Final del Mundial de Oratoria 2024

Ladies and gentlemen, good

afternoon again. Welcome to the grand final of the

World Oratory Championship in

Spanish here at the University of

Belgrano in Buenos Aires,

Argentina. A special greeting not

only to those joining us here

in the audience but also to those

watching via streaming

from who knows how many remote corners of

the Earth, from how many countries, taking advantage of the

wonders of

technology, which we are making

special use of today. Welcome, everyone. There's

a phrase attributed to

Borges, though some attribute it to Mahatma

Gandhi; either of these greats

surely must have said it, and

congratulations if so. The phrase

is this: "Don't speak unless you can

improve the silence."

We can attest that the words of the

participants in the World Championship have not only

broken the silence but

have improved it. Why? Because they have made us

reflect on a worthy cause:

building a more habitable future on

planet Earth.

As you know,

after eliminating more than

600 competitors in the preceding months,

Stefan Diana Gamar Rera from the

National University of San Marcos,

Peru, and Alberto García have reached this A4 final. Chaparro from the

Pontifical Catholic University of Chile, Spain;

Estefanía Fosa Olandini from the

University of Belgrano, Argentina; and

Óscar Rodríguez de Vivero from the

Carlos III University of Madrid,

Spain. The master Borges, in his work "

Fragments of an Apocryphal Gospel" in

the book "In Praise of Darkness,"

said, "Nothing is built on stone, everything

is built on sand, but we must

build as if the sand were

stone." And your speeches, dear

orators, have validated the foundations, the

strength of your

arguments. This morning in Argentina,

our protagonists, as you know,

competed in the

semifinals. From these semifinals

emerged the two finalists, Alberto

García Chaparro and Óscar Rodríguez de

Vivero. The applause is for

them. We especially thank the

Counselor of the Embassy

of Spain, Don Juan Gal Cerra, for his presence. We are very

happy and proud that this World

Oratory Championship has come to Buenos

Aires, here at our home, the

University of Belgrano. We thank

the authorities of this institution for the

warm welcome they have given to this

event. We also thank Iberia, which

has brought this talent aboard its

planes from its countries of origin.

We also thank ZTE,

Smurfit Westr, and

Alcea for their support. We are especially

honored by the approval of the

Buenos Aires City Legislature, as expressed in Resolution

692 of 2024, for hosting this

final of the fourth World Championship of

Oratory in Spanish, "Esto es Debatable,"

held today, October 17th of this

year, at the University of

Belgrano in this city.

Finally, thank you all for

contributing to making this dream of

the Spanish University Debate League (

LEDU) and the Latin American Network of

University Cooperation a reality. Remember, more than 600

university students from over 20 countries

submitted their applications. Finally,

only these two

fantastic finalists remain.

We would like to ask

Dr. Helio Montenegro, President of the

Board of Directors of the

Latin American Network of

University Cooperation, if he would be so kind as to give us a

formal welcome. Please, Dr. Montenegro, with

this applause we accompany you to the

stage.

Good

afternoon, esteemed

authorities, distinguished members of the

University community, dear

finalists Alberto Óscar, and members of the

public

present. I especially greet

Dr. Luis this afternoon. Koldi, President of the

University, to Dr. Dino Velorio,

Vice President, to Professor Ángel Domingo,

who is the

technical director of this wonderful experience

and who, I would say, I have seen in action;

no one has told me, he is the heart and soul

of

this occasion and of this

magnificent

debate. Dear Estela de

Villa, who is always with us, who is the

right hand of everything that happens in

the Latin American Network of

University Cooperation. It is an honor to address

you on this very

special occasion, as we inaugurate the

grand final of the World

University Oratory Championship here in Buenos

Aires. Beginning this

spring, this event, organized by the Spanish

University Debate League (LEDU) and the

Latin American Network of University Cooperation (RLU),

which I have the honor of presiding over today,

has become the stage

for a very

high-

level intellectual exchange where the best competitors from

Spain, Peru, and Argentina have

faced each other in the semifinals, bringing

with them the richness of their cultures and

perspectives. And I return to the

significant fact that Ángel shared with us this

morning: nearly 600

participants from nearly 20 countries and nearly

80

universities. A melting pot of ideas and

diversity is what enriches the debate

and allows us to continue strengthening the

ideal of cooperation and understanding

between our peoples. Now, with

enthusiasm and admiration, we will witness

the final stage where we will see the

finalists demonstrate their ability, passion, and

commitment, which will define who will take home

the Olive Tree of

Victory. I want to offer

my sincerest congratulations to the

finalists again, Óscar Alberto, for

having made it this far. I also want to

mention both Stephan

from Belgrano University and

Estefanía, or is it the other way around?

Well, Stefan and Estefanía, I

thank them both as well because they have been

wonderful. And well,

we have a final.

Their effort and dedication have been worthy

of

recognition. They have demonstrated great

commitment in developing

essential skills such as public speaking,

critical thinking, and

individual effort—competencies that will undoubtedly

benefit them in their academic life and

their

professional future. In a world where

polarization seems to dominate, these

debates remind us that disagreement

is not synonymous with division but a

unique opportunity to learn, grow, and

find common ground.

University debate, beyond being a

confrontation of ideas, is a process of

comprehensive education. It teaches them to listen.

Questioning and reasoning about

differing opinions teaches them to

respect others' thoughts and to develop

invaluable skills in both academics and

daily life,

preparing them to face future challenges with openness and sound

judgment. I

would also like to express my

gratitude to the Edu and the RLU for their

tireless work in promoting

debate and public speaking in the

university setting. The LEDU league has created a

valuable space where students from

different universities and countries

not only compete but also learn and

grow from each other. The RLC, for its part, has

been key in promoting

academic alliances in Latin America,

facilitating cooperation programs that

enrich the educational experience of

thousands of young people. In this

context, I cannot fail to

pay tribute to Dr. Abelino Porto,

founder of the Universidad del Grano and

also of the RLU, who recently passed away.

His vision and leadership have

left an indelible mark on

Argentine and

Latin American education. Dr. Porto was a

tireless advocate for the

university's mission in building a

more just and inclusive society.

His legacy will endure. In the

institutions he founded and in the lives

of the students who have

benefited from his work, in his honor I

ask you to

observe a moment of

silence. Let us

stand.

Thank you very much. Finally, I would like to highlight the

work of the judges who will play

a crucial role in this final, ensuring

fairness and respect in the

competition. To all present, I

invite you to listen attentively and to

value the effort of each

participant. This final is not only an

opportunity to win but an

experience that will enrich your lives

forever. I wish the finalists

much success, both Óscar and Alberto.

It is my best wish that they may emerge victorious in this exciting final.

I hope that the true

triumph lies not only in the victory

but also in the learning, the camaraderie, and

the transformative power of

words. Thank you very much and enjoy

this unforgettable final in Buenos Aires.

Thank you very much.

You know that it has been months of

eliminations and you have told me that you have

had millions of

views on Instagram, so you are

surely influencers now. Now the moment has arrived, ladies

and gentlemen, for the final of the 2024 World Championship of

Oratory in Spanish

between Alberto García Chaparro and

Oscar Rodriguez from Vivero, I remind you

that our finalists will answer the

question: Is it acceptable for

less developed countries to pollute more

until they reach the level of

progress of the most

developed? By lottery, the

affirmative position corresponds to Alberto, therefore

the negative position is defended by Oscar. I

remind you that it was

chance that decided one position and the other.

With this, we want to say that

this position is not necessarily the

personal position of each of them.

Alberto, Oscar, right now I'm going to

invite you here to come up on stage. You

can do so, in fact, you can do so right

now with this applause, of

course. And while they get settled, I'd like to

tell you that the Jury for this final

is composed of Luis Daniel Malaspina,

General Director of the General Directorate of

Discourse and Communication Planning

of the Government of the City of Buenos

Aires; Silvia Ramirez GZ, Director of the

Master's Program in Journalism at the University

of San Andres; Mariana Jacket,

Communications Coordinator for

Smurfit Westrock in Argentina and Chile;

José Antonio Otero, veteran judge of LEDU; and

Estela de Vila, Executive Secretary of

the Latin American Cooperation Network.

University student Víctor Becker, advisor to the

international relations department of the University of

Belgrano, and Karen Morales, director of

internationalization at the

American University of Managua, Nicaragua. Applause

also for the

jury. Ladies and gentlemen, the

time has come, finalists. I know you're going to

enjoy it, and I know you're going to make us

enjoy it too. Go

ahead. I think we're

starting with the positive speech.

Whenever you're ready,

Alberto, at the beginning of our

academic year, just a month and a half ago,

as a final-year student, he gave me the

wonderful opportunity to give the

welcome speech to the new students of the

law school. It was one of those somewhat

bittersweet occasions. It's true that it's

a precious moment, but at the same

time, it's a moment of reflection because

suddenly you realize that you're

in your final year of studies,

welcoming those who are entering the

university. But of course, in that speech, I

told them that they were about to enter what will

probably be the best stage

of their lives, a stage that begins

after making the important decision

of what you want to study, a decision that I

remember perfectly when I made it, and

that I want you to help me explain to you today.

Why do I think the

correct stance is the stance in favor in this

final? October 5, 2016, was the day I

decided to study law. That day,

my father was awarded this

badge after 25 years as a lawyer—a

badge that, in my hometown, they say

represents the values ​​of justice and

social responsibility that every lawyer

must defend. These are the same values

that

drove me to study law, and I want them to

be the same ones that drive me today to

defend the "Yes" vote on the question

posed to us at the University of

Belgrano. I am aware that it is very

difficult to argue, in 2024, at the

height of climate awareness

in our history, that it is acceptable for some

countries to pollute

more in order to grow. But at the

same time, I am very aware that

society knows that today's world is

profoundly unequal, and that is why,

ladies and gentlemen, we are not

only talking about the environment and

energy; we are talking about justice and

social responsibility. I will give you two

important facts: Do you know what

percentage of global investment

in renewable energy the

least developed countries receive? According to data from the

International Energy Agency, it is

15% of what they would need to

implement it. They effectively know that

if we compare the

ecological footprint of how much the

76 least developed countries in the world consume with that of

the 10 richest countries in the world, the 10

richest countries consume

five times more than

the other

76. Justice is not about preventing those who have

less from polluting

more until they reach the level of

progress of those who have less than more.

Justice is about acknowledging that others of us were fortunate enough to

grow without

that environmental responsibility.

Because nobody called us responsible

when in my homeland of Malaga we built

textile industries to

transform a proud

fishing village into the modern and

thriving city it is today. Because nobody

called us irresponsible when the mines

of northern Spain—and you know this,

Óscar, you're from there—

extracted coal day in and day out

precisely to fuel that

industry that was born at the end of the

19th century. Or because nobody called

my grandfather irresponsible when he worked building

houses in my town of Rincón de la

Victoria. But don't be mistaken, this isn't about an eye

for an eye, this isn't about justifying

that... I do it wrong because the other person did it

worse. This is about saying that it's

acceptable for those with fewer

resources to pollute

more, but at the same time,

defending the idea that this doesn't mean giving them

carte blanche. This doesn't mean

allowing them to pollute indefinitely

without thinking about those who come after them. This

means being fair, knowing what

others had to be able to move forward. This does

n't mean accepting ecological poverty in

exchange for a little

economic wealth. This means understanding that the

future can never be green if in the

present... I can't grow because, ladies

and gentlemen, growth isn't the only

important thing, but it is essential.

Growth is essential so that in a

world with 71 million people

living in extreme poverty, according to

World Bank data, we can all

move towards that green future we

want without leaving anyone behind. Growth

is essential to realize

that there is no more ecological world than one

in which one can even afford to think

about not polluting anymore. Growth is

essential to know that on

October 5, 2016, I made the

right decision. Growth is essential so

that your father can see you today, very

proud, in a World Cup final,

defending the "Yes" to the question.

The true spirit of justice and

the authentic sense of

responsibility. Thank you very much. Thank you,

Alberto. Moment of

critical analysis of the negative stance by

Óscar. Alberto is right, the

irresponsibility of

developed countries has been enormous, and it is

tremendously unfair that

developing countries have to bear the

consequences. But it is not unfair that

more than 1,000 species that are

currently endangered are disappearing. It

is no more unfair that the lives of 10

million people all over the

world are in danger due to the

direct cause of climate change.

Ladies and gentlemen, we are approaching a path where

we are destroying the

planet's limits, where we are destroying

the Earth's capacity to regenerate,

and we are driving the planet toward a

mass extinction because

we are increasing the temperature above

reasonable limits. In 2017, the

international consensus was already that if we increase

the temperature by more than 1.5 degrees Celsius

compared to pre-industrial levels,

life on Earth as

we know it will perish. And I ask

Alberto, to what extent do we have to

search Justice, if justice is going to

lead us to death.

Thank you very much. It's time for Alberto to answer.

The answer to that question is given by the

question itself, posed by the

Spanish University Debate League.

I'm not suggesting we can

pollute indefinitely, as I've already

stated in my speech. The question itself

tells us it should be until we reach the

level of development of those who

currently enjoy much of what

Óscar and I enjoy. Look at the

entrance of this auditorium;

we can pick up a brochure from the

University of Belgrano that talks about how we train

global

citizens. To train global citizens,

we have to be aware that

the world—the reality of the world—is not

the world we live in. Óscar and I are

going to tell you what the reality of the

world is. The reality of the world, Óscar, is that

the 46 least developed countries in the world,

according to the UN, represent 15% of the population,

yet they pollute

1%. But what happens is that 33% of

the people living in

these countries don't have access to

sanitation, and 23% of The

people who live in these countries

don't have access to eating

three meals a day; 64% of the

people living in these countries don't

have access to electricity security. That's

the reality for citizens of the

world. What are you proposing? That

we can't pollute anymore? That we ca

n't have those

countries that have much

less take that step forward

so their voice is heard on the

international stage? You're

talking about a future reality that will

one day have to be tested. I'm

talking about a reality as

present as the fact that there are already many people

in this world who aren't just on the

edge of the precipice, but have been

down there for a long time. Dr.

Abelino Porto said in some lectures on

this university's website that

we have to look to the future while remembering

the past. What I'm

proposing is that when we

are in the future, we can look to the

past while thinking about the future, but

knowing that in the past we never left

anyone behind. Thank you very much.

From the negative stance, Porcar Rodríguez

de

Vivero. If you like the city of Mar del

Plata, 4 hours from here, I recommend you

go to... Visit it soon, and I

recommend it, because in just 30 years it will be

underwater. Don't think that the

situation in Buenos Aires is much better either.

In about 20 years,

we will see the port area

begin to sink, and by 2100,

all of Buenos Aires will be nothing

but a settlement. That is the magnitude of the

problem we

face. Look, let me tell you something: the

problem we face is

enormous because human beings have been

absolutely cruel to the

environment for years, paying very little

attention to the planet's limits. And one

of those limits, as I mentioned

a moment ago, is the limit of

temperature increase. There is an

international scientific consensus

that if we increase the temperature by

more than 1.5 degrees Celsius compared to

pre-

Industrial Revolution levels, the consequences

for life on Earth will be

catastrophic. And

catastrophic consequences don't just

mean that Buenos Aires will

disappear, or that Mar del Plata will

disappear. No,

catastrophic consequences mean that half of the

Earth's surface will be

underwater in just a few years, more than 1000

species It is in danger of extinction today,

they will disappear, the lives of 10

million people are in danger

worldwide, and they could become

climate refugees very soon, the

forests will wither, the poles will

melt, half the planet will be

a water park. Ladies and gentlemen, that is the

reality we face. That is the

direction we are heading.

So I ask you just one

question: what does it make sense in this

situation to think about who is to blame,

who has brought us here, whose

historical responsibility is? Or, on the

contrary, does it make sense to ask just one

question: what can we do to avoid

the

catastrophe? That is the only thing that should

matter to us. Because if you want to think about

justice again, think that there is

nothing more unjust than death, than

condemning humanity to extinction.

Look, I'm going to give you two facts that are

very compelling separately, but

together they are lethal. First, the facts:

as of today,

developing countries are the only ones in the world that

are increasing their emissions. Since

2000, developed countries have had

constant emissions, and many of

them are already decreasing.

Emissions, secondly, according to the IPCC data,

which is the world's most prestigious global report

on climate change,

warns us that we have to reduce

emissions by a huge percentage

to avoid reaching that 1.5-degree

increase—a percentage as enormous as

40%. The calculations are simple, gentlemen.

The actions of

developed countries alone are not enough. Even

if they managed to limit their

pollution emissions to zero,

environmental catastrophe would be inevitable if

developing countries don't also take up the

mantle. And it's not enough for them to do so

at any point; it's not enough for them to do so

in the future. If

we exceed that 1.5-degree temperature increase at any point before 2050,

collapse will be a

reality. Don't think, by the way, that what

I'm proposing is to

condemn

developing countries to perpetual stagnation, to

constant economic loss. No, in

reality, what I'm proposing is

something much simpler: let's look for

alternative ways, let's look for those

forms of economic development that will be

more peaceful, slower,

more gradual, but that will prevent

environmental catastrophe. Ways such as... For

example, green energy—look,

gentlemen, developing countries

have a privileged geographical location.

Think about where

these countries are located. Most are in areas with

many hours of

sunlight. And here's the good news:

solar energy is the best clean energy because it's

the easiest to preserve and the most

efficient. Well, I'm aware that

harnessing this energy is a

huge challenge. But the challenge

we face is also a huge one. So, let's

reconfigure, let's do everything possible, let's do

everything necessary to

ensure that countries can

take advantage of this energy. And in fact,

we're on the right track. The

International Monetary Fund approved

a budget of 1 billion euros last week

for India to build

solar plants. Morocco has already made

huge investments, as have several other countries in the

Gulf region. There are two ways to

approach this problem: believing

that what should matter to us is

justice and dying, or believing that what

should matter to us is preserving

our lives, preserving the world as we

know it. Because what good is

being rich in a world that doesn't exist?

So let's adopt that calm approach,

that sustainable approach. Slow

but fair. And that way allows for the

prevalence of life on Earth as

we know it. This, ladies and gentlemen, is not

a discussion about whether people improve

or stagnate; it's a

discussion about whether we improve slowly

or lead the planet to extinction.

Thank you, thank you, Oscar. It's time for

positive critical analysis. I'm going to give you two

important points, which is what I want to

ask you. I think you're confusing

less advanced countries with

developing countries. The IPCC, and you and I

have studied this data for the LEDU

in Melilla, tells us that yes,

developing countries, including

India and China, are

hypercamera-

generating countries. What I want to ask you is

how are they going to do it with

alternative methods to precisely

take advantage of all that solar energy? I

need these batteries, lithium batteries. Do you

know what percentage of their assets

are in lithium?

0.5% globally. I want you to

explain to me how they are going to be able to

have the voice they truly

deserve to continue being citizens

of the world. Thank you very much.

[Applause]

Turn for

negative response. Look, ladies and gentlemen, I'm not

here to sell you anything. I'm not

here to deceive you and tell you that this is going to

be easy. I'm not here to tell you

that it's very simple for

developing countries to take advantage of

alternative energy sources.

I'm just saying two things: first, the

absolute and highest priority has to

be avoiding environmental catastrophe. That comes

before everything else. Even if we can't get

these countries to

actually take advantage of this energy and

we have to delay their growth

until the ways of exploiting

green energy improve, it would be better than

condemning the planet to extinction. But

second,

reconfigure. Let's do everything

in our power to improve the

supply of these materials.

Another point: It's not true that these

countries have very few supplies of, for

example, lithium batteries. It's

not right that we don't consider one of

the countries with the

lowest GDP per capita and the

most unequal distribution of wealth

in the world, like China, as a

developing country. In fact,

especially when the main

economic development institutions

like the World Bank consider

China to be one of the world's leading lithium-producing countries, China is precisely one of the

world's leading lithium-producing countries.

Last point I

want to make... Reflect on this. Look, in the

last 20 years,

emissions in developed countries have been constantly decreasing,

and yet

global figures continue to rise.

Global figures continue to increase

steadily. Every year we emit more

pollution, and this is due

exclusively to the increase in

pollution in

developing countries. Gentlemen, I am aware that it

is unfair, Alberto. I am aware that it is

not right that

developing countries have to pay for the

wrongs others have done, because developed countries have been

taking advantage of pollution for 200 years to

grow economically without any qualms.

Unfair, yes, but effective in

saving the planet, because the opposite is

much more unfair, and that is extinction.

Remember the message: to die

justly is also to die. Thank you very much,

Oscar. It's time

for your conclusion.

This morning, I

told those present that there had been a

terrible event in Brazil that had

taken the lives of 12 people. Twelve

people had died due to an

environmental catastrophe that was due

exclusively to the increase in

temperature. And I added something else: I

told them, "Listen, if we do

n't act in a way that... these people..." Quick and effective

will only be the prologue, the beginning.

Many more are coming. Look at

how far they go, many more than when

I arrived at the hotel between the semifinals

and the final, which took five hours. I received

news on my mobile phone: three

more dead in Sao Paulo, in the same

place, due to the worst storms

in the last 30 years. That's

progress, Alberto. That's the improvement

proposed by people who believe we have to

increase pollution,

going from 12 to 15 deaths, going from 15

deaths to more than 10 million whose

lives are threatened. The action has to

be global. The action has to be directed

at those countries that are currently the

most polluting in the world and that

are the only ones whose

pollution is being addressed because, even though it's unfair, they are the ones who

hold the key to

saving the planet.

Thank you. We'll finish with the

positive conclusions. Although there are still many

years to go before I can have a badge like

this that is mine, I have grown

enough to know what it means. I have

grown enough to know what

the values ​​of justice and

social responsibility mean, which I have tried to

convey to you in this final. I have grown

enough to Knowing that justice isn't about

saying that less fortunate countries ca

n't pollute proportionally

more, I've understood that

reality and equality aren't about

broken promises, but about understanding that this is

the true way to fight

inequality. Over all these

years, I've grown enough to know

that's where the essence of

social responsibility lies, because therein lies

the magic of growth, therein lies the magic of the

pride felt by those who see me today, therein lies

the magic of pride in knowing

that I seized the opportunity to get on

this plane, and hopefully, become a

champion today. Thank you very much.

[Applause] What eloquence

in the concepts, what

professionalism in the presentation!

What eloquence! What elegance from

these two gentlemen! A round of applause for

them,

please! The jury,

who are already working, we can

see them working there, will not have it easy. They will

hand over their minutes to Ángel Domingo de

Ledu as secretary of the jury, who

will receive them. And now we have a

bonus, a real luxury at this moment, to have at

the University of Belgrano a

specialist in environmental law, I

'm referring to Dr. Dino Bellorio.

Clavó, who is the Vice President of

Institutional Management of this institution and the

Dean of the Faculty of Law and

Social Sciences, we invite Dr.

Bellorio Clavó to come up on stage,

if you would be so kind.

Well, as a specialist in these

environmental law issues, what did you think of

our finalists? Well, I'm not going to

give my opinion on the

result, obviously I'm not the jury. I thought it was

a great opportunity for

our young people from different countries, in

this case those participating in the network, to

express their ideas and the

fruits of their studies on a topic that is

still on the world agenda,

somewhat or very much debated.

However, what I found important was

the eloquence, and I just told one of

the organizers that it seemed to me like a

heartfelt debate because it is

devoid of politics—excuse me,

politics with a capital P—

environmental policies that are being discussed

in the world today, and I'm going to talk a little bit about

that, and which constantly leads us

to a forum of discussions

that year after year has generated

climate change: the famous COPs, the

Conventions of the

Parties. We are right on the doorstep

of November 11th. The

29th meeting of the parties will be

held in a place called Azerbaijan, a

country in Baku, very familiar to us

because a major conflict recently took place there, as we

had no reference point for

any of us, alongside Armenia and

others. But I say this because,

along with what was resolved

last year by the

United Nations and what will be resolved

or addressed in Brazil, a troika

of presidencies has been formed that has

truly committed to seriously addressing these

problems, which are issues of national politics and

of the human race. These gentlemen today didn't

discuss those issues; they discussed them from a

different angle, which we love because they have

used their reason and knowledge,

free from the influences often

imposed by enormous

global interests that want things to go

one way or another, depending on how we see it.

So, my congratulations, and this is a great

opportunity to foster dialogue among

students because they are

hearing all this in other parts of the world, and very soon

we will see something

proclaimed by the United Nations a month ago become a reality, something that

has to do with dialogue towards

the future. They made a declaration for

the future, where they've laid the groundwork for the

rights of future generations. Do

you know who future generations are?

Those who haven't been born yet but already

have rights; they already have

legal personhood. Coincidentally, today they invited the

University of Grano—

the president hasn't mentioned it yet—to become an

International Center for the Defense of

Future Generations, following the

example of Mexico, which just

established this at UNAM, a great

Latin American university. But yes,

you were telling me a few days ago that not

only are future generations already

subjects of law, but also

nature, planet Earth, and

natural resources. Could you elaborate a

little? Yes, that's a doctrine that's

gaining followers, and based on the progress of

legal science, we see in

Argentina a prime example: the Riachuelo River basin, which

is a serious problem affecting more than two and a

half million people due

to

sanitation issues, lack of access, and

industries with

large emissions and pollutants of

greenhouse gases. But also

heavy metals,

various industries, meatpacking plants—there

are several; it would be extensive to talk about

them all, but well, that basin is now

recognized by the Supreme Court of

Justice of the Nation as a subject of

rights. That is to say, we can Paying

compensation to the infected? Yes, very

well, but the Basin will continue to

produce pollution in such a way

that if we give the right to consider

that nature must be compensated—

a concept that, for us jurists who

come from a previous era, is a bit complicated,

but which is now enshrined in several

constitutions around the world, that

nature is a subject of rights, blah blah blah—I

think we are getting ahead of ourselves. But what I

wanted to say, in this

itinerary, what was discussed or

debated in the speeches of these

brilliant young people, is that in addition to the

issue of climate change, we have a

neighboring and complicated problem:

biodiversity.

Without naming it, there is a convention on

biodiversity, which addresses the

disappearance of species of flora and

fauna that affect the world today. We have

a typical case in the Amazon; the

Atlantic Forest is a forest that penetrates Brazil, extends into

Argentina, and takes

the entire Misiones rainforest with it. This

is a huge problem because everything that

happens to the Atlantic Forest and the

disappearance of these species affects the

climate. There are several causes that have been

historically recognized, and

solutions are being sought. Starting from

something fundamental that is rarely mentioned in the

climate change convention,

the obligation of

developed countries was established—obligations that are both

common and differentiated. This

means that the biggest

polluters have to transfer

clean technologies and make

climate finance efforts

to help developing countries. I do

n't want to get ahead of myself in what

was discussed here, but we should all

contribute to reducing pollution,

whether industrialized or not. The

greatest burden falls on

industrialized countries. The

United Nations has allocated a

budget; the United Nations

has converted funds. For example,

I believe that

the Loss and Damage Fund will only be activated within a year

because countries are

suffering significant damage and

biodiversity loss, and they won't

recover without a global fund. This fund was

created two years ago, but its

implementation will take more than a year.

It's estimated that by 2025, it will be fully operational. Furthermore, there is

a commitment from the Paris Agreement of

$100 billion annually, which has

not yet materialized, for

climate change mitigation and adaptation, and everything involved in

restoring the destroyed natural environment. I'm

going to ask you a personal question. Are

you an optimistic or pessimistic man? I

am profoundly optimistic in general, in

life, and in this as well,

because of how I interact with

young people, on average 18 to 25 years old, who are

students. I see that they have

concerns, and these are reflected in the

participation of young people in all

world forums. First, and second,

because right now there is the

declaration for future generations,

which I just announced, that the

United Nations General Assembly has just recognized—

something we never thought

could happen. How can I not be optimistic?

If, excuse my language, not long ago

in this room there were people smoking.

Culture has made us not smoke.

And if someone comes into my house

smoking, I think I'll kick them out. I don't think I'm going

to kick them out, but I'm certainly

going to see them as someone who is

contaminating me, and I'm going to give them a slightly

critical look. So I think it's a

cultural issue that we can move forward with,

but it requires that nations

reach an agreement, and fundamentally,

developing countries that support the

contributions that correspond to them based on

everything they have been able to enjoy. All our

neighbors, all the countries and

people who live here, and this has to be

reciprocated in some way to

create a just and healthy world. That is to say,

responsibilities are not the

same for everyone;

generally, some are

considered primary or more

important, and others somewhat less so.

Developed countries have these

common but

differentiated responsibilities. China has more

responsibility than Argentina in

terms of greenhouse gas emissions.

Furthermore, I want to say something. There has been a

lot of talk here, and usually, about

pollution. But

not all environmental damage is caused by

pollution. There are environmental impacts

that cause total or partial damage and

that don't fall under the term "

pollution." I understand that it's a

broad interpretation. But the

important thing is to prevent environmental damage

through principles like

precaution, prevention, and avoiding

damage, because when we reach the point of damage, there's

very little we can do, and what we

can do will be very

costly. So that's what makes me

optimistic. I told you it was a

bonus; we had a gift, a

surprise prize, to add to the value of this

debate. Dr. Dino Bellorio Clavó, it has

been a great pleasure, and I'm sure

everyone agrees with me that it has

been a real treat.

I appreciate you having him here, but I want to say something a bit

overwhelming because those of us

committed to this cause

are very fanatical and passionate,

so please excuse me because I realize I'm being a bit too forthcoming. This is the culmination of

many years of commitment, and I'm

also going to ask you something: if the winner

could receive my book, "My Latest

Book," as a gift and testimony for

environmental law and global climate change.

Dr. Dino Bellorio Clavó, Vice

President of Institutional Management

at the University of Belgrano. The applause

is for you, Doctor. Thank you very much. Thank you.

[Applause]

Doctor, I've been told the

results are in,

gentlemen. What anxiety, anticipation, excitement,

and such

hope before knowing the results!

We ask that

Estela de Vila from the

Latin American Network of

University Cooperation and Ángel Domingo de Ledu join us here on stage.

They will present the diplomas to the

semifinalists and

finalists. We will invite them to come up

on stage to join Estela. And to

Ángel, and to receive the diplomas from them,

Stefanie Diana Gamarra Vera from the

National University of San Marcos

has had a family problem and was

arriving, perhaps she will arrive towards the end,

we are going to save the diploma for Stefanie

Alberto García Chaparro from the

Pontifical University of Comas, forward, we

are applauding them when they go up, of

course,

to Estefanía Fosa Olandini from the

University of

[Applause]

Belgrano and we invite Óscar

Rodríguez de Vivero from the

Carlos III University of

Madrid to come up, the loudest applause so that they

appear very smiley in this photo.

Thank you very much, you can return to your

seats so that the technical and

communications director of LEDU, as well as

Secretary of the Jury, Ángel Domingo, can

announce which of our finalists,

ladies and gentlemen, is the champion of the

2024 World Oratory Championship.

Ángel, thank you very much. Sira, it's part

of the job, one always has to

speak after brilliant orators, I

apologize in

advance and also I don't even know how to use

a

microphone, the seeds must be watered

like talent. The thought

Democracy and flowers, like these

students who accompany us today, we

lovingly and tenaciously help them to bloom,

even in the desert,

in the desert of this

society that allows us, or gives us the

opportunity, the honor, the privilege of

accompanying you, of seeing you grow. When we

were watching

the four of you debate and compete in the

semifinals and in this final, I remembered

how Alberto and I met a

few years ago. Alberto, we all grow old.

Just finished his schooling, he

arrived at university and wrote to us

because he wanted to reach the final

of the Spanish University Debate League.

Who would have told us that

that young man would reach the

World

Oratory Championship? This year we saw Óscar

debut in the university circuit

of the ALEDU, shine as he has,

win as best orator,

that title, the best orator of the

Spanish University Debate League, and come to

Buenos Aires. Estefanía,

who has debuted in the world of

oratory in this championship, has already

reached the final. Imagine the

wonderful future that awaits her.

Likewise, from Peru, with extensive

experience, with a great deal of work, with a great deal of

perseverance. With great enthusiasm, it is

an honor and a privilege, and we are very

grateful that you allow us to

accompany you on this journey. Now I am getting

emotional because these past months we have

experienced the speeches, the words

tinged with hundreds or dozens of accents

from countless countries, and all of them have

resonated powerfully with enthusiasm and will remain with us.

Like the

words of someone we

hold in very special memory, I was going to get

emotional. Leandro Rossi, Argentina's representative

in the last edition,

sadly passed away a few months ago, and it so happened

that just as

we were starting a debate competition,

we learned of his passing at the opening ceremony. The

entire World Championship family

remembers him with infinite affection. It

moves us, as you can see, to

be in his home, in his country, to see this proud and proud

man from Tucumán

who transmitted so much passion with

his words. To his family, to whom we

send our warmest regards because we

know you are watching us from

your homes, we send you a hug from

the entire World Championship family,

of which you are now, of course, a part forever.

I would appreciate a

big round of applause for that young man,

and this blow reminds us of the power of

words. It's true that

misfortune has struck a 20-

year-old, but the other day, listening

again to last year's final,

I realized how his

speeches resonate in our hearts, how they

inspire us with their humanity and

honesty. And I was also accompanied by the

most important element of these kinds of events,

these kinds of

competitions: the coffees, the laughter, and

the dreams with which we talk about the

future. Eloquence...

Forgive me, Leandro, because I'm speechless.

Eloquence is the light of the

mind, as Cicero told us, and in a world

lengthened by shadows that grow

ever darker, exercises like yours,

Alberto, Óscar, Stefi, Estefanía,

which increase and increase and illuminate

the path—forgive me—your words

illuminate the path for everyone, and your

exercises are an example of friendship and

camaraderie.

Thank you in these dark times for

lighting those lights, for giving us

hope, and please, don't let them silence you. Now, without

further ado, let's move on to the

prosaic matter of knowing who our

two finalists are, the new

world champion of Spanish-language oratory. The jury

has decided that the final

contested by Alberto García Chaparro and

Óscar Rodríguez de Vivero for the

2024 world champion of Spanish-language oratory should be a

little exciting. Congratulations,

Alberto García Chaparro, from the

Pontifical University of Comillas.

[Applause]

Congratulations, that applause shouldn't stop!

[Applause]

Congratulations, your emotion moves us

all. Thank you for sharing it. And thank you as

well. And a big round of applause, and we invite

Óscar Rodríguez de Vivero to come up on stage

because he too will receive

an award. Come forward, Óscar, a big round of applause

for

him!

Congratulations! We ask, if you would be so

kind, the President of the Board

of Directors of the

Latin American Network of

University Cooperation, Dr. Helio Montenegro, if you would be

so kind, we also await you here. We

await you here, so that he may present an

award to our young man.

[Applause]

Óscar, congratulations! And we invite you

now to return to your

seats. And now, ladies... Ladies and gentlemen, those who

are here,

those who are following us via live stream from so

many different parts of the

world, we invite the

2024 World Oratory Champion, the newly crowned winner Alberto García

Chaparro from the Pontifical University of

Comillas, to join us on stage.

[Music] We

ask Dr. José Luis Ghioldi,

if he would be so kind, to approach the

President of the University of Belgrano, who

will present the trophy to the newly crowned

winner. Thank you very much. Thank

you very much.

We present the book that

Dr. Dino Borio is giving him.

[Applause]

[Music]

[Applause]

Clavo, and we listen to the words of the newly

crowned

[Music]

champion. Well, they've told me to be

brief, and I will be, but I was

taught that on these occasions one

has to give thanks, and my emotion

is precisely to thank

all the people watching

from Spain. Thank you to my friends.

Thank you to all the people who have

debated with me, who have accompanied me these past

7 years. Thank you to the entire

Spanish debate circuit. Thank you, of

course, to the Thanks to my

family, whom I always carry in my

speeches and who are always in

my heart. Thanks to my faculty and

thanks to my university, because I carry their

name with pride. Thanks to my country,

because it has been a pleasure to

represent it, of course. Thanks to

all of you for allowing me to fulfill

this dream. It's been a month and a half since I

had the good fortune to win in Melilla. A

colleague told me that we must

trust in time because it provides sweet

solutions to many bitter difficulties.

Without a doubt, I believe there is no

sweeter solution than this, and I will always remember the

sweet taste of this wonderful city and

this fantastic country that has made me a

world champion. Thank you very much, thank you,

Alberto. Many

[Applause]

thanks. Let's now listen to the words

of the president of the University

of Belgrano, Dr. José Luis

Yoli. Good

afternoon. The moment has arrived for the

closing of the 2024 World Championship of Oratory

in Spanish in the city of Buenos

Aires. After a day of compelling

speeches in which we had the

opportunity to listen to these young

talents, we are left with the certainty that

debate as a communicative experience is

a fantastic resource founded on

respect. and the interrelation with

others, since dialogue appears

as the only way to resolve our

differences, we are contributing to the

construction of a more

democratic and inclusive society. It is our wish

that

oratory and debate tournaments multiply. Although the

finalists had the same

chance of winning and all

performed excellently,

a winner has been crowned because that is how the rules are. I

wish the participants much

academic and professional success. We are

happy to have hosted

this fourth edition and to have

moved this final for the first time

from Spain to Latin America. We hope to have met

the expectations of

the organizing institutions, the

Spanish University Debate League and the

Latin American University Cooperation Network.

Hopefully, this door that

we opened in Buenos Aires for a

debate final will be replicated in other

Latin American universities throughout the

vast geography of Latin America.

Finally, I thank all the visitors

who came to Buenos Aires from different

cities around the world and the participants

who joined us

virtually. I also extend my greetings to

the international community that

followed the broadcast via

Stream. We have enjoyed a good

show. Now it is time to turn

the page until

2025 Thank you so much, thank you, thank you,

Dr.

Ghioldi. Thank you so much. As

Dr. Ghioldi said, as part of the

University of Belgrano, all of us

feel very honored to have

hosted this final. We welcomed you

with great affection and will forever cherish

the emotion of

this day. I'm sure that

you, and those who are following us via

streaming, have also felt this emotion. You

leave, turn off your cameras, and go back to your

homes. "Pipones," I would say. That's how we say it here; I do

n't know if it's the same in Spain. But it's like

when you're so satisfied, so happy, so pleased to

have participated. That's how

we feel in this house. So,

the adors' gratitude to the

university is more of a

thank you from the university to the

organizers for allowing us to

host this memorable moment. Estela de

Vila, thank you also for inviting me. Thank you so much,

dear

Estela. Thank you all,

thank you to those who are

joining us via streaming. I think

these young people—

these four young people—have changed us.

We started the day one way and we're leaving

another. I'm very moved. We owe this emotion

to all of you. Thank you, thank

you. And until next year, thank you.

[Music]