Category: Central America

Guatemala joined El Salvador, Honduras and Nicaragua to become the fourth Central American nation to implement Cafta, the free trade agreement with the US. Meanwhile, Dominican Republic delayed the planned July 1 implementation of the Treaty while it continued to negotiate some aspects of the agreement.

Guatemala’s consumer price index rose 0.82% in April, prompting fears that inflation this year may push past the 6% forecast. This would make it the third consecutive year that the country’s rate of inflation has exceeded the 4%-6% range targeted by the government’s monetary committee. Last year inflation ended the year at 8.57%, according to the central bank, Banguat.

Nicaragua’s opposition leader and presidential candidate in November’s elections, Daniel Ortega, has promised the country a development bank which he says will be supported by Venezuela’s president, Hugo Chávez. The bank would help fund small and medium-sized businesses as well as agricultural producers.

For the first time ever, Guatemala and Nicaragua have adopted “Summer Time” – pushing forward the time by one hour – in order to save energy costs. Both countries put their clocks forward by an hour on Sunday, midnight. They will remain at GMT-5 until September 30. Guatemala estimates the change will save around 4% in energy consumption.

Nicaragua’s largest right-wing party, Partido Liberal Constitucionalista (PLC), has chosen José Rizo as its presidential candidate for the country’s upcoming elections in November. Rizo will stand against former president and Sandinista Daniel Ortega. The prospect of either candidate as the future president of Nicaragua has set off alarm bells in the United States, which has been lobbying all the right-leaning parties to unify and pick a candidate, other than Rizo, to defeat Ortega.

US jeans manufacturer Cone Denim, part of International Textile Group, is to build a plant in Managua, Nicaragua, which will be the country’s largest plant. The planned investment of $100 million is equal to 2% of Nicaragua’s total GDP, according to a government spokesman, who said the agreement reinforces the message that “Nicaragua is open for CAFTA business.” The Central American Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA) with the US came into effect in Nicaragua earlier this month. CAFTA has been opposed by small textile manufacturers in the region who say the Agreement will result in the closure of local businesses.

The International Finance Corporation (IFC) has agreed a subordinated loan of $30 million to Guatemala’s largest financial institution, Banco Industrial, aimed at strengthening the capital base of the Bank. Atul Mehta, IFC’s director for Latin America and the Caribbean, said: “IFC’s investment will constitute a signal of approval in the international market and help put Banco Industrial on a very competitive footing as CAFTA is implemented in the region.” The move is part of a strategy to encourage the development of Guatemala’s banking sector as a whole. The loan will help Banco Industrial expand its financing of local companies, as well as the country’s growing export sector. IFC is the private sector arm of the World Bank.

The annual meeting of the Inter-American Development Bank ended with no agreement on debt relief for the region’s poorest countries. Haiti, Bolivia, Honduras, Nicaragua and Guyana had hoped the bank would agree to forgive as much as US$3.5 billion in debt, arguing they cannot afford the payments without cutting back on desperately needed social programs. Bolivia owes US$1.6 billion and Honduras another US$1.4 billion.

An agreement has been reached between President Enrique Bolaños of Nicaragua and the left-wing Sandanista leader Daniel Ortega to delay until next year constitutional reforms which will weaken presidential powers. Growing conflict between President Bolaños and the opposition-controlled Congress has created a deepening political crisis in the country, described by the President as a ‘creeping coup’.

Nicaragua has recalled its ambassador to Costa Rica, Francisco Fiallos Navarro, as a long-running border dispute between the two countries escalates. Since 2001, Nicaragua and Costa Rica have been disputing sovereignty of the San Juan River border between the two nations. Costa Rica says it is considering bringing the case in front of the International Court of Justice in The Hague.