Guatemala and St. Lucia join CAF

The Board of Directors of CAF, Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean, approved the incorporation of Guatemala and Saint Lucia as new shareholder countries of the institution. This decision represents a step forward in strengthening CAF's relationship with Central America and the English-speaking Caribbean, and reflects its efforts to attract new nations and continue to grow geographically .

The Board's approval marks the beginning of the formal process for Guatemala and St. Lucia to become shareholders. As Series "C" shareholders, both countries will have access to CAF's financial, technical and knowledge services designed to support their development priorities and improve the quality of life of their populations. This further strengthens CAF's relationship with Central America and the Caribbean, and reaffirms the bank's commitment to sustainable and inclusive development in the region.

"We welcome Guatemala and St. Lucia's decision to join CAF, as it represents a vote of confidence in our renewed agenda for sustainable and inclusive growth," said Sergio Diaz-Granados, CAF's executive president. "We are honored by the trust placed in us by the governments of St. Lucia and Guatemala, and we look forward to working closely with both countries to advance resilience, climate action and regional integration."

In the past three years, CAF has seen unprecedented expansion thanks to the recent incorporations of El Salvador and Honduras directly as member countries, the conversions of Chile, Costa Rica and the Dominican Republic to the same category, and the incorporation of the Bahamas and Antigua and Barbuda as Series "C" shareholders. In addition, other countries such as Grenada and Dominica have begun their respective processes to join the bank, and other countries in the region have expressed interest in joining the institution, thus consolidating CAF's role as the development bank with the greatest presence and scope in Latin America and the Caribbean.