The state of democracy in the Pan-Amazon region will be the central focus of the eighth session of the Cardinal Claudio Hummes Chair, a space for reflection and dialogue promoted by the Amazonian University Program (PUAM) and its strategic partners, which seeks to generate contributions from the territories toward the construction of more just, participatory, and intercultural societies.
Titled “Democracy in the Pan-Amazon Region”, the webinar will take place on June 24, 2026, in a virtual format, and will bring together social leaders, church leaders, academics, and representatives of organizations committed to the present and future of the Amazon region.
The session will be based on the findings of AUSJAL’s Observatory for Democracy in Latin America, an initiative of which PUAM is a part, which has gathered the perceptions of social and community leaders from Brazil, Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Venezuela regarding the current state of democracy in their territories.
The results reveal a complex reality: although democracy continues to be valued as a fundamental principle for social coexistence, it is also perceived by broad sectors as a distant and fragile experience, affected by structural problems such as poverty, corruption, racism, violence against women, insecurity, and the growing influence of organized crime.
Against this backdrop, the meeting will seek to open an in-depth dialogue on the tensions affecting democratic processes in the Amazon and the possibilities for strengthening forms of governance that are more attuned to the realities of Amazonian peoples.
Among the topics to be addressed are the diverse conceptions of democracy present in Latin America and the Amazon, contrasting institutional approaches with the concrete experiences of communities. Additionally, the session will reflect on citizen participation, interculturality, social justice, the defense of collective rights, and the challenges facing these territories in the face of weakening trust in democratic institutions.
The session will feature Yajaira Curipallo, Azul Aguiar, and Mauricio López, who will share their perspectives based on territorial work, research, and ecclesial action in the region. Alejandra Espinosa will moderate the discussion.
Beyond an analysis of the current situation, the webinar aims to identify lessons, experiences, and proposals that contribute to strengthening a democracy built from the ground up, capable of responding to the social, cultural, ecological, and political challenges facing the Pan-Amazon region.
A legacy that continues to inspire
The Cardinal Claudio Hummes Chair was inspired by the life and legacy of one of the great champions of listening to the Amazonian peoples and of the synodal path of the Church in the region. From this perspective, the initiative seeks to create academic and advocacy spaces that allow for a response to the cries of historically excluded communities and strengthen processes of promoting and defending rights.
In harmony with the four dreams of the apostolic exhortation *Querida Amazonía*—social, cultural, ecological, and ecclesial—the Chair promotes the convergence of academic knowledge, pastoral experiences, and the ancestral wisdom of the Amazonian peoples, contributing to the development of alternatives for a more just, sustainable, and participatory Amazon region.
Webinar Details
📅 June 24, 2026
🕕 6:00 PM (Bogotá, Quito, and Lima)
💻 Virtual format
🎙️ Panelists: Yajaira Curipallo, Azul Aguiar, and Mauricio López
🎤 Moderator: Alejandra Espinosa
🔗Registration: https://puam.org/catedra-claudio-hummes/
The invitation is open to anyone interested in understanding the current challenges facing democracy in the Pan-Amazon region and in contributing to the development of pathways toward participation, justice, and governance from the ground up.