FORMER BOLIVIAN PRESIDENT CARLOS MESA is in a unique position to grapple with Latin America’s alternatives for regional development. He is a leading historian of Bolivia and a longtime print and television journalist with a deep knowledge of his nation and region. As president, Mesa sought to balance economic growth, spurred by the discovery of natural gas reserves in Bolivia, with the needs of the poor and the rights of indigenous peoples.

As the opening speaker for Penn DCC's 2014-15 series on the theme, "Post-Neoliberal Latin America," Mesa will help chart a course between right and left; between neoliberal capitalism and resurgent socialism; between the interests of Latin America's diverse nations and that of the region as a whole; and between the claims of the past and the possibilities for the future.

Reception to follow.

Carlos Diego Mesa Gisbert (born August 12, 1953) is a Bolivian historian and former politician. He was Vice President of Bolivia from August 2002 to October 2003 and then became President, holding office from October 17, 2003 until his resignation on June 6, 2005. Mesa had previously been a popular television journalist and personality, known by many for his rectitude and impartiality.

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