 1, 2nd Floor, 300 N.E. 2nd Avenue
WORKING MEDIA: RSVP is required. Please complete this form to request credentials.