CAF Commits US$10Bn to Boost Regional Integration Across Latin America and the Caribbean

• The Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean (CAF) has announced plans to invest US$10Bn by 2031 to support projects aimed at strengthening regional integration across Latin America and the Caribbean.
• The funding will be directed toward key sectors, including physical and digital infrastructure, intra-regional trade, food security, energy, tourism, innovation, logistics, and mobility, to improve connectivity, reduce development disparities, and enhance the region’s competitiveness.
• According to CAF, the initiative forms part of its commitment to regional integration as a catalyst for sustainable development, economic growth, and resilience. It is also intended to create new opportunities for businesses and citizens across the region.
• The announcement followed discussions at the International Forum on Regional Integration in Cartagena, Colombia, where government officials, multilateral organisations, private-sector leaders, academics, and development partners explored strategies for advancing integration across the region.
• CAF also highlighted its longstanding role in supporting regional integration, noting that it has approved 118 credit operations worth US$16.73Bn for integration-related projects over the past three decades. During the last five years, it has expanded investments in physical connectivity, productive development, digital transformation, energy integration, and environmental conservation.
• The US$10Bn commitment reflects growing recognition that deeper regional integration could help Latin America and the Caribbean improve competitiveness, strengthen supply chains, and reduce vulnerability to geopolitical tensions, trade fragmentation, and global economic uncertainty.

(Source: Dominica News Online)