The Asociación Latinoamericana de Instituciones Financieras para el Desarrollo (ALIDE) and Banco Nacional de Fomento (BNF), with the strategic support of the Banco Interamericano de Desarrollo (BID), S&P Global Market Intelligence, Agri-PDB Platform, and the Instituto Interamericano de Cooperación para la Agricultura (IICA), organized ALIDE’s 56th General Assembly, which was held from May 20 to 22, 2026, in Asunción, Paraguay.
This edition’s central theme was “Innovate, Invest, Include: Development Banking Driving Inclusive and Transformative Growth in the New Global Economic Scenario,” providing a space to reflect on the strategic role of development banking in addressing today’s challenges. Over three days, the program featured a broad agenda of activities, including plenary sessions, conferences, specialized panels, and side events focused on priority issues for the region’s sustainable development.
The Assembly brought together nearly 300 representatives from development finance institutions in the region and other parts of the world, further consolidating its role as a platform for dialogue, cooperation, and the development of proposals to address current and future challenges in development finance.
Documentation
Wednesday, May 20
Opening Session
Óscar Lovera
Minister of Economy and Finance of Paraguay
Opening Talks
Carlos Fernández Valdovinos
Ph.D. in Economics and Master’s Degree in Economic Policy and International Finance
First Plenary Session
Attracting, mobilizing and scaling up productive investments for development with job creation
Session Chairman/Moderator:
Anderson Caputo
Head of Connectivity, Markets and Finance Division, Inter-American Development Bank (IDB)
Panelists:
José Alberto Garzón
President, Banco de Comercio Exterior de Colombia S.A. (BANCOLDEX)
Barbara Schnell
Director for Latin America and the Caribbean, KfW-Development Bank
Marta Mulas
Director of Financial Cooperation and General Manager, FEDES/AECID
Helena Tenório
Director of People, IT, and Operations, Banco Nacional de Desenvolvimento Economico e Social (BNDES)
Esteban Pérez
Senior Economic Affairs Officer, Economic Development Division, Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC)
Session
Financial innovation, sustainable investment, and climate inclusion
Moderator:
Jessica Jacob
CEO, SURECO & Partners
Panelists:
Laurent Mélère
Senior task team leader, Agence française de développement (AFD)
Karla Esquinca
Senior Analyst, CPI Global
Dayana Vega
Partner, Director for Latin America, Global Factor
Javier Manzanares
CEO, Allen Manza
Luis Calle
Senior Executive, CAF-Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean
Side Events
Financial Inclusion for Women in MSMEs Through Development Banks: A Comprehensive, Innovative, and Scalable Approach
Organized by: AFD | Technical Committee of ALIDE for the Financing of MSME | BNF
Cómo mejorar las Inversiones a través de la administración del riesgo de crédito
Organized by: How to Improve Investments Through Credit Risk Management
Technological and Energy Sovereignty in Latin America in the Current Context
Organized by: ABDE | ALIDE
Role of Development Banks in Mobilizing Financing for Resilient and Nature-Positive Economies
Organized by: WWF
Session
Che Róga Porã Program “My Beautiful Home” – Access to First-Time Homeownership
Moderator:
Romy Calderón
Head of Economic Studies, ALIDE
Presentation: Juan Carlos Baruja
Minister of Urban Planning, Housing, and Habitat – MUVH, Paraguay
Panelists:
Carlos Ávalos
Member of the Board, Agencia Financiera de Desarrollo (AFD)
Nestor Crosta
Departmental Housing Manager, Banco Nacional de Fomento (BNF)
Pablo Oricchio
Vitalia – Real Estate Developer
Panel
Development of Local Capital Markets and Local-Currency Financing for Sustainable Development
Moderador:
Pablo Cheng Lu
President, Bolsa de Valores de Asunción
Block 1: Deepening the capital market and strengthening local-currency financing
Hugo Cáceres
Director of Supervision, Securities Superintendency of the Central Bank of Paraguay
Elias Gelay
President, Cadiem Brokerage Firm
Arnold Benitez
Director, Avalon Brokerage Firm
Block 2: Development banking as a catalyst for investment through strategic financial instruments
César Vargas
General Manager, Banco Nacional de Fomento (BNF)
Ulises Ruíz
Head of the Finance Unit, Nafin/Bancomext
Adrián Cosentino
President, Banco de Tierra del Fuego (BTF)
Thursday, May 21
Presentation
Innovation with a Purpose: The Role of Banks in Developing High-Productivity Startups
Second Plenary Session
From innovation and technological adoption to impact: fosteringt high productivity entrepreneurship
Session Chairman/Moderator:
Juan Cuattromo
President of ALIDE
Panelists:
Santiago De Filippis
Member of the Board, Banco Nacional de Fomento (BNF)
María Belén Loor
President, Corporación Nacional de Finanzas Populares y Solidarias (CONAFIPS)
Vanderleia Radaelli
Principal Specialist in Competitiveness, Technology, and Innovation, Inter-American Development Bank (IDB)
Presentation
World Bank Group Guarantee Platform: Role, Context, and Impact of Guarantees on the Achievement of Development Goals
Luiz Distrutti
Agent, Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA)
Victoria Manresa
Agent, Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA)
Presentation
ReDeCa: Strengthening Monitoring and Evaluation to Improve Decision-Making
Emil Salim
Coordinator of the Evaluation Capacity Building Program, OVE/IDB
José Claudio Pires
Coordinator of ReDeCA
Side Events
Innovative financial instruments and technical cooperation to expand financial inclusion by public agricultural development banks in agri-food systems
Organized by: IICA | AgriPDB Platform
Measuring Development in Financial Institutions in Latin America and the Caribbean
Organized by: BID
Opportunities for mobilizing climate finance through development banks in the LAC region
Organized by: Technical Committee of ALIDE for Environmental Financing | GIZ
Thematic Bonds in Latin America and the Caribbean: Catalyzing Financing for Sustainable Development
Organized by: GGGI
Conference
The three pillars of a sustainable economy
Daniel Schydlowsky
Economist and expert in banking regulation and development banking
Panel
Voices from the Caribbean – New Initiatives and Innovations
Moderator:
Lavern McFarlane
Economista Jefe, CARICOM Development Fund
Panelists:
Henry N. Anderson
CEO, Development Finance Corporation (DFC)
Alberto Guerrero
CREATIO – CRM and workflow platform with AI and no-code capabilities
Liza Niño
PDS Latam Client & Market Integration Head, Citi Latin America
Sandy Cameron
President, Suriname National Development Bank
Okechukwu Ihejirika
Ag. Chief Operating Officer, Afreximbank
Presentation
Artificial Intelligence and Banking: Governance and Ethical Considerations
Ignacio Tellería
Expert in Digital Transformation and AI for Scaling Operations and Growth Strategy
Presentaciones
Supporting economic and social development in emerging markets
Valentine Arino
Senior Officer, Business Partnerships and Programme Development, Cassa Depositi e Prestiti S.p.A. (CDP)
Innovation in driving sustainable finance, reporting and transparency
Daniela Cuéllar Müller
Head of the Sustainability Planning and Strategy Unit, Banco Nacional de Obras y Servicios Públicos, S.N.C. (Banobras)
ALIDE 2026 Awards Ceremony
Friday, May 22
Presentation
Release of India Exim Bank’s publication “India’s Economic Footprint in LAC: Trade and Investment Patterns and Opportunities” and business presentation on India Exim Bank’s Financing Portfolio
Session on Institutional Matters
Presentation
PEEB Cool – Innovative financing for sustainable buildings
Third Plenary Session
Strategic infrastructure resilient to climate change to mobilize investment and promote social inclusion
Session Chairman/Moderator:
Stella Guillén
President, Agencia Financiera de Desarrollo (AFD),
Panelists:
Amanda León
President, Crédito Agrícola de Habilitación (CAH)
César Vargas
General Manager, Banco Nacional de Fomento (BNF)
Degly Pava
Financial Vicepresident, Financiera de Desarrollo Nacional (FDN)
Davide Lione
Investment Officer, Cassa Depositi e Prestiti S.p.A. (CDP)
Francisco Fortuny
Oficial Senior de Inversiones, Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB)
Closing Session
Manuel Ochipintti
President of the Assembly
Press releases
ALIDE’s 56th General Assembly opened with an agenda focused on investing, innovating and including for the region’s development
May 2026.- The 56th Ordinary Meeting of the General Assembly of the Latin American Association of Development Financing Institutions (ALIDE) was inaugurated in Asunción, Paraguay, bringing together development banking leaders, multilateral organizations, and international experts to assess the challenges and opportunities facing Latin America and the Caribbean in a transforming global economic context. Under the motto “Investing, innovating and including for sustainable and resilient development,” the meeting seeks to promote the exchange of experiences and strengthen regional cooperation to foster more inclusive and sustainable growth. More information
ALIDE honored development banks driving innovation, sustainability and financial inclusion in Latin America and the Caribbean
May 2026.- During the 56th General Assembly of the Latin American Association of Development Financing Institutions (ALIDE), nine development finance institutions were recognized for initiatives aimed at strengthening digital transformation, expanding access to finance, promoting environmental sustainability, and accelerating financial inclusion across the region. During the ceremony, ALIDE also granted Banco Nacional de Costa Rica (BNCR) the Bank of the Year 2026 award, highlighting its leadership in sustainability, digital transformation, and financial inclusion. More information
ALIDE’s 56th General Assembly concluded with a regional agenda to drive investment, innovation and financial inclusion
May 2026.- Representatives of the member institutions of the Latin American Association of Development Financing Institutions (ALIDE) endorsed the Asunción Declaration during ALIDE’s 56th General Assembly. The document sets out the development banking sector’s main commitments to advance productive transformation, sustainability, financial inclusion, and regional cooperation in response to the challenges of the new global economic landscape. The Declaration underscores the importance of strengthening strategic investment, promoting innovation, and expanding opportunities for people, businesses, and territories as pillars of the region’s development. More information