Oppenheimer to interview Colombian vice president

The mass exodus of Venezuelan immigrants across the border with Colombia will be one of the key topics when Colombian Vice President Marta Lucía Ramírez appears in Miami for a talk with well known Miami Herald columnist and author Andrés Oppenheimer.

A part of the Americas Conference Series presented by the Miami Herald and Nuevo Herald, the conversation on Tuesday will focus on the challenges and opportunities facing the new government of Colombian President Iván Duque.

The conversation, in Spanish, will be held at the University of Miami from 8:30 am to 12:30 pm.

“This is an excellent opportunity for the Miami business community to pose questions directly to key leaders of the Colombian government about the most important issues in that country, in Venezuela and in Latin America,” said Oppenheimer.

The chat will also feature Colombian Finance Minister Alberto Carrasquilla.

Colombia is at a crucial moment, not only because of the influx of more than a million Venezuelans in the last year, but also because it is trying to implement a controversial peace agreement with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia while combatting an increase in coca cultivation and domestic drug trafficking.

In a separate session, the columnist will speak with Jorge Familiar, vice president for Latin America and the Caribbean of the World Bank, about how Colombia can handle the wave of Venezuelan refugees and the implications this has for the region.

The conference is open to the public, but space is limited. Get tickets at AMCOseriesCO. eventbrite.com for $45; $55 at the entrance.

It’s at the Robert & Judi Prokop Newman Alumni Center, 6200 San Amaro Dr., Coral Gables. There will be complimentary parking.