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Rodrigo Alejandro Yáñez Benítez
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Content created by Virtual Intern Celeste Lan
Rodrigo Yáñez Benítez serves as the Vice Minister of Trade in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Chile. In 2008, while working as a researcher for the Instituto Libertad, Yáñez Benítez participated in the International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP) focusing on U.S. foreign policy. During his IVLP, he learned about the collaborative nexus between policies, public interest groups, and government institutions. Thanks in part to the knowledge he acquired through his IVLP, Yáñez Benítez became an advisor to congressional leaders in the Foreign Relations Committee in both the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate.
Yáñez Benítez further contributed to Chile's foreign affairs by working on a peacekeeping law, which enabled Chile to contribute to global peacekeeping efforts, and on efforts to modernize the Foreign Ministry, which created progressive reforms in the Ministry's structure and operations. He also served as Senior Advisor to President Piñera on international and regulatory affairs, where he developed foreign policy proposals and oversaw the implementation of domestic policy initiatives for different Ministries. In 2011, Yáñez Benítez was involved in creating the Pacific Alliance group, a trade bloc between Chile, Colombia, Mexico and Peru, to facilitate regional integration. As Vice Minister of Trade, he leads Chile’s intense bilateral and multilateral trade agenda, including active participation in multilateral trade fora such as APEC, Pacific Alliance, and WTO.
When asked about the impact of his IVLP, Yáñez Benítez says, "I believe it strengthened my longstanding commitment to contribute to my country from the international perspective. Having met people with so many different backgrounds, all connected around a strong commitment to international understanding and cultural exchange, has been of great inspiration."
Rodrigo Yáñez Benítez is a trade policy expert who has strengthened Chile's international trading policies and bolstered Chile's economy by diversifying its regional exports and creating new international agreements.
Edited by Virtual Interns Regina Navarro-Gomez and Kristin Mitra
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Yáñez BenítezIVLP Alumni
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José Aguilar Berrocal
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Content created by Virtual Intern Radha Varadan
“Solidarity cures us,” says José Aguilar Berrocal, a former International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP) participant from Costa Rica and Founder and President of the Board of the Youth Action Foundation. His tireless work tackling the educational and emotional issues that at-risk youth in Costa Rica face stems from his own challenges growing up. The support of mentors put him on the path to success and instilled in him the desire to serve others.
Aguilar founded the Youth Action Foundation in 2006, an organization that works hand-in-hand with the Costa Rican Ministry of Education to connect at-risk students with mentors and tutors while requiring the students to volunteer in their communities. Through its programs, the Foundation has engaged more than 22,400 students and teachers in community service. “The most wonderful feeling that a person can experience is to bring hope,” Aguilar says. He credits the IVLP with showing him the significance of civic engagement and community service in others, and the benefits it brings.
Aguilar previously led Public Horizons, a collective that tackles the human development gap by building partnerships. He also founded Strategic Human Development (Desarrollo Humano Estratégico), which aims to provide food to unemployed families in rural Costa Rica in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Through his work to mitigate the challenges faced by vulnerable populations in Costa Rica, José Aguilar Berrocal brings hope and support to those in need.
Edited by Virtual Interns Regina Navarro-Gomez and Kristin Mitra
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Aguilar BerrocalIVLP Alumni
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