On the eve of the 201^st anniversary of Independence for Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua, Central American countries continue facing urgent challenges: migration, food security, and the socioeconomic effects of the pandemic followed by the global implications of Russia’s war in Ukraine. With renewed US impetus to promote economic opportunity for people in the region, the Central American private sector has a critical role to play in generating employment, driving economic growth, and spurring innovation.

What are untapped opportunities for private sector investment to be a pillar for overall Central American development? What more can local businesses contribute to developing a sustainable economy in Central America? How can important US initiatives such as the Partnership for Central America even further catalyze economic resilience in the region?

Join the Atlantic Council’s Adrienne Arsht Latin America Center on Wednesday, September 14, at 4:00 p.m. ET (2:00 p.m. Guatemala) for a 30-minute live conversation with José Gregorio Baquero on the importance of Central American businesses as engines of regional investment, employment, and development. CMI Foods, owner of the Pollo Campero restaurant chain, is one of the largest agro-industrial business groups in Latin America.

This conversation is part of the Adrienne Arsht Latin America Center’s Leaders of the Americas series, which offers insight and analysis at the highest level to discuss the most pressing issues faced by the region.

Featuring

José Gregorio Baquero
Chief Executive Officer
Corporación Multi Inversiones (CMI) Foods

In conversation with

Jason Marczak
Senior Director, Adrienne Arsht Latin America Center
Atlantic Council

Opening comments by

María Fernanda Bozmoski
Deputy Director, Programs, Adrienne Arsht Latin America Center
Atlantic Council

Follow the conversation on Twitter with @AtlanticCouncil and @ACLatAm using #ACCentralAmerica and #ACLeaders