The fifth regional summit of the Madrid Forum opened in Santiago, Chile, on 3–4 September with a lineup of prominent Latin American conservative and right‑wing figures and US policy operatives, according to the event’s promotional materials.
Organisers frame the meeting as a political statement
Organisers describe holding the summit in Chile as a symbolic choice, declaring that the selection of Santiago is intended to signal that “
the reconquest is possible.” The meeting coincides with the fourth anniversary of the Chilean vote rejecting a proposed new constitution, an anniversary the Forum highlights in its programme.
The Forum’s published schedule lists a number of high‑profile speakers and panelists. Among those slated to speak are Chile’s president, José Antonio Kast, and Argentina’s president, Javier Milei. The guest list also includes legislators and political figures from across Latin America: Tomás Zambrano, president of Honduras’s Congress; Peruvian deputy Norma Yarrow; Ecuadorian assemblywoman Diana Jácome; Colombian senator Enrique Gómez Martínez; and Venezuelan activist Alejandro Peña Esclusa.
US policy institutes and diplomats also prominent
The Forum’s programme gives visible roles to US policy institutes and representatives. Kevin Roberts of the Heritage Foundation is scheduled to deliver a special address. A closing panel titled “The Defence of the West” and other sessions bring together US and US‑linked speakers, including Eric Farnsworth from Continental Strategy, Brandon Judd, identified in the programme as the US ambassador to Chile, and Mike González of the Heritage Foundation. The Forum describes the Heritage Foundation as “the central policy institute of the American right since the presidency of Ronald Reagan in the 1980s,” noting it was founded in 1973.
The summit programme frames a series of panels that address the role of the United States in the region and broader questions of political direction across Ibero‑America. One panel listed in the schedule is titled: “The New Role of the United States in Ibero‑America”.
What the summit represents
The Forum’s materials and guest list indicate a concerted effort to coordinate conservative political actors across national borders. The summit pairs elected leaders and parliamentarians from several countries with think‑tank figures and US diplomatic representatives, signalling an attempt to forge policy and rhetorical alignment on shared priorities.
Conference organisers also draw on historical and political symbolism in their timing and site selection. The Santiago meeting intentionally coincides with anniversaries tied to Chile’s recent constitutional debate and the country’s 1973 coup era, which the Forum materials reference in framing the gathering’s purpose.
- Who is speaking: Presidents José Antonio Kast and Javier Milei, congressional and parliamentary figures from Honduras, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia and Venezuela.
- US involvement: Speakers from the Heritage Foundation and other US‑based policy organisations, and a US diplomatic representative listed on panels.
- Framing: The organisers present Chile as a symbolic venue and mark the summit with anniversaries linked to recent constitutional politics and historical memory.
| Speaker | Affiliation or role (as listed) |
|---|---|
| José Antonio Kast | President of Chile (scheduled speaker) |
| Javier Milei | President of Argentina (expected speaker) |
| Tomás Zambrano | President, Honduras Congress |
| Norma Yarrow | Deputy, Peru |
| Diana Jácome | Assemblywoman, Ecuador |
| Enrique Gómez Martínez | Senator, Colombia |
| Alejandro Peña Esclusa | Venezuelan political figure |
| Kevin Roberts | Heritage Foundation (special address) |
| Eric Farnsworth | Continental Strategy (panel) |
| Brandon Judd | US ambassador to Chile (panel) |
| Mike González | Heritage Foundation (panel) |
The event’s programme presents a mix of political leaders and what organisers describe as an “intellectual” apparatus, including policy institute representatives concentrated in US conservative networks. The prominence afforded to such organisations in the schedule underscores the Forum’s attempt to weld political actors to policy‑making circles.
International gatherings of this nature draw attention because they seek to build transnational alliances that may influence regional discourse and policy choices. The Santiago summit’s composition — sitting presidents, parliamentary figures and US policy actors — highlights the Forum’s ambition to be both a political and intellectual clearing house for like‑minded actors across Ibero‑America.
Reporting on the summit’s agenda and speaker list comes from the Forum’s own publicity and published programme, which set out the panels and participants scheduled for the two‑day meeting.
