The United States’ partnership with Mexico and Central America continues to encourage a strong COVID-19 response and a brighter economic future for all countries.
Since the start of the pandemic, the United States has provided more than $22 million in supplemental assistance to El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Mexico to mitigate the effects of COVID-19.
- $6.6 million to El Salvador in health assistance and access to financial credit.
- $8.4 million to Guatemala to strengthen health institutions and humanitarian assistance for risk communications and interventions in water, sanitation and hygiene.
- $5.4 million to Honduras to strengthen their laboratory response and disease-surveillance abilities and interventions in water, sanitation and hygiene.
- More than $1.8 million to Mexico for COVID-19 response efforts for refugees, asylum seekers and other vulnerable migrants.
- $845,000 in regional humanitarian assistance to help vulnerable people in El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras during the pandemic.
In addition to this designated funding for the countries’ COVID-19 responses, the U.S. recently announced the resumption of aid to Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador, providing $258 million across the three countries. This funding will support efforts to improve security, good governance, and economic opportunity to help citizens build secure and prosperous futures close to home.
The U.S. continues to invest in public-private partnerships and whole-of-government approaches to economic success — such as América Crece — throughout the region. As of January, the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC) had invested more than $500 million in energy, clean water and financial services in El Salvador.
In Guatemala, the DFC announced a $200 million loan to “enable Banco Industrial to expand lending to Guatemala’s small and medium enterprises, which are facing a roughly $14 billion credit gap that limits their ability to expand, increase revenues, and create jobs.”
These initiatives reinforce the United States’ commitment to a free and democratic Western hemisphere.
“These projects will uplift some of the most underserved communities around the world,” said DFC Chief Executive Officer Adam Boehler. “The impact of these projects will be particularly meaningful as the world continues to fight the health and economic fallout of the pandemic.”