Three new companies are to set up free-zone (maquiladora) plants that will create 20,000 jobs in northern Honduras.

Trash will be the raw material for a methane-gas plant to be built in an El Salvador rubbish dump by US energy company AES.

The offer from Banco de Bogotá, Colombia's second-largest bank in terms of assets, to buy 100 percent of Central American bank BAC- Credomatic, which is controlled by General Electric's financial arm, received no answer.

Panama’s agricultural industry got a welcome boost this week when The European Union restored the preferential duty system (GSP plus) to the country's products.

Lawyers for Dole Foods urged a judge in Los Angeles to quickly conclude hearings in a case involving purported banana workers in Nicaragua to protect those who blew the whistle on an alleged multimillion dollar fraud.

Guatemala's government said it was evaluating a request by the Inter- American Commission on Human Rights to close the country's only major gold mine, citing environmental concerns.

Remittances to the United States sent from emigrants to El Salvador were $1.48 billion in the first five months of this year, an increase by 2.6 percent compared with the same period ofm last year.

The government of Nicaragua expects growth of investment in the country’s free zones is likely to reach 83,000 jobs.

Guatemala will have a presence in the World Cup, and not just because of referee Carlos Batres. Some 10,000 fridge-freezers from the Guatemalan company Fogel will cool the thirsts of fans at the tourney in South Africa.

Panama’s credit rating was raised to investment grade by Moody’s Investors Service, which cited “significant improvement” in the country’s fiscal policies and strong economic growth.

Panama’s broadband and Internet access speed have by far surpassed that found in other Latin American countries with the help of a utilities regulator.

In a big step forward for Nicaragua development, Grupo Mariana announced a deal with Wyndham Worldwide to build an anchor hotel for the company’s large-scale coastal project.

MoneyGram International and Citi announced an agreement to expand MoneyGram's money transfer services to all Citi locations in Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua.

Consumers are urged to get ready for lightning speed internet service in the coming year as the Radiográfica Costarricense (Racsa) retools, investing some $360 million.

New trade accords will not figure among Costa Rica’s priorities for next year, now that the agreements with China Singapore and Europe still need for the approval of legislators.