IFC Managing Director Makhtar Diop Meets with Guatemalan President Arévalo to Discuss New Opportunities in Guatemala

Guatemala City, Guatemala, March 21, 2025 – As part of his first visit to Guatemala as Managing Director of the International Finance Corporation (IFC), Makhtar Diop met today with President Bernardo Arévalo to explore new investment opportunities in the country and review the program of IFC — the largest global development institution focused on the private sector — with an emphasis on infrastructure and expanding financial inclusion to help create quality jobs.

During the meeting at the National Palace of Culture, they discussed new impact investment opportunities to strengthen Guatemala’s private sector, boost productivity, and create new jobs. Diop reiterated IFC’s support for the development of critical infrastructure, particularly through public-private partnerships (PPPs), highlighting that in the last fiscal year, IFC committed a record US$677 million in Guatemala — underscoring the country’s strategic importance for the institution.

"Through innovative financing, capital mobilization, and infrastructure development, IFC is opening up new opportunities for the people of Guatemala," said Diop. "We are committed to working closely with both the government and the private sector to tackle the country’s development challenges and foster job creation," he added.

Recent IFC projects in Guatemala include a US$150 million loan to Banco Industrial — aimed at promoting affordable and sustainable housing finance, supporting green finance, and helping women-led SMEs — and a US$175 million investment in power distributor Energuate to increase access to electricity for almost 90 000 people, mainly in rural areas. The financing package includes US$100 million from IFC’s own account in the form of a sustainability-linked loan — the first of its kind in Guatemala — and US$75 million mobilized from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).