Transcript
WELCOME TO GUATEMALA
Cradle of one of the most advanced pre-Columbian civilizations on the planet.
Land of profound mysticism and ancestral devotions and traditions.
Vistas of exceptional beauty and abundant natural diversity.
A country on the go, full of challenges and promise, which makes for an exciting future.
Soul of the earth, country of eternal spring. This is Guatemala.
Located in the heart of Central America, Guatemala is a mosaic of cultures, both colonial and indigenous, a vibrant canvas of infinite colors, a gift for our eyes that invites the rest of our senses to experience it.
And a good place to start is its capital, Guatemala City, Central America’s largest urban center with two million inhabitants, a melting pot of cultures and languages that characterizes this diverse country.
The first city ever planned in the Americas, Guatemala City, is also known as the Silver Cup, or Tacita de Plata. It is diverse, modern, cosmopolitan and dynamic.
And this year, it will also be the venue of the Annual Meeting of the Boards of Governors of the Inter-American Development Bank, which will be held March 16th through the 20th, under the banner “No One Will Be Left Behind,” a call to solidarity inspired by the Mayan sacred book, the Popol Vu.
The meeting will also serve as another reaffirmation of the close, historic ties between Guatemala and the IDB.
Luis Alberto Moreno
President of IDB
The annual meetings serve as a forum for discussions among leaders of the public and private sectors, and civil society. For several days, Guatemala City will become the focus of International interest in Latin America and the Caribbean.
The Bank’s close relationship with Guatemala has turned it into the main source of financing for the country’s economic and social development.
Beginning in 1996, when the peace accords were signed to end the civil war, the relationship with the IDB is at its most productive level.
And in the last decade, Guatemala has received 44 loans worth close to 1.5 billion dollars, with a special focus on infrastructure, macroeconomic stability, support for the peace process and environmental preservation.
Oscar Berger
President of IDB
On behalf of the people of Guatemala, I invite you to make out of your stay
in our country an unforgettable experience, that besides meeting all the
expectations of this important meeting, it allows you to get to know more
about a country that has undertaken a process of economic reactivation
that projects a production that has not been seen in the last 30 years of
its economic history.
In our Guatemala you will find service oriented people, focused on
entrepreneurship and solidarity that identifies us as chapines.
After decades of civil war, the reconstruction, not only of the country’s infrastructure, but also of its social fiber, is one of the Bank’s priorities.
Special mention goes to an innovative initiative that provides 50 million dollars to finance local reconstructions projects, which are managed by the residents themselves of each community who’s a recipient of funds.
Other aspects of these initiatives include enhancing the role of women in the democratic process, and the promotion of good eating and hygienic practices to improve the health of Guatemala’s children.
As for environmental preservation, the Bank has launched its Sustainable Development Program of El Petén.
Thanks to this initiative, the Mayan ruins of Yaxhá and Aguateca have been restored, and tourism facilities have been built in order to attract visitors to this magnificent Mayan legacy.
The program is also designed to promote environmental preservation practices —specifically in the Mayan Biosphere Reserve— among the local population.
Here is where the Mayan civilization flourished, leaving behind not only thousands of monuments and buildings of astonishing beauty, but also a scientific legacy which even today continues to amaze astronomers, mathematicians and architects.
Tikal, named Heritage of Humanity site by UNESCO, is the shinning star in this constellation of Mayan masterpieces.
The richness of this cultural legacy can only be compared to the opulence of ecological diversity in El Petén and other rain forest areas of the country.
Jaguars, crocodiles, thousands of bird species, especially the mythical quetzal, Guatemala’s national bird, share, along with hundreds of types of orchids, some of the hemisphere’s most prolific ecosystems.
And from natural beauty we move on to urban beauty. This is Antigua, the former capital and one of the most charming colonial towns in the Americas.
Its wide and picturesque streets are adorned by dwellings, churches, palaces and monuments, dating as far back as the 16 Century, in striking and colorful harmony.
So much beauty needs to be shared. Perhaps that is why UNESCO designated it as Heritage of Humanity site in 1972.
Luis Alberto Moreno
President of IDB
We are confident that with the energy, enthusiasm and hospitality of our Guatemalan hosts, this will be a memorable annual meeting for the IDB.
Guatemala is the ideal setting for a gathering that will help chart the region’s course in the future. I warmly welcome you to the IDB’s 48th Annual Meeting in Guatemala.
Guatemala, a country to enjoy with body and soul.
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About the Meeting
