The High-Level Policy Dialogues of the Digital Alliance for Latin America and the Caribbean (EU-LAC), focusing on connectivity and artificial intelligence (AI), took place from November 5 to 6 as part of Digital Week. This event preceded the IX Ministerial Conference on the Information Society of Latin America and the Caribbean, organized by the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) in collaboration with the Government of Chile.
RedCLARA actively participated in these dialogues, which addressed key issues such as cross-border connectivity, digital governance, cooperation for development, and the implementation of emerging technologies in the region.
During his address, RedCLARA’s Executive Director, Luis Eliecer Cadenas, underscored cross-border connectivity as a foundational pillar for regional development. He highlighted the BELLA II project as an example, which facilitates the connection between Europe and Latin America through collaboration among the research and education networks of both regions, with support from the European Commission. “This project has demonstrated the feasibility of complex co-investment initiatives involving multiple stakeholders and an efficient governance model to consolidate investments,” Cadenas noted.
Cadenas also shared other connectivity initiatives in the region, led by RedCLARA and regional national research and education networks (NRENs), in collaboration with other sectors. These included the Humboldt submarine cable project, connecting Antarctica in a public-private partnership supported by the Chilean national network, REUNA, and the Amazon infovías, developed by Brazil’s national network, RNP, in partnership with Brazil’s Ministry of Science and Technology. He also mentioned connectivity projects along the Paraguay-Brazil and Bolivia-Brazil borders.
Cadenas emphasized the importance of multisectoral cooperation to maximize resources under the Digital Alliance. “Human connectivity among the private sector, governments, academia, and communities is essential for the sustainability and growth of projects,” he stated. In this regard, RedCLARA has promoted a model of investment and innovation consortia, with a special focus on the second phase of the BELLA project, which will benefit Central American countries and Peru.
In his remarks, Félix Fernández-Shaw, Director for Latin America and the Caribbean at the European Commission's Directorate-General for International Partnerships, emphasized the critical role of the EU-LAC Digital Alliance, launched in 2023 with the participation of 20 LAC countries and 27 EU countries. He highlighted five key work areas: artificial intelligence, connectivity, cybersecurity, data, and digital governance.
In this context, Fernández-Shaw stressed that the BELLA program has been essential in enhancing intercontinental connectivity. With its high-capacity infrastructure, it connects Europe and South America, promoting research exchange, AI, and other fields. “The expansion of the BELLA cable, now extending toward Central America and the Caribbean, will further strengthen collaboration between the two regions,” he affirmed.
Implemented by RedCLARA and co-funded by the EU as the second phase of the BELLA Program, BELLA II is a regional initiative that aims to reduce the digital divide and support the establishment and expansion of a Latin American and Caribbean digital ecosystem in science, technology, education, and innovation. In this sense, it facilitates partnerships and exchanges between companies, research centers, educational institutions, and academic networks in Latin America and Europe to contribute to the region’s development goals.
The BELLA II project serves as a transversal pillar of the EU-LAC Digital Alliance, a strategic effort to promote technological development and cooperation between the two continents. The other three pillars are policy dialogues, such as this one; the Earth observation program, Copernicus; and the Digital Accelerator. Fernández-Shaw explained that the “Digital Accelerator” initiative links major corporations with solutions to large-scale challenges in the Americas, and he highlighted the collaboration with the Copernicus system to address environmental issues like wildfires in Latin America, with centers in Panama and Chile.
Together, the Digital Alliance represents a strategic commitment to connectivity, innovation, and interregional cooperation, aiming to close the digital divide and ensure that all countries and people in Latin America and the Caribbean benefit from the digital transformation.
