The seminar “Stgo ’25: BRICS Opportunities for Chile” was held in Santiago, an open space for citizens to analyse, with rigour and a diversity of voices, the scenarios emerging from the new multipolar order.

The seminar aimed to promote open and honest dialogue on the role that Chile and Latin America should play in the transformation of the global order, viewed from a Southern perspective. The initiative was organised by the portal aquiensantiago.cl, in collaboration with TV BRICS and El Ciudadano, international media partners of the event.

The meeting featured the participation of prominent figures from the diplomatic, journalistic, academic, and civic sectors, including Rodrigo de Macedo Pinto, Chief Counsellor of the Political Sector of the Embassy of Brazil in Santiago; Anastasia Shishkalova, Head of the Latin America Cooperation Department at the TV BRICS International Cooperation Directorate (Moscow); Pablo Cuellar, International Editor at Meganoticias; Javier Pineda, Director of El Ciudadano; and Anatoly Gubin, Director of the Chile Unido Study Centre.

During the event, presentations were given on Brazil’s BRICS Presidency and the outcomes of the latest summit held in Rio de Janeiro, the role of the media and public opinion, Russian culture and its influence within the group, and the need to open new paths towards Latin American unity, alongside direct engagement with the audience.

Daniel Trujillo Rivas, Executive Director of aquiensantiago.cl and organiser of the event, stressed that “this seminar does not aim to convince but to offer tools for autonomous thinking. Our region needs to return to serious conversation about its destiny, and that begins by breaking free from mental dependency.”

For her part, Anastasia Shishkalova, Head of the Latin America Cooperation Department at the TV BRICS International Cooperation Directorate, highlighted the growing interest that Latin America is showing towards the BRICS group.

“Latin America is showing growing interest in BRICS. As of this year, Cuba and Bolivia have obtained partner country status. Colombia has joined the BRICS New Development Bank. And there is reason to believe that the trend towards greater engagement and deepening of the partnership will continue.”

She also underscored the importance of media partnership and information exchange between Latin American media and the countries of the group, noting that more and more outlets from the region have expressed their intention to join the TV BRICS International Media Network.

Through presentations and debates, a range of perspectives were shared on the opportunities and challenges represented by a possible closer relationship with the BRICS group, inviting Chilean society to reflect on its options in the field of foreign policy and international cooperation.

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