By Ignacio Sánchez González

Rafael “Lito” Ibarra, considered the “Father of the Internet” in El Salvador, is one of the leading figures in the development of the Internet in Latin America and the Caribbean. In addition to being a founding member of LACTLD and its first Board President, Lito has contributed to strengthening the regional Internet ecosystem through leadership roles in organizations such as ICANN, LACNIC, and RedCLARA.

In this interview, Lito Ibarra shares what inspired him to write his book, Footprints Toward the Future: Memoirs of the Father of the Internet in El Salvador (1995–2025), reflects on the role LACTLD has played throughout his career, and offers his perspective on the Association’s present and future.

How did the idea for the book come about? What can readers expect to find in it?

We often have dreams and aspirations that we keep postponing because our daily work leaves us little time to pursue them. A few years ago—more specifically, about three years ago—I began drafting an outline for what I wanted this book to become: a reflection on my 30 years of experience within the Internet ecosystem, beginning in 1993, when I attended a TCP/IP workshop at the University of Costa Rica and first started learning about Internet technology.

While balancing my professional responsibilities, I used whatever free time I could find to write different sections of the book. My goal was to have it completed by December 2025, marking both the 30th anniversary of El Salvador’s first dedicated Internet connection and the fourth anniversary of my induction into the Internet Hall of Fame. Interestingly, both milestones occurred on December 14.

Readers will find a collection of stories, anecdotes, and historical events in which I had the privilege of being involved. They reflect the evolution of the Internet in my country, our region, and around the world. I am deeply grateful to have had the opportunity to contribute to—and in some cases help found or serve on the boards of—organizations that have played an important role in the development of the Internet at both the regional and global levels.

What role has LACTLD played throughout your professional career?

I had the honor of taking part in the founding of LACTLD. In fact, I was one of its first Board Presidents. The book tells that story as well.

LACTLD was the first international organization I became involved with from its inception, and that is one of the reasons I continue to believe so strongly in it. It is immensely satisfying to see how much it has grown and matured into a highly respected regional organization, recognized not only within our community but across the global Internet ecosystem. It has earned a position of prestige and the respect, admiration, and affection of country code registries, professional organizations, and many other Internet stakeholders.

I take great pride in sharing LACTLD’s achievements, values, and collaborative approach with people and institutions around the world. I believe we continue to be a close-knit community—one that honors its pioneers and founders while placing full confidence in the generations that have followed.

What role do you think the Association has played in the evolution of the Internet in the region? What role does it play today?

LACTLD has been a catalyst for the professional development of country code top-level domain registries across the region. Although each registry had its own history and unique circumstances, all of us managing this new and little-known resource had to define our own policies and operational rules—from whether to charge for domain registrations to deciding which third-level domains would be available to the public.

The idea behind founding LACTLD was precisely what the Association continues to represent today: providing a common forum where registry managers throughout the region could generously and freely share experiences and best practices.

That role remains unchanged, and the original principles of the Internet—openness, transparency, solidarity, generosity, and collaboration—are embedded in LACTLD’s DNA. Because most of us share the same language, and are able to communicate effectively with those who do not, we benefit from the cultural closeness that unites our region. While today we can certainly learn from registries around the world, our shared culture and identity continue to give the Association a unique value.

How do you envision the future of the Association?

I have no doubt that LACTLD will continue on its path of professionalization and institutional consolidation. While it may be possible to grow the membership, the number of country code registries is naturally limited. Yet that very characteristic is also one of our greatest strengths, allowing members to know each other personally and build strong relationships based on trust.

Likewise, the continuity provided by those who serve on the Board under our Statutes and election processes enables the Association to continue maturing while developing shared platforms for collaboration and the exchange of experiences.

Having been part of the group of country code registries that conceived and established the first version of LACTLD, I can confidently say that the aspirations we had when we created the Association have steadily become reality—and will continue to do so through our projects, workshops, initiatives, partnerships, events, and the many opportunities we have to come together.

LACTLD participated in the recognition ceremony organized by the Research Institute of the Universidad del Valle de Guatemala (UVG) in honor of Eng. Luis Furlán, a key figure in the development of the Internet in Guatemala and a longstanding leader within the Latin American and Caribbean Technical Community. Held on June 18, 2026, at the university, the event brought together members of the country’s academic, technical, and Internet communities to recognize his career and contributions.

From the Universidad del Valle de Guatemala, Furlán played a fundamental role in building the country’s Internet infrastructure and ecosystem. He led several milestones in the development of the Internet in Guatemala, including the country’s first Internet connection in 1991, the administration of the .gt country code top-level domain beginning in 1992, and the gradual expansion of services and policy development that helped consolidate Guatemala’s national domain name space.

His commitment to regional cooperation has also been closely linked to the history of LACTLD. The .gt registry was among the ccTLDs that joined the Association during its early years, helping expand its regional reach and strengthen collaboration among domain name registries across Latin America and the Caribbean. Luis Furlán was also part of the group of leaders who contributed to the process that culminated in the formal establishment of LACTLD in 2004 and participated in the Association’s first General Assembly, held that same year in Montevideo. He later served as Secretary of the Board of Directors from 2004 to 2006 and as a member of the Audit Committee from 2006 to 2007. Over the years, he has remained actively involved in the Association’s institutional life, participating in General Assemblies, Working Group meetings, and Workshops, including the Commercial and Technical Workshop held in Guatemala in 2019.

“Luis Furlán belongs to a generation of pioneers whose work made a decisive contribution to the development of the Internet in our region. His commitment to cooperation among ccTLDs, his role in building LACTLD, and his constant willingness to share knowledge have left a lasting mark on our community. It is an honor for the Association to join in recognizing a career that continues to inspire new generations”, said Ernesto Bojórquez, President of LACTLD’s Board of Directors.

LACTLD congratulates Luis Furlán on this well-deserved recognition and thanks him for his contributions to strengthening the Internet in Guatemala and to the development of the regional ccTLD community.

LACTLD’s online General Assembly took place on Tuesday, June 16. The associate ccTLDs participated in the election of three (3) members to the Board of Directors and three (3) members to the Audit Committee. The vote to fill the vacant positions on the Board of Directors was conducted in accordance with the Election Rules and Regulations, and Ernesto Bojórquez (.MX), Everton Rodrigues (.BR) and Jenifer López (.PA) were elected. Meanwhile, the three members of the Audit Committee were elected by acclamation: Eduardo Tomé (.HN), Lorena Villagómez (.EC), and Adrián Almirón (.PY).

Following the conclusion of the Assembly, the Board members met and agreed that the new composition of LACTLD’s Board of Directors is as follows:

The Association held the LACTLD Workshop 2026 from May 26 to 28 in Panama City, Panama. The event, which took place within the framework of LACNIC 45, convened the three Working Groups for a cross-cutting agenda focused on sharing experiences, building capacity, and developing collaborative initiatives among the region’s ccTLDs.

During the mornings of the first two days, participants made progress on drafting a best-practices document for ccTLDs in Latin America and the Caribbean. To this end, case studies were presented on operations in crisis situations and risk management, along with experiences shared by member organizations on how they address these challenges within their own registries.

As a starting point for a group practical activity, Leticia Bozoglilanian, Head of Quality, Risk, and Information Security at LACNIC, shared theoretical and methodological tools for identifying and addressing risks. Building on this framework, participants took part in an exercise in which they analyzed the presented cases, identified the main risks, and proposed possible mitigation strategies. On the third day, a session was held to share insights with the goal of moving toward a first draft of the best practices document.

The program also addressed other topics of interest to the community: experiences with member-led marketing campaigns; ccTLD updates; insights on DNS abuse from NetBeacon; the KINDNS program; a presentation by the Brand Safety Alliance; the use of artificial intelligence for detecting algorithmically generated domains; DNS fragmentation; and an update from the TCCM on the future of Internet governance and the multi-stakeholder model.

In addition, sessions were held dedicated to LACTLD’s collaborative projects. As part of the 10th anniversary of the Agreement Signing Ceremony that formalized the launch of the LACTLD Anycast Cloud, a special session was held on the evolution and current status of the service. Meanwhile, José Urzúa, leader of the Working Committee, presented the latest updates on the Unified Domain Search Engine. Regarding the project “Measuring the DNS in Latin America and the Caribbean”, Patrick Myles, a consultant and contributor to the initiative, shared trends regarding registries and the evolution of the ccTLD market. This segment was complemented by a presentation from members of the Board of Directors and staff on preliminary progress in the 2026–2030 Strategic Planning process.

The workshop brought together 61 participants—26 in person and 35 remotely—from 16 ccTLDs in the region, and featured presentations by 32 experts from 12 ccTLDs and 6 organizations. The activities held in Panama City were made possible thanks to the support of LACNIC, the Public Interest Registry, NIC Panama and the Brand Safety Alliance.

LACTLD welcomed Internet pioneer Steve Crocker to a webinar organized by the Technical Working Group, with support from NIC Costa Rica.

During the event, the Association presented its work and some of its main collaborative projects and services. First, Frederico Neves (.br), a member of the administration team, explained how LACTLD’s Anycast Cloud works, its current status, and its development as a regional collaborative network serving ccTLDs.

Next, José Urzúa (.cl), leader of the Working Committee, discussed the origins and evolution of the Unified Domain Search Engine. For his part, Luis Arancibia (.cl), president of the LACTLD Board of Directors, presented the Workshop for an Open, Secure and Trustworthy Internet, its objectives, and the latest editions held in collaboration with the LAC Technical Community.

Finally, the coordinators of the Technical Working Group, Esteban Maldonado (.gt) and Jan Alvarado (.hn), with the support of Arlette Pedreros (.cl), former group coordinator, discussed the group’s working dynamics, its annual agenda, and the activities carried out during 2025 and early 2026.

Steve Crocker’s participation in the LACTLD webinar took place as part of a series of events in Costa Rica, where he will deliver a lecture titled “The Early Days of the Network: The Creation of the ARPANET and the Transition to the Internet,” organized by the Academia Nacional de Ciencias, NIC Costa Rica, and Universidad de Costa Rica.

This event provided an opportunity to share LACTLD’s regional experience, highlight the collaborative work of its members, and strengthen dialogue with key figures in the history of Internet development.

The LACTLD Workshop 2026 will be held in conjunction with the LACNIC 45 meeting in Panama City, Panama, from May 26 to 28, 2026. The three-day event will feature a cross-cutting workshop for the Working Groups.

As in previous years, the event will feature a schedule of activities organized by the Association’s three Working Groups: Commercial, Technical, and Policy & Legal. During the first two days of the cross-cutting workshop, members will address topics such as the operation of ccTLDs in times of crisis and risk management; the future of Internet governance and the multi-stakeholder model; registration trends and the evolution of the ccTLD market; IPv4/IPv6; among others. In addition, they will jointly begin drafting a document on best practices for ccTLDs in Latin America and the Caribbean.

In addition, the final day of the workshop will address topics such as the current status and future of LACTLD’s collaborative projects (the Unified Domain Search Engine, the Workshop for an Open, Secure, and Trustworthy Internet, and the study Measuring the DNS in LAC). There will be a special session dedicated to the LACTLD Anycast Cloud, as this year marks the 10th anniversary of the service Agreement Signing Ceremony. Additionally, progress on the 2026–2030 Strategic Planning process will be presented, along with other topics of interest to the community.

The upcoming edition of our annual hybrid event is of great importance to LACTLD, as it brings our members together to collaborate on both the Association’s joint projects and issues that have a broad impact and relevance for everyone in our community.