Atlas Network is pleased to present the the 2026 Latin America Liberty Award to Instituto Liberal de São Paulo (ILISP). The award was accepted by ILISP CEO Marcelo Faria at Latin America Liberty Forum 2026 in Lima, Peru.
In Brazil, excessive bureaucracy has long restricted opportunities for entrepreneurs, particularly small and low-income business owners seeking to operate legally.
Instituto Liberal de São Paulo’s Freedom to Work project has led the most ambitious civil-society effort in Brazil to implement the Economic Freedom Law at the state and municipal levels. The initiative enables low-risk entrepreneurs to operate without excessive permits and licensing requirements, removing barriers that once made formal work inaccessible to millions.
To date, the project has supported adoption or updates of the law in hundreds of municipalities and multiple states, benefiting more than 129 million Brazilians. Cities that have adopted the reform have experienced significant increases in job creation and new business formation, while state-level data shows measurable gains in investment and economic growth following regulatory simplification.
By reducing bureaucratic barriers and strengthening legal certainty, Freedom to Work is expanding access to formal employment and replacing informality with opportunity, dignity, and economic mobility.
“My grandfather worked until he could no longer walk because for him work meant dignity and freedom,” said ILISP CEO Marcelo Faria. "I started Livres to honor people like him—people who work hard, build with dignity, and are too often held back by systems that punish honest work.”
“No one should need permission to earn a decent living. The best social program is the freedom to work. This award is a very meaningful recognition for our team, and we are grateful for the support and partnership we have built with Atlas Network over the years.”
