Latin American Port Leaders begin a tour of Spanish Ports

In an unprecedented initiative, PR PORTS and Maritime Policy Bureau, with the support of the Inter-American Commission on Ports - CIP, have started the “Mission of Latin American Port Leaders to Spain 2024”, within the framework of the Port Leaders Program.

This tour, which was inaugurated through a meeting with the State Port Authorities, marks a milestone in intercontinental collaboration for the maritime-port sector.

During this first stop in Madrid, the authorities of State Ports: Álvaro Rodríguez, President of State Ports; Pilar Parra, Corporate Director; Nuria Gaitón, Head of the International Relations Area, and Carmen Serrano, Head of the Deputy Department of International Relations, offered a warm welcome and presented a detailed overview of the Spanish port system, which is made up of 46 ports that position Spain as a key logistics platform. in international maritime transport, standing out for its efficiency and sustainability.

The presentation emphasized the keys to the success of Spanish ports, which stand out for efficient supply chain management, process automation, the development of modern infrastructure and a focus on sustainability and public-private cooperation, practices that , when adopted by Latin American ports, could mean a qualitative leap in their capacity, efficiency and competitiveness in global maritime trade.

It is worth noting that the authorities took advantage of the occasion to express their commitment to strengthening transatlantic ties and promoting the exchange of knowledge and technologies.

The delegation that will travel the “Mediterranean and Southern Routes” is made up of prominent members and authorities of the maritime-port sector of Latin America, such as: José María Lojo, President of the Management Consortium of Puerto La Plata (Argentina); Adrián Forte and Juan Carlos Fuente, Directors of the Bahía Blanca Port Management Consortium – PBB (Argentina); Federico Franchini, Engineering Manager at the Port of Bahía Blanca and Eugenia Tórtora, General Secretary of the same port; Luis Romano, International Logistics Manager of the Nestlé Group; Matha Ospino, Deputy Director of Commercial Management of the Regional Autonomous Corporation of the Río Grande de la Magdalena – CORMAGDALENA (Colombia), Dallanny Valbuena, Project Director of AECOM LATAM (Colombia); Iliana González Peñafiel, Executive Director of the Association of Private Terminals of Ecuador; David Rojas Arroyo, General Manager of the Port Authority of Puerto Bolívar (Ecuador); Ana Laura López Bautista, Former General Coordinator of Ports and Merchant Marine of Mexico; José Gerardo Monreal Cañedo, Head of Operations at the Mazatlán Maritime Terminal (Mexico), Gabriel Vejar Valenzuela, director of the Vejar Group (Mexico); Pablo Zamora Rodríguez, Director of the Port Consulting Consulting Firm (Mexico); Frank Mecklemburg, Commercial and TTC Manager of Terminal Internacional del SUR (Peru); Scarlet Rodriguez, Commercial Director at the Port Authority of the Dominican Republic; Germán Edoardo Gómez Larez, President of the National Institute of Aquatic Spaces – INEA (Venezuela); Naghle Mariano Andrade Acosta, Director of INEA; Iván Pérez Ocariz, General Manager of Port Management of INEA; Cheynger Porra Ponce, INEA Ports Manager; Abraxas Uzcátegui, Director of Human Talent at INEA; Erika Virguez: President of the Bolivarian Ports Company – BOLIPERTOS (Venezuela); Vladimir Quintero, General Manager of Port Operations of BOLIPUERTOS; Douglas Briceño, General Manager of BOLIPUERTOS, Darwin González General Director of Technology of BOLIPUERTOS; as well as Guimara Tuñón Guerra, Executive Director of Maritime Policy Bureau and Zulma Dinelli, President & CEO of PR PORTS, who complete this mission and had the opportunity to immerse themselves during this first stop in Spanish knowledge and experience in terms of port management. refers. This multidisciplinary team's main objective is to explore and adopt best practices and innovative technologies that drive efficiency and sustainability in their respective ports.

The “Mediterranean Route”, which will run from May 13 to 16, will focus on innovation and sustainability in port management, calling at key ports such as Valencia and Barcelona. Port leaders will participate in networking sessions, visit port facilities and experimental development centers.

Subsequently, the “Southern Route”, from May 21 to 24, will focus on strategic leadership in port operations, with visits to Huelva, Seville, Cádiz and Algeciras to explore the uniqueness of their river and sea ports.

The Latin American Mission to Spanish Ports 2024 is a platform for terminal leaders and managers, companies in the sector and Latin American port authorities to exchange ideas and experiences, strengthening the position of Latin America in the global arena and contributing to sustainable development.