Opinions

At least 30 people have died in Venezuela in the street protests between pro- and anti-government supporters of the past month. The economy, plagued by shortages and high inflation, is in near freefall. Politically, the polarisation long fomented by both the socialist government and the opposition has deepened even further.

Distrust, intolerance and confrontation have become the norm; how else to understand a recent ruling that banned websites deemed “harmful to the Venezuelan people”? Amid the disturbances, calls for political justice or ideology have also lost their old resonance – for both sides. The situation is no longer tenable, and it cries out for attention and help from the international community. So far, it has largely ignored Venezuela’s terrible plight.

The challenges of achieving meaningful dialogue are huge. The incendiary atmosphere makes it especially difficult for what I call “The Two Venezuelas” – one in favour of the government, the other against – to talk to each other. Efforts by both sides have so far been half-hearted, or duplicitous. Nevertheless, resolution of the country’s colossal problems requires a truly consensual project.

To begin with, both sides need to recognise the legitimacy and significance of the other, and, despite their differing national visions, to meet on common ground: their love for Venezuela and the desire to build a better future.

This better future, which Venezuelans of all socio-political persuasions can surely agree on, is a country where all opinions count, where human rights support democratic rule, and where minority rights and long term stability are nurtured. It is a country where parents can spend their time cultivating their children as good citizens instead of waiting half a day in queues to buy their groceries. It is a country where walking in the streets is safe and enjoyable, instead of fraught with peril as it often is now. It is a country that gives its youth the possibility of dreams, and where journalism is not a life-threatening profession. In brief, it is a country where everyone has the right to speak, and be listened to respectfully, and where that rich dialogue engenders growth of all kinds.

With so many currently mourning the loss to violence of beloved family members and friends, Venezuela’s crisis needs to become a defining moment that sparks a collective effort to resolve a conflict that touches all citizens – not just the government or the opposition. The country has, in the past, demonstrated the political maturity needed to establish common ground. It must do so again. Gifted minds that prioritise the future over the past and can focus on the task at hand rather than the losses suffered or the obstacles faced, will be the architects of that consensus. But to create consensus, bridges first need to be built trough honest dialogue.

Overcoming polarisation is the most urgent task. Unfortunately, the conflict has left the country void of honest brokers. Amid so much division, no single institution or individual is considered the depository of righteousness. And at a time when such a figure is so essential, Venezuela lacks an arbiter who loves our nation, understands its complexity and enjoys the deep knowledge of our history needed to propose consensus-building formulas that would be acceptable to all. The country is in dire need of a mediator whose work and deeds are inspired by a deeply felt conviction to seek the best for all and to set us on a path to a better future. The delegation dispatched to Caracas by the Union of South American Nations with the mission of promoting dialogue is a start, but is far from enough.

Perhaps His Holiness Pope Francis and wise Vatican diplomacy could be Venezuela’s salvation. Pope Francis could bring to a halt the nation´s destructive journey. Signs abound of his suitability for such a role: from the internal messages he  has sent to his representatives in the country, to his expressions of concern over the violent turn that student protests have taken. “I beg all parties in conflict to seek peace and understanding,” the Pope has said. “I call on all the Venezuelan people, beginning with those with institutional and political responsibilities, to unite in seeking national reconciliation through mutual pardon and sincere dialogue and respect for truth and justice as the medium to achieve the common good”.

Opinions differ over who is responsible for what in Venezuela, or how things arrived at this disastrous point. But what seems self-evident and unquestionable is that the status quo is unsustainable. Both sides need to show good will by releasing all political prisoners, by ending all street barricades, and by lowering all voices of confrontation. If the Vatican’s diplomacy can facilitate those initial steps, talks to reconcile Venezuelans around real solutions to profound problems can begin — which is what Pope Francis is praying for. Let’s take his prayer to heart.

Interviews

I would like to share with you another interesting interview by Bloomberg of my daughter Adriana as the new CEO of Cisneros. In the interview, she mentions relevant aspects of our future plans and the niche markets with the greatest potential for the organization’s growth. Adriana clearly states that her focus is on Latin America, where there are markets very favorable for expansion, as well as her goal to bolster our status as a leader in Spanish-language TV. How can that be achieved? Through new acquisitions, expanding our production companies and capitalizing on the growth of e-commerce in Latin America. I am convinced that’s precisely the most promising course for Cisneros, with Adriana at the helm, representing a new generation of leadership and knowledgeable of the digital tendencies from which new platforms and formats have originated like digital advertising, which is currently experiencing the highest rate of growth in Latin America and where there are markets with great potential. In this interview, she also mentions a number of our other investments, including Tropicalia, our real estate project in the Dominican Republic, and Miss Venezuela.  The latter was exemplified to demonstrate how to generate greater growth in existing companies while expanding their digital reach.

I invite you to see the interview through the link below:

Cisneros’s First Female CEO Seeks Latin America Expansion by Adriana Cisneros

Interviews

I would like to share with you a very good article The Miami Herald wrote about my daughter Adriana as the new CEO of Cisneros.

Published on October 28th, the article very well presents the challenges she has taken on in her new role, as well as the way she has prepared herself to face them. The journalist, Cindy Krisher Goodman, mentions several strategic points that I consider will be driving force behind Adriana´s leadership in the coming years: the first is innovation, which began a few years ago with her own initiative to create the company´s digital division; this marked the beginning of a restructuring that would ultimately establish three new corporate divisions: Cisneros Media, Cisneros Interactive, and Cisneros Real State. The second is to continue the company’s expansion, which produced optimal results in the ‘80s and ‘90s, and now presents a new challenge for Adriana; and the third is to transcend frontiers, conquer new territories, and increase audiences across the different formats in a world where creating relevant content has become a very competitive business.

The article also addresses the issue of successions in family businesses in Latin America, and how it has been a priority for our organization, a process meticulously organized and appropriately planned in Adriana’s case.  She now devotes a portion of her time to contemplate how to engage the next generation in the business, and envision the type of company we want to be in the future.

I invite you to read it:   

 

The new face of Cisneros by Gustavo Cisneros

Opinions

 

My father, Diego Cisneros, was a man who made a big impact on the Venezuelan business world.  As an entrepreneur, he paved the way for creating industries, promoting democracy, and also strived to improve education, all of which helped lead Venezuela into modernity.

Diego Cisneros’ legacy is part of our core, and it will continue to be the stepping-stone of what Cisneros is today; our philosophy and our way of doing business.

This is why we pay a tribute to this great dreamer, a businessman who knew how to make any idea come true.  This is a homage to this visionary who, with brains, a heart and courage founded what is today one of the most important media and entertainment groups of the world.

Without a doubt, my father’s story is worth telling; in fact, it is an inspiring story that I would like to share with you today.

Opinions

  It gives me great pride to appoint my daughter Adriana as the new CEO of Cisneros.  She is the third generation to lead our company.       

This moment has taken me back to when I took over Cisneros under very different circumstances.  I was 25 years old and my father, Diego Cisneros, had  just passed away. From that moment on, thanks to my father’s extraordinary lessons, and the support of his executive team and that of my brothers and sisters, I was able to take on the challenges of corporate expansion and diversification, which yielded incredible gains and consequently transformed us into  a global company.

Patty and I are incredibly pleased and proud of Adriana, and we know that under her leadership, Cisneros will explore new paths and with the support of  a deeply rooted tradition and an ideal team, she will be able to face a complex and challenging ever-changing wor

It gives me great pride to appoint my daughter Adriana as the new CEO of Cisneros.  She is the third generation to lead our company.

This moment has taken me back to when I took over Cisneros under very different circumstances.  I was 25 years old and my father, Diego Cisneros, had  just passed away. From that moment on, thanks to my father’s extraordinary lessons, and the support of his executive team and that of my brothers and sisters, I was able to take on the challenges of corporate expansion and diversification, which yielded incredible gains and consequently transformed us into  a global company.

This step has been very different for Adriana. She joined Cisneros more than seven years ago and spent the past four years as Vice Chairman and Director of Strategy; which has allowed her to prepare for this new endeavour. During her tenure, Adriana took our company to another level, leading our expansion in the digital world, developing new lines of business, creating strategic global partnerships and fostering an innovative approach to Corporate Social Responsibility that is linked to each of our business units.

Adriana thoroughly understands that for a family business to endure  time throughout  several generations, she must presistently favor change, with innovation at the helm, while preserving the fundamental values that  were instilled by my father  since our company’s beginnings and that have provideda solid foundation,  and the reliability and excellence for which we have distinguished ourselves, and that have  allowed all our companies to flourish along with a invaluable human capital.

Patty and I are incredibly pleased and proud of Adriana, and we know that under her leadership, Cisneros will explore new paths and with the support of  a deeply rooted tradition and an ideal team, she will be able to face a complex and challenging ever-changing world.   

CSR

The Colección Orinoco opened at the Museo Gaiás in Santiago de Compostela a few days ago. It is one of the most representative samples of the Latin American ethnographic world, and has been shown in several European countries -Germany, France, Switzerland, Czech Republic, Finland, Russia, Denmark and Slovenia- where it has been extraordinarily well received.

The exhibition arrives in Spain for the first time, which is significant for several reasons. First, because of the close ties we have with this country: friendship, tradition, business and even our own last name.

Second, because taking the Colección Orinoco to the Iberian Peninsula, and thus sharing with countless visitors an essential reality of the Venezuelan national identity, is for me paying homage to the 12 ethnic groups that have populated the Amazon jungle in the south of Venezuela.  These groups have enriched the country’s cultural heritage with their rituals, customs and natural knowledge.

Third, because opening Orinoco in the magnificent spaces of the Gaiás Museum in Santiago de Compostela is the accomplishment of a project that involves more than 30 years of work, the collection of objects, research, and the documentation of a magical area and the extraordinary abundance of its most genuine natural beauty. To be able to offer all of this now to a country that centuries ago witnessed the transformation of these same inhabitants fills us with pride and satisfaction.

Opinions

Behind a free trade agreement there is a clean and honest purpose to  gather people together… I heard this phrase from the Peruvian economist, Hernando de Soto, and I think that it perfectly describes the spirit of regional integration that we have sought in Latin America for decades.

It is true that over the years we have made several attempts to achieve integration, signing a wide range of cooperation and commercial agreements, but so far we have not reached that goal. It is for this reason that during my recent participation in a forum with business leaders from Latin America, I emphasized on the factors that I consider essential to achieve it, such as the establishment of shared goals, vision, and capacity for commitment, leadership, clear regulations, efficient enforcement mechanisms and, above all, sustained political will.

An example of what we should aim to is the Pacific Alliance, because I believe that this agreement signed by Chile, Colombia, México and Peru is perhaps the closer effort to what it should be a real integration in the region.

This Alliance seeks to gradually achieve the free transit of goods, services, capitals and people, and is moving forward towards that direction, with the elimination of visas among its members, and the plan to open joint embassies. It is certainly a great example of vision and unity towards a common goal for our continent that we should follow closely and help replicate.

CSROpinions

I was deeply glad to receive the invitation to participate in Babson Founder’s Day, an activity organized by the Babson College Alumni Club of South Florida, and its oldest tradition since 1947. The occasion recognizes Babson´s founder and first president, Roger W. Babson, and gathers new generations of students with graduates who have become leaders of organizations of great relevance worldwide.

Through a video message, I told future students of my Alma Mater, as well as other graduates, the principles that have been the basis for the expansion, consolidation and globalization of the Cisneros Group, which are closely linked to the ones instilled by Babson to its students, such as leadership, integrity, responsibility and entrepreneurial vision.

Our President and CEO, Steven Bandel, who attended the event on my behalf, shared with the participants our philosophy and the way the Cisneros Group has evolved in eight decades.

This is not the first time I participate in activities with Babson College members; in 1981 I was elected as member of the Academy of distinguished entrepreneurs, and three decades later, I have reaffirmed the principles we shared at that time, which today represent my own philosophy. That is the reason why I would like to share with you my words of that moment, which I found more current than ever: Gustavo Cisneros’ speech: Academy of Distinguished Entrepreneurs (April 15, 1981)

CSR

I am immensely pleased with the recent opening of the exhibition “La Invención Concreta” in the Museo Reina Sofia of Madrid for two reasons. The first one has to do with the fact that it is the most comprehensive exhibition of the Colección Patricia Phelps de Cisneros (CPPC) held so far, and it is also the first time that this Collection has been shown in Europe. This has significance that is extremely important for us. Ever since we started our activities in the Fundacion Cisneros back in the 80s, our goal has always been to contribute to education, and the CPPC has been part of it. Today I can say that educational programs that we developed with great success in Venezuela and other countries of the Americas have reached educational communities of Peru, Argentina, Chile, Dominican Republic, Costa Rica, Mexico and even the Antarctic.

Thus, to be able to take 200 art works to the Reina Sofia Museum, one of the largest in Europe, is to give continuity to this conviction and commitment we have with education.  The fact that people from different countries of the world can walk the halls of the Reina Sofia and enjoy  magnificent works of renowned artists like Cruz Diez, Joaquin Torres Garcia, Gego, Helio Oiticica, Lygia Clark and many others, is to offer a new vision of Latin America and its artistic  evolution. Moreover, this exhibition also features parallel activities for much of this year, which will enable the Reina Sofia visitors to participate in artistic and intellectual exchanges between Spain and Latin America, as well as the development and evolution of modernity and vanguard in our continent. Furthermore, La Invención Concreta goes far beyond the exhibition because it offers the public all kinds of interactive experiences within a large multimedia program that provides didactic information for each art work.

The second reason that makes me feel extremely satisfied with this exhibition is that as I mentioned sometime ago in an interview, I am convinced that this is the decade of Latin America.  To be able to contribute to it, enabling public from all over the world learn about the development of Latin American modernity, is something that makes me deeply proud.

I invite you to explore the exhibition though the following link: www.lainvencionconcreta.org

Interviews

Last December 16th I attended the Arab – Latin American Forum in Abu Dhabi as the moderator of the panel “Assessing the business climate in both regions and existing and potential channels for interregional trade relationship”. During that visit I was interviewed by John Defterios for the CNN program Global Exchange.

I am proud to continue confirming the interest in Latin America today in regions that may seem as far away as in this case the Middle East, the way the world has turned its eye to our region and how the growth of our economies becomes a greater focus globally.

During the interview, we were able to discuss the great transformation Colombia has undergone during the last few years, to become one of the fastest-growing economies in the world.

Similarly, Bolivia was a topic of conversation, as it has returned to the international bonds market after nearly a century. In October, it had a successful return when it issued $500 million in bonds in New York, and received offers for eight times that amount. This is undoubtedly one of the biggest news items for the region in 2012.

Finally, the Brazil slowdown is another issue which caused a lot of concern outside the region. However, as I said in the interview, I am very confident that Brazil will soon return to the levels of growth it showed in previous years, because it has all of the elements it needs for this: a good government, an entrepreneurial society and a fast growing middle class.