Guatemala hosted, from July 27 to 29, a meeting that marked a turning point for the region: the 1st Meeting of Directors of Latin American Maritime Authorities (DAMLa 1), held at the facilities of Guatemala’s Ministry of National Defense. For the first time, the highest-ranking officials from maritime administrations across the continent sat at the same table, convened by the International Maritime Organization (IMO), together with the Central American Commission for Maritime Transport (COCATRAM) and the Government of Guatemala, as the host country.

For the occasion, IMO Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez sent a recorded message in which he emphasized the Organization’s commitment to a region that, he said, “…needs technical cooperation tailored to its specific needs.” And that is how the following three days unfolded: through presentations, working sessions, and discussions aimed at bringing together the challenges currently facing Latin American maritime authorities.

IMO representatives took the opportunity to showcase, firsthand, the tools the Organization makes available to its Member States to properly implement its regulatory instruments. Meanwhile, the participating countries achieved something equally significant: a consensual regional work plan and a resolution laying the foundations for coordinated action going forward.

But DAMLa 1 was not solely focused on technical matters. The meeting also reserved a special space for a presentation by our Network and included a workshop on inclusive leadership, gender equality, and institutional strengthening—an area in which Red MAMLa had an important contribution to make.

Magdalena Santos, current President of the Network and an official with the General Directorate of the Merchant Marine of Honduras, took the floor to introduce Red MAMLa to the region’s Maritime Authorities. Her presentation covered how the Network is organized, the direction of its 2025–2029 five-year strategy, and the role it plays within the IMO’s Global Strategy, as one of the nine recognized associations of women in the maritime sector worldwide.

Magdalena also highlighted the purpose behind Red MAMLa: bringing together women from the Latin American maritime sector around four pillars that summarize its daily work—training, visibility, recognition, and empowerment—with the goal of achieving the meaningful inclusion of women in a historically male-dominated sector.

The Network’s presence at an event of this magnitude was no coincidence. It confirms that the work of maritime women across the region has already become part of the regional conversation, and that Red MAMLa is consolidating its position as an independent voice within the IMO and among Latin America’s maritime administrations.