Atlas Network is proud to present the 2024 Latin America Liberty Award to Asociación Argentina de Contribuyentes (AAC). The award was accepted by Executive Director Jonas Torrico at Latin America Liberty Forum 2024 in San José, Costa Rica.
The Latin America Liberty Award is part of the “Templeton Freedom Award” prize program sponsored by Templeton Religion Trust—named for the late investor and philanthropist Sir John Templeton. In addition to Latin America, the program sponsors awards in Europe, Africa, Asia, North America, and the Middle East & North Africa. Its grand prize, the Templeton Freedom Award, is presented annually at Atlas Network’s Liberty Forum & Freedom Dinner in New York City. In 2024, the prize program will award $270,000 in grants to high-achieving organizations that make innovative contributions to economic freedom and human progress.
Argentinians have suffered for years under the second highest tax burden in the world, but that is starting to change thanks to Asociación Argentina de Contribuyentes (AAC). The organization united a multipartisan coalition behind eliminating a monthly tax on credit card statements and even returning the tax’s proceeds to taxpayers, a victory unprecedented in recent Argentine history. The tax repeal represents US$300 million in annual savings for 3 million people, and it helped put AAC in the national spotlight after President Milei endorsed their work on tax reform.
This year’s two runners-up are Centro de Investigacion Looking (Peru) and Instituto de Estudos Empresariais (Brazil).
“The Latin American freedom movement continues to get stronger and more ambitious,” said Atlas Network CEO Brad Lips. “More countries are turning away from the “pink tide” demagogues who wound up washing away opportunities for regular citizens. More are listening to the local ‘ideas entrepreneurs’ that Atlas Network is proud to celebrate. They’re exposing young people in Peru to market-based solutions to environmental challenges. They’re changing the policy discourse in Brazil around the value of entrepreneurship. They’re securing relief for millions of people from unjust taxes in Argentina.”
