Study Group with Ambassador Mari Carmen Aponte: Strategic Trade Routes: Infrastructure and Diplomacy in the Global South

REGISTRATION IS CLOSED

The Global South contains several of the world’s most vital transportation channels that facilitate international commerce. The Panama Canal, Suez Canal, Strait of Malacca, and new Arctic passages are essential commercial conduits for the movement of goods and the economic interdependence of nations. But they are also more than that- they are strategic levers shaping diplomacy, defense and development. Their efficient operation affects overall trade stability and the prosperity of countries that rely on maritime exchange. Control and access to these routes carry profound implications for global trade and power dynamics.

The Panama Canal illustrates both remarkable engineering achievement and present-day challenges. Constructed in 1914 by the United States, and fully under Panamanian administration since 1999, the canal carries approximately 5 percent of global maritime traffic. Recent drought conditions have lowered water levels, restricting vessel capacity and creating widespread supply chain delays. 

This session will examine the intersection of infrastructure and diplomacy, the vulnerabilities of strategic trade routes, and the competitive dynamics of global investment. How does infrastructure support global trade where operational vulnerabilities exist, and how major investment initiatives are shaping the future of transport corridors in the Global South.

GUEST:
Dr. Ricaurte Vásquez, Administrator of the Panama Canal Authority

AUDIENCE: These conversations are open to members of the Harvard community. Please RSVP with a valid Harvard email address. 

OFF-THE-RECORD: In keeping with our long tradition at the IOP to ensure honest and candid discussions of politics, all IOP study groups are off-the-record.