Central America is beginning its path to recovery, even though it remains unclear when the COVID-19 pandemic will end. The virus has exacted a heavy toll—socially, in terms of human lives, and in terms of public health—but also financially. Governments in the region have had to resort to issuing debt and taking out loans from multilateral institutions, primarily to bridge fiscal gaps that were already a problem before the health emergency erupted in early 2020.

Latin America is making slow progress toward recovery from the crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. By 2022, only half of the countries will have achieved positive growth compared to pre-pandemic 2019 levels, and even these forecasts are not entirely certain: the crisis caused by the virus—which continues to develop new, more contagious variants and refuses to cease being a health and economic risk to the world—has yet to be fully overcome.

The adoption of the dollar as legal tender in El Salvador is an innovative move that has faced criticism; however, upon analyzing the figures and trends—not only regarding its undeniably rising market value but also its acceptance and use among multinational companies and major investment banks—it can be concluded that there are positive aspects that could turn this innovative move into a winning one.

Against the backdrop of the global economic recovery, César Addario examines how international funds can serve as a catalyst for reviving economies affected by crises. He highlights the role of infrastructure investment and structured financing as key tools for driving growth. He also emphasizes the importance of connecting capital with strategic projects to strengthen regional competitiveness.