Social Security Reforms in Latin America - Actuarial Guidelines

Latin America is facing the problems of ageing and the results of social security schemes (pensions) based on pay-as-you go basis or individual capitalization. In both cases, respectively problems are arising, due to the negative gap between incomes as contributions and expenditures, and on low replacement rates. My experience in actuarial valuations and pension reforms indicates that there is a need of sound actuarial participation, with elevated level of professionalism and applying ISAP-1 and ISAP-2, with high abilities in communication. Also, negotiation and transparency are important subjects. Different participants, like social and economic sectors, implies a complicate area to achieve an agreement. What actuaries can do? We must work in teams, without losing our identity and professionalism, combining quantitative activity with soft abilities, to obtain consensus and at least, to get a reasonable medium term interim solution.  The paper will show guidelines to perform an appropriate work in this social conflictive area of actuarial practice.