Visions for Development · Edition 02

Through CAF's 2022-2026 Corporate Strategy, our actions are structured in three dimensions. First, we concentrate our efforts on six areas of impact: fair energy transition, climate change adaptation, resilient territorial development, inclusive social well-being, physical and digital connectivity, and increased productivity through partnerships with the private sector. Second, we integrate fundamental principles into our operations: environmental sustainability, evidence-based decisions, institutional strengthening of our partners, a gender and inclusion approach, and attracting international resources. And third, we strengthen our institutional capacities, focusing on financial sustainability, talent development, digital transformation, geographic expansion, transparency, and the creation of innovative financial instruments.

Our interventions follow principles that multiply their impact. Fifty percent of sovereign projects include gender components, such as loans tailored to female entrepreneurs in Ecuador. We incorporate ancestral knowledge and facilitate South-South cooperation to replicate successful experiences, such as the Uruguayan wind energy model. Our strength enables innovations such as sustainable bonds linked to reforestation goals in the Amazon, always with anti-corruption systems that meet international standards. Partnerships with universities are developing local talent in critical technologies.

The challenges remain enormous. The region needs $150 billion annually to meet its climate commitments. A third of countries still face limitations in implementing complex projects. Integration between nations remains insufficient. That's why CAF is redoubling its efforts to increase climate financing by 2030, strengthen local governments with technology transfer, and deepen partnerships with multilateral organizations and the private sector.

Finally, CAF's impact is cemented by its internal agendas, which reinforce its ability to transform vision into action. In 2024, it consolidated the best risk rating in its history, which has been accompanied by the strengthening of human talent and a digital transformation strategy. In a world that demands innovative, sustainable, and fair solutions, CAF reaffirms itself as the strategic partner the region needs to move forward.

Transparency is not an abstract value: it is an indispensable condition for making better decisions, allocating resources wisely, and avoiding duplication. It allows us to evaluate what works, improve what doesn't, and amplify the impact where it is most needed. Furthermore, it strengthens accountability and builds institutional trust. When information is unavailable or inaccessible, the capacity to govern effectively is weakened and citizen participation and collaboration are limited. In our region, where inequality persists as a structural challenge, transparency is also a tool for redistributing power and including those who have historically been excluded in decision-making.

In infrastructure projects—such as roads or dams in rural areas—open information is essential. Clearly publishing social and environmental impacts, along with enabling spaces for public consultation, fosters genuine dialogue between communities, authorities, and businesses. This early participation allows for resolving tensions, building consensus, and ensuring that development leaves no one behind.

Publishing data on social investments and their results allows rural communities to identify gaps, demand improvements, and participate with greater tools in the decisions that affect them. When data is clear, what was hidden becomes visible. And what is seen can be transformed. Thus, transparency contributes to closing historical gaps and moving toward more equitable territorial integration.

Advancing transparency involves more than increasing the amount of information published: it requires that it be useful, timely, and understandable. It is necessary to strengthen publication standards, promote accountability, and ensure that individuals and communities have access to data relevant to their reality. Only in this way will it be possible to democratize decision-making and strengthen the link between institutions and citizens. Transparency and access to information are not merely technical requirements. They are the foundation of modern, open governance oriented toward the common good. In Latin America and the Caribbean, we need information that flows, is reliable, and is available in a timely manner and in accessible formats.

As Gabriel García Márquez said: “The best news is not always the one delivered first, but often the one delivered best.” And in development, “delivering it better” means doing so with evidence, openness, and listening. At CAF, we embrace this commitment: that access to information is not a privilege, but a bridge. A bridge that connects institutions with citizens, financing with results, and data with decisions that transform lives.