ExpoAmazónica Ucayali 2026 opens with focus on Amazon growth and investment

The 7th Congress of Amazonian Entrepreneurs opened in Pucallpa as part of ExpoAmazónica Ucayali 2026, with Central Reserve Bank of Peru President Julio Velarde delivering the keynote. Organizers said the forum will examine how Peru’s macroeconomic strength can translate into infrastructure, financing and development gains for the Amazon.

Why it matters: - The congress is putting Peru’s Amazon development agenda in front of bankers, business leaders and academics. - Organizers framed the discussion around a key gap: strong macroeconomic indicators do not automatically reach rural and remote Amazon communities. - The event is also tying economic growth to infrastructure, financing, forest conservation and sustainable development in the region.

What happened: - The 7th Congress of Amazonian Entrepreneurs (CEA 2026) opened at the Yarinacocha Fairgrounds in Pucallpa, Ucayali, during the 15th edition of ExpoAmazónica Ucayali 2026. - Julio Velarde, president of Peru’s Central Reserve Bank (BCR), delivered the opening keynote lecture, titled “Current Outlook, Opportunities and Challenges for Sustained Growth.” - Alfonso Morante Chávez, chair of the first session and an executive at palm oil company Ocho Sur, said the lecture focused on Peru’s economic outlook and investment opportunities tied to Amazon development.

The details: - Morante Chávez said the session examined how Peru’s economic prospects could turn into better opportunities for people living in rural and hard-to-reach parts of the rainforest. - The first session included a panel from the financial, business and academic sectors. - Panel participants included the president of COFIDE, the general manager of CAF – Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean, Samuel Dyer of Grupo ProAmazonía, and the rector of the National Agrarian University La Molina. - Morante Chávez said one of the sessions scheduled for Saturday will address legal mechanisms to accelerate infrastructure development in the Amazon. - He said one proposal is to strengthen and relaunch the Amazon Promotion Law to address connectivity and competitiveness needs in the region.

Between the lines: - The congress is signaling a push to move from broad economic discussion to policy tools that could unlock private investment and public works in the Amazon. - The focus on infrastructure and legal reform suggests organizers see structural barriers, not just financing gaps, as a major constraint on regional development. - The mix of public, private and academic voices points to an effort to build consensus around a shared Amazon growth agenda.

What's next: - CEA 2026 will continue with sessions on legal and infrastructure issues affecting the Amazon. - Organizers expect the forum to keep advancing proposals on growth, connectivity, financing and sustainable development for Amazonian regions. - The Amazon Promotion Law will likely remain a central topic as participants look for ways to improve competitiveness and access.

The bottom line: - ExpoAmazónica Ucayali 2026 is using its entrepreneurs’ congress to turn Peru’s Amazon development debate into a practical policy and investment conversation.