The Diplomat
The State Secretary for Foreign Affairs and for Latin America and the Caribbean, Cristina Gallach, begins a tour of Central America today, during which she will express Spain’s support for the region’s economic recovery after the COVID-19 pandemic.
This is according to a statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which indicates that, after a series of contacts by videoconference, Gallach will arrive today in El Salvador, where she will stay until tomorrow, Monday. From there she will travel to Guatemala, where she will remain until the 24th, and will conclude her tour from the 25th to the 27th in Costa Rica.
The State Secretary’s visits come in a year in which the Bicentenary of the Independence of the Central American Republics will be celebrated. In addition, 2021 also marks the 30th anniversary of the creation of the Central American Integration System, SICA, as well as 35 years since the beginning of the Esquipulas Peace Process, undertaken to try to bring peace to a region immersed in military conflicts.
According to the Foreign Affairs communiqué, Cristina Gallach will stress to her interlocutors in the three countries that Central America is a priority for Spain and will underline the Spanish government’s willingness to accompany them “in this year of important commemorations and at a time of serious socio-economic challenges caused by the pandemic and the effects of climate change”.
In her meetings with the Salvadoran, Guatemalan and Costa Rican authorities, the State Secretary will review matters of common interest, “always,” the communiqué states, “with the aim of promoting sustainable and inclusive development.
In addition, she will meet with those responsible for the Bicentennial commemoration programmes, and with the Secretary General of SICA, Vinicio Cerezo.
Costa Rica assumes the Pro Tempore Presidency of SICA during the first half of the year, while Guatemala will do so during the second half of the year. El Salvador hosts the SICA General Secretariat, which acts as the backbone of the commemorations at regional level.
Cristina Gallach is also expected to hold meetings with representatives of the different civil societies, as well as with Spanish businesspeople, in order to gain a deeper understanding of the reality of each of the countries and to encourage the Spanish presence in all spheres.
