The Interamerican Scout Region is preparing to elect two young people to serve as Coordinators of the Interamerican Youth Network for the 2026–2029 term.
The election will take place during the Interamerican Youth Network Virtual Meeting, which will bring together representatives of National Youth Networks from across the Region to exchange experiences, strengthen collaboration, and jointly shape the future of youth participation in Scouting.
The nomination period closed on 1 June 2026. We are pleased to share that six nominations were received from young people committed to strengthening youth participation and supporting the Network's development at the regional level.
We invite you to meet the candidates:
Diana Itzel Castellanos LandinAsociación de Scouts de México A.C.
Diana is 21 years old and has experience leading youth participation processes at the local, provincial, and national levels. She is currently part of the coordination team of Mexico’s National Youth Network and has actively participated in regional spaces focused on leadership and youth participation.
Her candidacy highlights the importance of strengthening regional integration, improving communication among National Youth Networks, and creating more opportunities for young people to develop their leadership skills.
Said Isaac Ortega OlecheaAsociación Nacional de Scouts de Panamá
Said is 21 years old and currently serves as National Commissioner for Youth Participation in Panama. Throughout his Scouting journey, he has promoted youth representation, leadership, and community development initiatives, while also supporting communication and participation efforts within his National Scout Organization.
Among his priorities are strengthening National Youth Networks, creating regional exchange opportunities, and promoting increasingly meaningful youth participation.
Karlo Sthefano Rojo FloresAsociación de Scouts del Perú
Karlo is 25 years old and brings extensive experience in youth representation at the national, regional, and global levels. He has participated in the World Scout Youth Forum, the Interamerican Youth Forum, and several youth participation initiatives within his National Scout Organization.
His proposal focuses on strengthening regional collaboration, fostering cooperation among National Scout Organizations, and creating safe spaces where young people can share experiences and develop joint initiatives.
Thais Carolina Barona GuevaraAsociación de Scouts del Ecuador
Thais is 20 years old and has actively participated in youth leadership spaces, youth network coordination, and the organization of national events. She has also promoted initiatives related to youth participation and capacity-building for young leaders.
Her vision includes encouraging the exchange of experiences between countries, promoting collaborative projects, and increasing the visibility of youth-led initiatives across the Region.
Simón Mora PosadaAsociación Scouts de Colombia
Simón is 21 years old and has held leadership roles within his organization’s Youth Network. His experience includes coordinating youth spaces, developing community initiatives, and participating in regional events.
The priorities he hopes to advance include collaborative work, active listening, strengthening regional communication, and connecting youth-led projects developed across different countries.
Carlos Barquero SolanoAsociación de Guías y Scouts de Costa Rica
Carlos is 21 years old and has been involved in various teams related to youth leadership, youth spokesperson initiatives, and educational projects within his organization. He has also held responsibilities within the coordination of Costa Rica’s National Youth Network.
His candidacy aims to strengthen cooperation among organizations, expand youth dialogue spaces, and continue promoting regional representation that is closely connected to the needs and aspirations of young Scouts.
We encourage you to share this information with the members of your National Youth Network so that, as a network, they can review the candidates’ proposals ahead of the 2026 Interamerican Youth Network Meeting. This will help them make informed decisions during the election process.
Next Steps
Over the coming weeks, participants of the Interamerican Youth Network Virtual Meeting will have the opportunity to get to know the candidates better through various materials and engagement opportunities.
National Scout Organizations are invited to submit questions in either of the Region’s two official languages (English or Spanish) for the candidates. These questions will be asked during the dedicated candidate presentation session at the Youth Network Meeting.
Questions must be submitted through the online form available below. The form will remain open until 15 June 2026.
The planning team of the Interamerican Youth Network Meeting will select 10 questions from those submitted by National Scout Organizations. These questions will be compiled into a document and shared with the candidates in advance so they can prepare for the candidate presentation session.
The election of the two Coordinators of the Interamerican Youth Network for the 2026–2029 term will take place during the regional meeting, from 26 to 28 June 2026.
If you have any questions regarding the election process for the Interamerican Youth Network Coordinators, please contact the current Coordinators of the Interamerican Youth Network at: