In the context of preparations for the International Summit on Public and Digital Economic Management (CIGED) Venezuela 2026, the Venezuelan Chamber of Electronic Commerce (Cavecom-e) highlighted the need to deepen education and collaboration between the public sector, private enterprise, and academia to consolidate the digital economy as the fundamental axis of future governance in the country.
Erick Beni Flores, president of the CIGED 2026 Organizing Committee, vice president of Cavecom-e, and president of the Benflor Group, highlighted during an interview with Últimas Noticias Although a large part of the Venezuelan population already interacts daily in the digital ecosystem through purchases, transport services and financial tools such as Mobile Payment, there are still challenges in terms of training and formalization.
- How should e-commerce be integrated with local governments so that the digital economy becomes a real pillar of future governance in Venezuela?
— To consolidate the digital economy ecosystem in Venezuela, the first fundamental step is to train and educate the population at all levels. Although the average Venezuelan uses digital tools daily to acquire goods and services, pay for transportation, or consume entertainment, they often do so empirically, without a thorough understanding of the technological infrastructure that supports their daily transactions.
This widespread adoption accelerated spontaneously during the pandemic as an adaptive response to the country's economic dynamics. A key milestone in this evolution was the consolidation of Mobile Payment, a Venezuelan-developed financial technology solution that is now not only fully integrated into the national market but has also been exported and adapted in other Latin American and European countries. However, the current landscape presents a three-way challenge for the country's key stakeholders: On the one hand, the public sector demonstrates political will toward simplifying procedures, although this requires a cultural transformation within the civil service. The private sector is modernizing and incorporating technology into its production processes but still grapples with high levels of informality. Finally, academia, both public and private, is making sustained efforts to close knowledge gaps and guide the population toward the formal and strategic use of these tools. In the midst of this scenario, civil society remains immersed in the digital environment, but without a comprehensive mastery of the system, which translates into a digital informal economy that currently exceeds 3,5 million people.
Furthermore, one of the central themes of the meeting will be the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on public administration and society. Regarding the global debates on its regulation, the spokesperson emphasized that, rather than attempting to rigidly regulate a rapidly evolving technology, the focus should be on the ethical principles and values of those who use it.
- Given the advancement of tools such as artificial intelligence in digital finance, what key skills does the business community believe the new generation of public and private managers should adopt?
— In the face of the rapid advancement of artificial intelligence (AI) and financial technologies, the business sector argues that the new generation of managers — in both the public and private sectors — must develop skills focused on ethical management, strategic thinking, and regulatory updates, beyond mere technical expertise.
“For business leaders, AI represents a global challenge that surpasses the capabilities of traditional legal regulation. Therefore, the main managerial skill lies in applying solid principles and values that guide the responsible use of technology in key areas such as productivity, medicine, and tourism. We want to establish a summit for this. The topic of artificial intelligence is a great challenge, a challenge for the world; it has even been a topic of discussion at the UN recently, due to regulations. It seems that artificial intelligence is one of those controls, the world's command center, and everyone is fighting over it. But what about good intelligence?”
Artificial intelligence? We have good experience in Europe. Cavecom-e and the Benflor Group have partnered with municipalities, where they have excellent experience in local revenue. So, artificial intelligence is proving to be a challenge for Latin America. We won't be able to create a law to regulate it, because that's like trying to fit the ocean into a bucket.
In the face of the rapid advancement of artificial intelligence and digital finance, Beni Flores asserts that the business community believes the new generation of managers, in both the public and private sectors, must base their competencies on ethical management, transparency, and the updating of regulatory frameworks. The sector agency maintains that artificial intelligence represents a global challenge of such magnitude that it is virtually impossible to confine it within rigid, traditional regulations. Therefore, the primary tool for new leaders lies in applying ethical principles and values to ensure the positive use of technology in strategic fields such as medicine, tourism, and productivity.
In this regard, management training should focus on developing transparency criteria, such as the mandatory labeling and identification of content generated using artificial intelligence, as well as the ability to adapt local legislation—including cybercrime laws—to the speed of digital transformation. It is also important to consider international experiences, such as those of the European Union, which has established clear limits through regulatory frameworks like the MiCA (Markets in Crypto-Assets) Act to govern the technology ecosystem. blockchain , fintech and crypto assets, serving as a guide for local leaders to promote a safe, democratic and coordinated technological transition between business, government and academia.
The top
Under the slogan "Public Management, GovTech and Digital Economy for the Governance of the Future," the International Summit on Public Management and Digital Economy, CIGED Venezuela 2026, will bring together In Valencia, Maracay and Caracas, international specialists and national authorities will meet to analyze the challenges of digital transformation in public management and the economy.
CIGED Venezuela 2026 will bring together specialists from Latin America to discuss the real impact of artificial intelligence, the development of smart governments, e-commerce, digital finance, and the new skills of human talent in the public and private sectors, according to a CIGED press release.
The Summit's program is organized into panels dedicated to key issues, with keynote lectures and technological presentations by leading national and international specialists.
Beni Flores also highlighted the importance of adapting essential legal frameworks—such as updating the Law on Computer Crimes or advancing a framework law on the digital economy and tokenization—that provide legal certainty and trust, while maintaining an interoperable ecosystem within the State (Govtech).
In his opinion, the implementation of Govtech The digitization of public procedures is essential for productive development. The union representative emphasized that the digital transformation of state processes—such as tax and public registry processes—must be carried out smoothly and without friction for citizens.
Alongside technological advancements in public institutions, the spokesperson stressed that academia and education must adapt quickly to train well-rounded professionals capable of responding to the demands of today's digital environment, leveraging technologies such as data analytics, automation, and artificial intelligence in an ethical and inclusive manner.
The schedule
The CIGED 2026 Summit will begin in Carabobo State on October 12 and 13, continue in Maracay on October 14 and 15, and conclude in Caracas on October 16 and 17. It will be organized by the Benflor Group and sponsored by the Ibero-American Union of Municipalities (UIM) and the Spanish educational institution ALEPH (Analysis, Leadership, Political Studies, and Humanism). Other partners include the Venezuelan Chamber of Electronic Commerce (Cavecom-e), the University of Carabobo, and the Nueva Esparta University.
The event will bring together more than 50 international guests and speakers from countries such as Brazil, Spain, Portugal and Mexico, along with the academic support of the University of Carabobo and IESA, among other institutions.
On the morning of the first day, master classes will be given by international speakers from countries such as Brazil, Spain, Portugal, Mexico, and representatives of the Ibero-American Union. In the afternoon, the academic session will be led by specialists and professors from the University of Carabobo—a pioneer in postdoctoral studies in disruptive technology and artificial intelligence—through dynamic 30-minute presentations.
The second day will begin in the morning with a presentation by ALEPH, a Spanish educational institution specializing in digital and political marketing. ALEPH will offer training sessions on the subject, including a seminar in English at its Caracas headquarters to strengthen the journalistic and technical skills of the participants. From 10:00 am to 5:00 pm, nine panel discussions will be held, led by Cavecom and its general directors. These sessions will address key issues in the digital economy, such as payment gateways and methods ("buy now, pay later"), cybersecurity, and Govtech (technological governance), featuring panels made up of businesspeople and specialists who will answer the key concerns of the sector.
In order to ensure broad participation, the summit will have both in-person (with a capacity of 550 people per venue) and streaming options. streaming Both have a suggested cost of $15 at the official exchange rate in bolivars. The event is designed to bring together public sector authorities—ministers, governors, and mayors—with representatives from the private sector. Furthermore, CIGED will award digital certificates endorsed by higher education institutions such as the University of Carabobo, IESA, and UTAG, reaffirming that this is not a for-profit activity, but rather an academic and collaborative effort to effectively guide the transition to a digital economy in Venezuela.
Beni Flores explained that the meeting will conclude on October 17 with the signing of the Caracas Declaration A strategic document that will outline the joint commitments of the public sector, private enterprise, academia, and civil society to accelerate the transition to a robust and transparent digital economy in Venezuela. This document “will be delivered to the State, the National Assembly, and universities. It will be delivered to the private sector. Because we are all working towards a better country,” stated Beni Flores, president of the Organizing Committee of CIGED Venezuela 2026.
