New deal adds two-year payment deferral to existing natural-disaster clause to mitigate impact of a future pandemic.

The Dominican Republic’s banks, which were supported by a swift series of measures when Covid-19 struck, are now being asked to fund the government until fiscal reform can be enacted.

Many of the small countries that make up the central American and Caribbean region are dependent on tourism for income. They will likely be hard hit this year.

No investment bank has a greater reach in central America and the Caribbean region than Citi.

Consolidation and new entrants attracted to the country’s winning GDP streak.

The country’s poverty is in marked contrast to the relative affluence of its neighbours. It needs access to finance beyond disaster relief. But can banks make a business case for a nation in such poor repair?

Economic growth is strengthening in central American and the Caribbean. The IMF expects the region to grow at about 2% this year and 2.5% next year.

Argentina Best Bank

BAC International Bank introduced a new brand for its network across central America, but in all other aspects it was business as usual.

Managed marine protected areas are an effective tool in coastal ocean conservation. They are also ripe to be included in investment structures. The upsides for everyone may help push the protected area of the world’s seas from 2% to 30% by 2030.

Banco Popular Dominicano

The recent trend for growth among local pan-regional banks continues and, in the last year, Grupo Financiero Ficohsa’s acquisition of Citi’s banks in Honduras and Nicaragua shows that it may well be a challenger in the future for BAC International Bank, which retains this year’s award for the best bank in central America and the Caribbean.

The Argentine banking system is beginning to return to a semblance of normality, with signs such as positive interest rates. But the road back to international standards is a long one. After many years of economic dysfunction and highly prescriptive banking regulations (including mandatory lending to segments and floors and caps on interest rates), it will take a long time for an orthodox banking sector to appear.

Last month, Fidel Castro, president of Cuba since 1959, gave an exclusive interview to Euromoney editor Garry Evans – his first interview with the western press in years. The old dog is having to learn new tricks. While he makes it clear he is not about to allow democracy or convert Cuba to capitalism, he is gung-ho about encouraging foreign investment. But, with the Cuban economy going into a tailspin, he admits he has little choice.