Center for International Private Enterprise

What does it take to ensure foreign investment benefits a country—not just its investors? The answer depends not only on who invests, but on whether the institutions overseeing those investments are strong and effective. Those conditions help determine whether investment supports transparency, accountability, and long-term economic development—or becomes a source of Corrosive Capital®. What does it take to ensure foreign investment benefits a country—not just its investors?

This is the first part of a three-part series: More than Markets: Economic Freedoms in a Changing World. Three anniversaries are converging, each marking a turning point that reshaped the economic lives of billions. The first is widely recognized: 2026 marks 250 years since American independence. The American democratic experiment ignited democracy as a political model that many countries around the world now practice in some form.

Case of Study: The Chancay Megaport - Corrosive and Constructive Capital: A Framework for Stemming the Rising Tide of Authoritarian Capitalism Estudio de caso: el megapuerto de Chancay – Capital corrosivo y constructivo: un marco para contener el creciente avance del capitalismo autoritario The Chancay megaport is one of the most significant infrastructure projects in Peru’s recent history and a turning point in the country’s integration into trans-Pacific trade.

“Even though [corrosive capital] dynamics often occur in plain sight, we do not always recognize or understand them.” That observation — from José Andrés González, a journalist at Caracol Radio — gets to the heart of one of Latin America’s most pressing challenges: corrosive capital®.

Recognition by ICC, ITC, WTO, and ITU announced June 29 in Geneva. Washington, D.C., June 29, 2026 — The Center for International Private Enterprise (CIPE) and Cámara Colombiana de Informática y Telecomunicaciones (CCIT) are proud to announce their selection as Runner Up awardees of the 2026 Small Business Champions by the International Chamber of Commerce, the International Trade Centre, the World Trade Organization (WTO) MSME Group, and the International Telecommunication Union.

CIPE has established the first private-sector-led roadmap for AI governance in Latin America, mobilizing over 60 regional experts and business leaders to bridge the gap between government regulation and practical business implementation. This initiative protects democratic values and drives growth by ensuring technology serves as a tool to create economic and social value.

For decades, the Islamic Republic’s power structure has functioned as a hybrid of theocratic, civilian, and military institutions. But as sustained conflict places these structures under acute strain, a significant transformation is taking place: the locus of authority is quietly shifting from the clerics to the military-security establishment.

As artificial intelligence reshapes the global order, will the technologies of the next century reinforce democratic values or accelerate authoritarian control? Date: Thursday, May 7, 2026 Time: 1:00 PM – 4:30 PM Location: Walter E. Washington Convention Center, Washington, D.C. About the Event Authoritarian regimes are currently exporting an “authoritarian AI stack”—a bundle of surveillance and censorship tools—to governments around the world.

As artificial intelligence adoption accelerates worldwide, CIPE experts continue to shape global and regional debates on how to govern emerging technologies in ways that support market development, innovation, and democratic values. In an article published by Diplomatic Courier, Louisa Tomar, Director of Digital Economy and Governance at the Center for International Private Enterprise (CIPE), examines how global AI governance has largely stalled despite years of multilateral negotiations.

Within the global anti-corruption and democracy communities, CIPE has added value over the years by supporting innovative civil society partners and generating new ideas. One of the most powerful examples of both is a collective action movement in Thailand, where businesses hold each other accountable in upholding world-class anti-bribery controls.