CAF -development bank of Latin America and the Caribbean- approved a total of US$1.14 billion to promote sustainable development and inclusive growth in the region. The credits will contribute to improving water security in Bolivia, ensuring food assistance in Argentina, linking financial conditions to the fulfillment of commitments on climate action and gender equality in Mexico, and strengthening climate adaptation and resilience in the Dominican Republic.
In addition, the CAF Board of Directors approved the provision of Series “C” shares for Bahamas, Dominica, Grenada, who have formally expressed their interest in joining the bank, along with five other Caribbean countries. With this new positioning, CAF is on its way to becoming the development bank with the greatest presence in the region, which will translate into greater support for green and sustainable development projects.
“Our positioning in the Caribbean will give a new dimension to an institution created by six Andean countries (Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Venezuela) that, fifty-six years later, has 21 shareholder countries and is one of the main sources of multilateral financing in the region. This expansion of CAF in the Caribbean will lead us to be the development bank with the most coverage in Latin America and the Caribbean,” said Sergio Díaz-Granados, executive president of CAF.
During the CAF meetings, the historic results reported by the bank were presented. In 2023, CAF reached a historical maximum of approvals of US$16,261 million; total assets of US$53,814 million; a net profit of US$810 million; and assets of US$14,730 million, 7.4% higher than in 2022. In addition, last year Chile, the Dominican Republic and Honduras became full members of the institution.
This expansion and financial solidity was recognized by risk rating agencies with the highest rating issued to CAF, as well as investors who over-demanded the record of 45 bond issues in various international markets for a total of approximately US$6.5 billion. Throughout its thirty years of existence, CAF’s bond issuance program, which began in 1993, has managed to attract resources from international capital markets to key areas of the region’s development.
