The governments of the United States and Guatemala signed last night an acceptance letter for the modernization of the Port Company Quetzal (EPQ), in Escuintla, as part of the cooperation process that will extend to the rail system.
For the first phase of the project, the country will give an advance of US $ 63.8 million, although the work, as a whole, is estimated at about US $ 600 million.
It was reported that the advance will leave the technical reserves of EPQ and the rest will have to be honored by the state of Guatemala.
The agreement was signed between the United States Army Corps of Army (USACE) and the Ministry of National Defense (MINDEF), with the purpose of executing the design, planning, construction and modernization program of the EPQ.
During the visit to Guatemala, last February, of the US Secretary of State US ambassador to Guatemala Tobin Bradley.
Find solutions
This step is taken while a mission from the government and the private sector is preparing to travel to
Washington DC and meet with the US Commercial Representative office. (USTR, in English), in order to address the tariff policy. It also coincides with the presentation, on Tuesday, May 20, of the General Law initiative of the Port System by the Executive.
During 2024, 54.7% of Guatemalan maritime exports had a destination EE. UU., While imports from that country represented 40.1%, according to statistics from the National Port Commission (CPN).
Cooperation and support
With the signing of the letter among the Ministries of the Defense of both countries, the arrival of a new mission of specialists is expected for August, which will begin maritime engineering studies and validations for the expansion of commercial bingers.
All the actions of the technical mission, such as the collection of more information, of the design and final proposal of the works, will be taken within the framework of a formal agreement that provides legal certainty to the project, according to José Antonio Lemus Guzmán, president of the Quetzal port.
“For August the arrival of a new mission of specialists, which will begin the studies and validations of maritime engineering for the expansion of commercial bingers”
José Antonio Lemus Guzmán
The preliminary schedule indicates that the execution of the works would begin at the end of 2026 or in 2027. Usace has extensive experience in maritime infrastructure and maintains a history of technical and financially trained companies for this type of interventions, so it could designate one of them for work.
The EPQ authorities explained that they will be designed, awarded and built four new docks in the northern part – Dedominates 5, 6, 7 and 8— and a new dock, which will represent about 800 linear meters, with 400 meters on each side.
Missing competitiveness
Raúl Bouscayrol, president of the Guatemalan Chamber of Industry (CIG), commented that only the problem of anchoring in the ports must be analyzed, which is subtracting competitiveness as a country; Therefore, they look good for the effort.
“We have stated that the lack of investment in infrastructure is something that has stopped the country’s economic growth potential,” Bouscayrol emphasized.
Model works well
In the opinion of Alfredo Skinner Klée, vice president of the Chamber of Commerce of Guatemala (CCG), the signing of the agreement to modernize Puerto Quetzal is a great opportunity for Guatemala. “We have seen how this type of works have been done in other countries, Brazil, Honduras and, of course, in the United States,” he said.
According to the businessman, the US Army Corps of Army: is known for its constructions; For example, the entire southern part of New Orleans reconstruction.
“Thus, what we see is a great opportunity for Guatemala, in order to continue advancing in that infrastructure strategy that is needed to generate more and better development for the country,” said Skinner Klée.
Waleska Sterkel, executive director of the Guatemalan American Chamber of Commerce (AMCHAM), indicated that the cooperation agreement will last 30 years, time that was established in the letter.
