GIGA Expert to Accompany German Federal President Gauck to Chile and Uruguay

Federal President Joachim Gauck and Daniela Schadt will make a state visit to Chile and Uruguay from 11 to 17 July 2016. Gauck will be accompanied by the vice president of the German Institute for Global and Area Studies (GIGA), Prof. Detlef Nolte.

Detlef Nolte is the director of the GIGA Institute for Latin American Studies. For over 30 years he has studied political transitions, regional cooperation, and international relations in Latin America. He has written several books about the continent and has published articles in top academic journals, including the Journal of Democracy and the Review of International Studies. Most recently, he analysed the structural deficits of Latin American presidentialism together with his colleague Dr. Mariana Llanos. Chile and Uruguay are also presidential democracies. Detlef Nolte also served as the chair of the German Association of Latin American Studies (ADLAF) from 2010 to 2016.

Alongside bilateral and foreign- and European-policy matters, a key focus of the state visit will be the current challenges facing Latin America’s democracies. In Santiago de Chile, President Gauck and Chilean president Michelle Bachelet will open a German–Chilean forum held by German political foundations entitled “The Challenges for Democracy in Latin America.” Detlef Nolte will give a presentation on constitutional change in Latin America as part of the forum.