B’nai B’rith International leaders from the United States, Europe, Australia and Latin America have completed a Latin American mission in which the delegation visited Argentina, Uruguay and Chile for a week of intense high-level meetings.

The delegation, led by President Robert Spitzer and CEO Daniel S. Mariaschin, included Senior Vice President Jacobo Wolkowicz, Senior Vice President Eric Engelmayer, Senior Vice President Dan Tartakovski, President of B’nai B’rith Australia/New Zealand Janine Zimber, International Board of Governors members Leon Shocron, Kathleen Spitzer and Susie Berkovitz, and B’nai B’rith Latin America Director Eduardo Kohn.

Argentina

In Argentina, the delegation was hosted by President Javier Milei and Chief of Staff Manuel Adorni for a gathering that included Foreign Minister Pablo Quirno and Health Minister Mario Lugones.  B’nai B’rith leaders suggested restarting the highly successful B’nai B’rith Argentina program launched in 2002, which delivered medicine throughout the country with the help of the Brother’s Brother Foundation. The initiative was openly welcomed and is expected to restart in the near future.

The delegation additionally met with Waldo Wolff, a congressman from Buenos Aires, for a discussion about terrorism, security and anti-Semitism. B’nai B’rith leaders later met with Marcelo Mindlin, president of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA), as Argentina has assumed the presidency of the alliance through the end of 2026. Argentina is the only Latin American country that is a full member of the IHRA.

The leaders also met with the Delegation of Argentine Jewish Associations (DAIA), the umbrella political Jewish organization in Argentina and the Argentine affiliate of the Latin American Jewish Congress and the World Jewish Congress.

Uruguay

While in Uruguay, the delegation met with former Uruguayan Presidents Luis Alberto Lacalle Herrera (1990-1995), Luis Lacalle Pou (2020-2025) and Julio Sanguinetti (1985-1990 and 1995-2000). Discussions focused on the

rise of anti-Semitism, confronting the challenges posed by populism, the dangers of terrorism in the region and the situation in the Middle East, particularly regarding Israel.

B’nai B’rith leaders later met with Uruguayan President Yamandú Orsi, who spoke forcefully against terrorism, reaffirmed his commitment to Uruguay’s observance of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) working definition of anti-Semitism and announced that Uruguay will participate in the IHRA conference in Argentina in June. The president additionally praised the efforts of B’nai B’rith to help all of Uruguayan society and for organizing more than three decades of events commemorating Kristallnacht, also known as the Night of Broken Glass and the November Pogroms.

B’nai B’rith leaders also spoke with Israeli Ambassador to Uruguay Michal Hershkovitz and U.S. Deputy Chief of Mission to Uruguay Chris Andino. Discussions centered on the political challenges facing Uruguay’s democracy.

Chile

In Chile, the B’nai B’rith leaders began with a two-hour meeting with members of Congress who are part of the Israel-Chile Parliamentary Friendship Group. Discussions included supporting Israeli allies in the government as well as the small Jewish community, estimated at around 15,000 people, as attacks against Jewish Chileans continue to occur.

The delegation further met with Israeli Ambassador to Chile Peleg Lewi. The B’nai B’rith leaders additionally joined a working session with Jewish community leaders, a working session with B’nai B’rith Chile leadership and a Shabbat dinner with more than 120 B’nai B’rith members.