Kurt M. Campbell Deputy Secretary of State | Official Website
On October 15, a mid-year review of the U.S.-Guatemala High-Level Economic Dialogue (HLED) was co-chaired by Under Secretary for Economic Growth, Energy, and the Environment Jose W. Fernandez and Guatemalan Minister of Public Finance Jonathan Menkos. This meeting evaluated progress since March 18.
The HLED brought together senior officials from both countries, including representatives from various U.S. agencies such as the Office of the Vice President, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Inter-American Foundation, USAID, and U.S. Trade and Development Agency. Guatemalan participants included members from their embassy in Washington D.C., Ministry of Finance, and Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The review was attended by U.S. Ambassador to Guatemala Tobin Bradley and Guatemalan Ambassador to the United States Hugo Beteta.
The dialogue reaffirmed the commitment between the United States and Guatemala to advance five lines of effort aimed at fostering inclusive economic prosperity through good governance, investment promotion, infrastructure development, energy security, agriculture and food security, and leveraging remittances for development.
In terms of good governance, USAID collaborated with U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to launch an Integrated Customs and Border Management Certificate Program at SIECA in Guatemala City. This program aims to equip customs officials from Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras with essential skills for efficient border management.
Regarding investment promotion in infrastructure and supply chains, technical assistance is being provided for the development of a metro system in Guatemala City. A $5 million project was launched by USAID to support climate-resilient infrastructure development in Guatemala.
Efforts towards energy security include collaborations with organizations like NRECA and ASU to increase energy access in rural areas. Technical studies are being conducted to improve grid reliability as more renewable energy sources are integrated.
For agriculture and food security initiatives, a $2.5 million commitment by IAF supports sustainable agricultural practices through community-led projects like Flor de Mora Cooperative's efforts to enhance export capabilities for Indigenous blackberry producers.
Finally, USAID has initiated a $13 million project aimed at enhancing financial services in rural areas to maximize remittances' impact on local economies.
The ongoing cooperation between the United States and Guatemala underlines their mutual goal of fostering economic growth while addressing challenges related to governance, infrastructure development, energy access, agricultural resilience, and financial inclusion.
