MIAMI, Florida - FII Institute today opened the first day of FII PRIORITY Miami 2026 under the theme 'Capital in Motion,' convening global investors, policymakers, and business leaders to examine how capital is shifting across regions, sectors, and technologies in a period of geopolitical and economic shifts and shocks.
From Latin America's emerging role as a strategic investment destination to new tools tracking global capital flows and platforms accelerating innovation, speakers and panels discussed how capital is moving faster, with greater purpose, and toward new centres of growth.
A New Latin American Investment Moment
Day #0 opened with the NEW LATAM ORDER SUMMIT, positioning the region as a main pillar in the reconfiguration of global capital flows. Discussions focused on nearshoring, infrastructure, energy, and human capital as key enablers of long-term growth.
Leaders highlighted Latin America's transformation a safe haven and growth engine, with deep natural resources, expanding capital markets, and increasing geopolitical relevance.
Opening the summit, Richard Attias, Chairman of the Executive Committee and Acting CEO of FII Institute, said: "This is a moment to move from fragmentation to alignment, from hesitation to action. The new Latin American order will not be defined by speeches, but by decisions, partnerships, and investment."
Across sessions, speakers noted:
- Strong capital inflows into key markets such as Brazil
- Latin America's role in global food and energy security
- The need for infrastructure and education investment to unlock long-term returns
Venezuela Welcomes 120+ Energy Companies Amid Legal Reforms
The opening session was followed by a keynote from H.E. Delcy Rodríguez Gómez, Acting President of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, who joined online to outline the country's economic and investment outlook.
Her Excellency said Venezuela's hydrocarbons law and broader legal reforms were designed to provide the legal certainty investors need, and added that the country has recently welcomed more than 120 energy companies from the United States, the Middle East, Asia, Africa, and Europe.
Leadership Dialogue: Investment, Inclusion and Impact
Cécilia Attias led a conversation with Ecuador's Vice President H.E. María José Pinto González Artigas emphasising human capital as the foundation of economic growth. The Vice President said:
"We are shifting from seeing social investment as a cost to recognizing it as the foundation of economic growth, because addressing early childhood, health, education, and sanitation is what truly shapes the future of a country."
Infrastructure, Energy and the Next Investment Cycle
A panel on infrastructure brought together global investors and policymakers to examine the bottlenecks and opportunities shaping capital deployment across Latin America.
Discussions focused on:
- Energy and power constraints as a defining challenge for nearshoring
- The rapid expansion of industrial infrastructure and data centres
- The role of tourism, logistics, and cultural infrastructure in driving long-term returns
Manfredi Lefebvre d'Ovidio, Chairman of the World Travel & Tourism Council, highlighted the importance of Miami and investment partnerships to Latin America's success:
"Global public private partnership is fundamental to the success of Latin America and Miami is the proof. Most of the flights for Europeans which go to Latin America pass through Miami."
Closing the Summit with a New Push for Impact Investment in Latin America
The NEW LATAM ORDER SUMMIT closed with remarks from Ilan Goldfajn, President of the Inter-American Development Bank Group, whose institution signed an agreement with Saudi Eksab on the sidelines of the summit to advance equity investment in Latin America and the Caribbean.
The agreement centers on building a joint pipeline of direct and indirect investment opportunities, initially focused on Central America and the Caribbean, and also explores the creation of an investment vehicle with potential participation from IDB Invest and support from IDB Lab for early-stage and venture capital opportunities.
Conclaves: From Dialogue to Action
Alongside plenary sessions, a series of closed-door conclaves brought together investors, policymakers, and sector leaders to translate discussion into action.
These high-level gatherings focused on:
- Digital assets and centralised control
- High risk and high reward cities for long term investment
- The world of work in 2050
The conclaves reinforced FII Institute's role as a convening platform where ideas, people, and capital align to drive tangible outcomes.
Launch of the Capital in Motion Index
Day #0 also saw the announcement of the Capital in Motion Index (CMI), a new global initiative designed to track how capital flows across borders, sectors, and technologies.
The index, which will be unveiled during FII10, will provide decision-makers with a clearer view of how investment is shaping the future of economies and societies.
Richard Attias said: "Through the Capital in Motion Index, we are offering a clearer view of where capital is flowing and what those movements mean for the future of humanity."
Innovators Pitch: Connecting Capital to Impact
FII Institute also highlighted the 2026 FII Innovators Pitch, now at its third edition, launched in collaboration with MIT Solve, as part of its ACT pillar.
The initiative will bring together high-potential startups working across AI, sustainability, healthcare, and education, connecting them with global investors and partners, and finalists will be invited to pitch at FII10
"Capital has to go where humanity needs it most," said Richard Attias. "Through ACT, we fuel innovators to scale solutions that create jobs and measurable impact."
Capital in Motion
Across every session, a consistent message emerged:
- Capital is shifting toward new geographies, including Latin America
- It is increasingly focused on long-term resilience and real-economy impact
- And it is moving at speed, driven by geopolitics, technology, and energy transitions
Day 0 of FII PRIORITY Miami demonstrated that in a world in which disruption is the 'new norm', capital is repositioning.
As global leaders continue discussions in the days ahead, the focus remains - how to align capital with opportunity, and how to convert movement into measurable impact.
About FII Institute
The FII Institute is a global nonprofit foundation with an investment arm and one agenda: Impact on Humanity. Through its THINK, XCHANGE, and ACT pillars, the Institute fosters great ideas, empowers innovators, and invests in scalable solutions across critical sectors including AI and robotics, sustainability, healthcare, and education.
For more information, please visit: https://fii-institute.org
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