Mexico City, June 4th, 2019, The Vidanta Foundation—a non-profit organization promoting the economic and social development of Latin America, in collaboration with the Organization of American States (OAS) and the Ibero-American General Secretariat (SEGIB)—presented the members of the jury tasked with selecting the five winning institutions of this year, to the 10th Edition Vidanta Foundation Award: "Contributions to the reduction of poverty and inequality in Latin-America and the Caribbean".

The integration of this jury has been based, as it has been in previous years, on the work that each of its members has done to promote economic and social development in their respective countries:

• Julio María Sanguinetti, President of Uruguay during two different periods (1985-1990 and 1995-2000). Sanguinetti played a decisive role in the restoration of democracy in Uruguay after eliminating the civic-military dictatorship, which followed the coup of 1973. In 2000, he received the 'Simón Bolívar International Prize' from the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), which is granted to those who contribute to the freedom, independence, and dignity of peoples.
• Carmelo Angulo, Director of the Institute for Cooperation and Human Development at the Camilo José Cela University. Angulo was the Spanish ambassador for Argentina, Bolivia, Colombia, and Mexico; commissioner of the United Nations Development Program (UNDP); and has represented his country as a diplomat in Mauritania, Canada, and Tunisia. He has extensive experience in international mediation, public-private partnership construction, and Corporate Social Responsibility processes. He has also been the Spanish Committee´s president for The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), and executive director at the Spain-Mexico Council Foundation.
• Rolando Cordera Campos, Mexican economist and politician. Professor Emeritus of UNAM and Doctor Honoris Causa by the Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana (UAM), Cordera Campos is currently a contributor to La Jornada newspaper; coordinator of the University Program of Development Studies at UNAM; a National System of Researchers’ member—since 2002; and the author of several books on the Mexican economy, with an emphasis on aspects related to the economic development of the country.
• Guadalupe González, professor and researcher at the Colegio de México. González has dedicated her academic career to the study of Mexican foreign policy and international relations in Latin America, with fundamental contributions both to the country and the region; she is also a founding member of the Mexican Council on Foreign Relations (COMEXI), and a columnist for Excelsior newspaper.
• Nora Lustig, Latin American economics professor at the University of Tulane, United States. Lustig directed studies on poverty for The United Nations Development Program (UNDP); was president of the Mexican Commission on Macroeconomics and Health, as well as co-director of the World Development Report 2000-2001: The fight against poverty at the World Bank. Lustig has played a leading role in the development of pioneering studies on poverty and inequality in Latin America, through The Latin American and Caribbean Economic Association; in which she has served as president and founding member.
• José Luis Machinea, Argentinean economist and politician. Machinea was Secretary General of the The United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC); President of the Central Bank and Minister of Economy in Argentina. He has also been a consultant to the World Bank; President of the Argentine Foundation for Development with Equity (FADE); and is the author of several books on macroeconomics and finance which, in turn, allows him to be a spokesman on macroeconomic issues and to consult with important private organizations worldwide.

Following a rigorous evaluation and selection process, these six people will issue their decision on September 7th, 2019. The five institutions to win the 10th edition of the Vidanta Foundation Award: "Contributions to the reduction of poverty and inequality in Latin America and The Caribbean" will receive their prizes in a grand ceremony, hosted in Mexico City on November 7th, 2019. The monetary prizes will range from $25,000 to $100,000 and, together, will reach a total sum of $285,000. This sum is to be contributed in entirety by the Vidanta Foundation.