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Mapfre S A : highlights the social role of insurance and Ibero-American identity as a driver of prosperity
Mapfre S A : highlights the social role of insurance and Ibero-American identity as a driver of
About this update from Mapfre Sa
[{"type":"text","content":"\n \n Antonio Huertas Mejías, Mapfre group executive chairman, has received an honorary doctorate from the University of Salamanca in recognition of his professional career and his efforts to promote insurance as a driver of economic development and social cohesion, particularly in Ibero-America. \n \n \n The ceremony was part of this year's events marking the 500th anniversary of the School of Salamanca, which traces its origins to 1526, when Francisco de Vitoria arrived at the university to take up the Chair of Prime Theology. The University of Salamanca also awarded honorary doctorates as part of the same ceremony to Italian President Sergio Mattarella and, posthumously, to Francisco de Vitoria himself, regarded as the inspiration and intellectual leader of the humanist movement associated with the Salamancan scholastics. \n \n \n Huertas, who earned his law degree from the University of Salamanca, is chairman of Alumni, the university's alumni association. \n \n \n Speaking at the academic ceremony, Huertas said education, economic ethics, and risk management are essential to building fairer, more prosperous societies. He also emphasized the School of Salamanca's intellectual legacy and its relevance to today's social and economic challenges. \n \n \n \"Insurance is not just a financial product; it's the most sophisticated private exercise in solidarity ever created by mankind,\" Huertas said. He described insurance as \"a social shield that reduces people's vulnerability and enables them to look to the future with greater certainty.\" \n Insurance as a response to uncertainty\n Huertas identified uncertainty as one of the main barriers to development, particularly in regions with high levels of economic informality, where people are especially vulnerable. He pointed to insurance as a way to pool risk, support investment and savings, and contribute to social stability. \n \n \n He also warned of the insurance protection gap in Ibero-America, which Mapfre Economics estimates at more than 315 billion dollars. This gap, he said, limits the growth of a broad middle class and leaves millions of families and small businesses more exposed to illness, accidents, and natural disasters. \n The School of Salamanca and the ethical roots of modern insurance\n Huertas traced the origins of modern insurance to late 15th-century Spain. Insu...