Chilean economist Andrés Rebolledo Smitmans has officially begun his second term as Executive Secretary of the Organización Latinoamericana y Caribeña de Energía (OLACDE) for the 2026–2029 period.
Rebolledo was re-elected during the 55th Meeting of Energy Ministers held in Chile in October 2025. The official ceremony took place on March 2 at the Casa Museo Guayasamín in Quito, Ecuador.
His reappointment signals strong political backing for the 2023–2025 management cycle, during which OLACDE consolidated its role as a leading regional technical and policy platform amid growing climate pressures and energy security challenges.
Over the past three years, OLACDE deepened regional energy integration by promoting:
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Cross-border electricity interconnections
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Gas infrastructure coordination
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Long-term planning through the creation of a Regional Energy Planning Council
This council has enabled member states to better anticipate system challenges, harmonize regulatory frameworks and align strategic planning across Latin America and the Caribbean.
The organization also served as Technical Secretariat in broader regional processes such as Comunidad de Estados Latinoamericanos y Caribeños (CELAC) and the Brasilia Consensus, reinforcing energy diplomacy across the region.
A key milestone during Rebolledo’s first term was the agreement among member countries to reach 80% renewable electricity generation by 2030. This positions Latin America and the Caribbean among the most advanced regions globally in renewable energy deployment and power sector decarbonization.
In parallel, OLACDE worked with the Banco Interamericano de Desarrollo (IDB) to advance a regional agenda for low-emissions hydrogen development and certification. The initiative seeks to facilitate green hydrogen exports and improve the region’s integration into international energy markets.
Between 2023 and 2025, OLACDE consolidated a cooperation network of more than 60 projects and agreements involving:
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Multilateral institutions
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Development agencies
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Academic institutions
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Private-sector stakeholders
Twelve specialized Technical Groups were established, becoming permanent forums for applied research, regulatory exchange and regional project development.
One of the most significant institutional milestones was the creation of the OLACDE Business Council, formalizing public-private dialogue at the regional level to attract investment in renewables, energy storage, transmission infrastructure and clean technologies.
Additionally, the Methane Emissions Observatory for Latin America and the Caribbean (OEMLAC) was launched to strengthen data quality, methodologies and technical capacity to address methane mitigation in the energy sector — a critical component of climate action strategies.
Human capital development became a central pillar of OLACDE’s agenda. Between 2023 and 2025, more than 16,000 professionals participated in training programs, including workshops, postgraduate diplomas and master’s degrees developed with regional universities.
The organization also advanced a cross-cutting “Gender and Energy” agenda, leading to the creation of the Latin American and Caribbean Women in Energy Network (REDLACME). Youth representatives and energy sector workers were also formally incorporated into ministerial-level dialogue processes.
Strategic priorities for 2026–2029
Under the new Management Plan, OLACDE’s second mandate will focus on seven strategic pillars designed to position Latin America and the Caribbean not only as a resource-rich region, but as a global energy solutions provider.
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Regional integration
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Technical cooperation
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Energy diplomacy
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Energy security and universal access
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Technological innovation
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Capacity building
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Institutional modernization
With a strengthened institutional framework and growing regional ambition in renewable energy, green hydrogen and energy transition policies, OLACDE now enters a new phase aimed at accelerating clean technology adoption, reinforcing energy security and promoting a resilient, inclusive and long-term regional transition.
