Ahead of 2023 Latin America Liberty Forum, Atlas Network Announces Finalists for Latin America Liberty Award
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The three finalists for this year's Latin America Liberty Award are Chile’s Fundación P!ensa (represented by Executive Director Juan Pablo Rodriguez); Colombia’s Instituto de Ciencia Política Hernán Echavarría Olózaga (represented by Academy Coordinator Juanita Solano Botero); and Brazil’s Instituto Liberal de São Paulo (represented by founder Marcelo Faria). The winner will be announced at Latin America Liberty Forum on March 23–24. This event will be hosted primarily in Spanish, but translators will also be available in English and Portuguese. More information can be found here.
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 Africa, Asia, Europe, North America, and the Middle East and North Africa. Its grand prize, the Templeton Freedom Award, is presented annually at Atlas Network’s Liberty Forum and Freedom Dinner in New York City. This year, the prize program will award $270,000 in grants to high-achieving organizations that make innovative contributions to economic freedom and human progress.
Fundación P!ensa (Chile)
When a constitutional referendum proposed throwing out Chile’s long-standing guarantees of checks and balances in government, Fundaciòn P!ensa mobilized to engage undecided voters. Its campaign, “P!ensa tu Constitutiòn,” reached more than 2.5 million Chileans. Working together with Atlas Network partners nationwide, voters heard Fundaciòn P!ensa’s message and decisively rejected the new constitution.
Instituto de Ciencia Política Hernán Echavarría Olózaga (Colombia)
Colombia is one of many Latin American countries threatened with deteriorating democratic institutions, but Instituto de Ciencia Política Hernán Echavarría Olózaga is determined to win the future for liberal democracy through the battle of ideas. Their nonpartisan “Academia ICP” trains university students, policymakers, journalists, and other engaged citizens on civic and entrepreneurial principles. In recent years, ICP has equipped more than 20,000 people with pro-freedom educational tools.
Instituto Liberal de São Paulo (Brazil)
Unemployment in Brazil has fallen to its lowest level in nearly eight years, and Instituto Liberal de São Paulo is a major reason why. Its support for Brazil’s Economic Liberty Law allows workers to enter hundreds of different types of low-risk jobs without burdensome government licensing. By mapping cities and states across Brazil that lacked such opportunities, Instituto Liberal de São Paulo convinced leaders in 52 municipalities to make more professions accessible to workers and entrepreneurs, benefiting over five million Brazilians to date.
“Across Latin America, think tanks are stepping up to prove that economic freedom is the secret to creating inclusive prosperity,” said Atlas Network CEO Brad Lips. “Atlas Network is proud to nominate these wonderful organizations for the Latin America Liberty Award and to celebrate the example they set for a region that has been facing rising illiberalism. From Brazil to Chile and Colombia, independent think tanks like our nominees are playing a vital role in charting the path to greater freedom and prosperity.”