Former President of Chile and now a pioneering diplomat, keynote speaker Ricardo Lagos continues to address our most pressing challenges. A scintillating political speaker, Ricardo Lagos draws on a lifetime of courageously asserting the ideals of democracy and diplomacy.

When a military dictatorship overthrew Chile’s elected government in 1973, Ricardo Lagos set aside his law degree and PhD. Returning from exile in Argentina, he became the de facto leader of Chile’s opposition to dictator Augusto Pinochet.

Years later, he led the Party for Democracy, which he founded, to victory in national elections. Patricio Aylwin, a more seasoned politician than Lagos, became president, and Pinochet’s reign was over. Lagos became Minister of Education and later Minister of Public Works, helping to rebuild Chilean institutions after democracy returned.

Ten years after Aylwin’s victory, Lagos himself was elected President of the Republic of Chile. His administration enacted constitutional reforms, overhauled the country’s infrastructure, and built a highly effective national health system. He also addressed Pinochet’s legacy with the Valech Report and through compensation to victims of human rights violations.

Following his six-year term in office, Lagos stepped down to pursue a career in diplomacy. He founded the Consejo de Relaciones Internacionales de América Latina y El Caribe and was president of the Club de Madrid. He also taught at Brown University and served as a UN Special Envoy for Climate Change.

Now a leading member of the Fundación Democracia y Desarrollo, Lagos continues his lifelong advocacy of equitable, sustainable economic development.