Page 375 - Evento Guatemala 2012

Aníbal López

President PASA 2006-2008

Introduction

I wish to thank the Organization Committee for this gratifying experience here today. I am
excited to be here recalling our memories of the years we presided over the Panamerican Surety
Association and I think that conducting this institution has been an honor and a distinction.

The magic of the Association

When Jorge Orozco told me about the content of this panel, I thought of speaking about some
technical matters. But the words of Alexandre Malucelli triggered off something I had not
clearly seen before, although I had certainly experienced it since I joined PASA: the magic
of the Association. No sooner had I had the honor to take over the presidency than the
Association faced an institutional and financial crisis which prevented us from implementing
all the development plans we had at the moment. This change in midstream–with innumerable
doubts–gave rise to events that showed that magic I told you about before.
At that moment I decided to call an extraordinary Executive Committee meeting for the first time
in the whole Association’s life. I called it at my country, Argentina, in Buenos Aires. And on a very
particular day, January 6, when the whole Southern hemisphere was on annual leave and the whole
Northern hemisphere was busy with the New Year’s Season. For that reason, we were doubtful

373XXIV Asamblea General / XXIV General Assembly