<h6><strong>Luis Ayllón</strong></h6> <h4><strong>Central America considers that its unity is one of the axes of the economic and social development of the region and values Spain's cooperation in favouring the comprehensive development of the most vulnerable population. This was highlighted by the Honduran ambassador, Marlon Brevé Reyes, at the reception offered last Friday, together with his colleagues from Guatemala, El Salvador, Nicaragua and Costa Rica at Casa América.</strong></h4> The reception, held on the occasion of<strong> the 203rd anniversary of the independence of the Central American republics</strong>, began with a few words of welcome from the director of Casa América, <strong>León de la Torre</strong>, and with the interpretation of the national anthems of the five countries of the region, represented by <strong>the chargé d'affaires of Guatemala, María Luisa Pineda, the ambassador of El Salvador, Joaquín Alexander Maza; the ambassador of Nicaragua, Maurizio Gelli; and the ambassador of Costa Rica, Adriana Bolaños.</strong> The national anthem of Spain was then played, represented by <strong>the State Secretary for International Cooperation, Eva Granados; and the general director of the Spanish Agency for International Cooperation and Development (Aecid), Antón Leis</strong>. The reception was also attended by, among others, numerous ambassadors, mainly from Latin America. After a speech by<strong> the Executive President of the Central American Bank for Economic Integration (CABEI), Gisela Sánchez,</strong> the ambassador of Honduras took the floor to speak on behalf of the rest of the Central American ambassadors. <strong>Marlon Brevé</strong> recalled that <strong>more than 50 million people live in the region</strong> and pointed out that the effort that each country makes to improve its situation is also supported regionally, thanks to the creation of the<strong> Central American Integration System (SICA)</strong>, which includes the CABEI, “a development engine for the region -he said- of which Spain is an important extra-regional partner.” After reiterating the Central American vocation to be a bridge between the South and the North of the continent and also with Europe, he expressed his satisfaction with the entry into force on May 10 of the Association Agreement between Central America and the EU, which he said “strengthens the opportunities for synergy between the interested parties of the region and Europe, and especially with Spain, by virtue of the ties that unite us.” The ambassador insisted that collaboration between Central American countries is very valuable to face current challenges, which require joint responses. Therefore, he stated: “<strong>A united Central America constitutes one of the axes for economic and social developmen</strong>t; in this context, <strong>the cooperation of the Kingdom of Spain is of utmost importance</strong>, which allows the comprehensive approach of development processes to the most vulnerable population, thereby exercising the universal concept of not leaving anyone behind.” After pointing out the ties that unite the Central American countries with Spain and the bilateral agreements signed in various strategic areas, he stressed that one of the common challenges is to strengthen education in areas such as science and technology, from preschool to higher education. Likewise, he considered that the phenomenon of migration must be addressed in a comprehensive manner.<strong> “Migration policies - he emphasized - must be based on the protection of the human rights of migrants</strong>, and worked on jointly between countries of origin, transit and destination. Only in this way can we move towards regular, safe and orderly migration, which benefits everyone.” Finally, after pointing out the need to not leave aside the climate crisis, he stated that, in the face of the challenges that arise, they are convinced that “with more education, more democracy, more investment and more cooperation,” it is possible to build the Central America of which they dream. And he concluded. “In this process, we know that <strong>we will continue to count on the unconditional support of friends and partners such as Spain.”</strong> [caption id="attachment_94007" align="alignnone" width="750"]<img class="size-full wp-image-94007" src="https://thediplomatinspain.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Centroamerica-recpecion-Honduras.jpg" alt="" width="750" height="421" /> The Honduran ambassador, Marlon Brevé, spoke on behalf of all his Central American colleagues./ Photos: LA[/caption] [caption id="attachment_94036" align="alignnone" width="750"]<img class="size-full wp-image-94036" src="https://thediplomatinspain.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/cenrtroamerica-recepcion-gisela-sanchez.jpg" alt="" width="750" height="422" /> The Executive President of the Central American Bank for Economic Integration (CABEI), Gisela Sánchez.[/caption] [caption id="attachment_93929" align="alignnone" width="750"]<img class="wp-image-93929 size-full" src="https://thediplomatinspain.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Centroamerica-recepcion-Embajadores-discurso.jpg" alt="" width="750" height="422" /> The Director General of Casa América addresses the guests, accompanied by all the ambassadors and the State Secretary for International Cooperation, Eva Granados.[/caption] [caption id="attachment_93931" align="alignnone" width="750"]<img class="size-full wp-image-93931" src="https://thediplomatinspain.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Centroamerica-recepcion-Mexico-Panama.jpg" alt="" width="750" height="421" /> The Ambassador of Mexico and the Ambassador of Panama.[/caption]