The Young Professionals of the Americas (YPA) and Americas Quarterly hosted a discussion about the next generation of politicians in the region. Two millennial presidents and scores of legislators, mayors and governors are showing that the change of the guard has already started. What will this new generation bring to the table? This event launched the latest AQ special report on millennials in politics.
The program was held on November 2, 2022 at 6:30 p.m. ET at AS/COA’s New York headquarters.
Speakers:
- Andrea Moncada, journalist and political analyst @AMoncada_C
- Samuel Pérez, congressman, Guatemala @samuel_pz
- Brian Winter, editor-in-chief, Americas Quarterly @BrazilBrian
- Luiza Franco, editor and podcast producer, Americas Quarterly @luizavmf (moderator)
Andrea Moncada interviewed a dozen millennial politicians for her cover story in this issue, and observed that they share a feeling of frustration over unfulfilled promises of greater economic prosperity and an improved quality of life, but expressed a desire for incremental change, not revolution. Samuel Pérez discussed his experience as a young politician, noting that democratic deficits and irregular campaign financing in Guatemala and across the region are among the many barriers to youth entering politics. The panelists recommended that millennial politicians look to their elders for lessons on consensus-building and to Gen Z for its effective messaging on the streets and on social media.
