The Embassy of the United States clarified that they participated in the private meeting on October 24 that the Comisión Ejecutiva Portuaria Autónoma (CEPA) is calling the “Road Show” for the Port of La Union concession in El Salvador.

However, they do not consider the meeting a success. In fact, they raised serious concerns about the lack of a clear strategy for the port, lack of transparency in failing to share prior port studies with the public, and impossibly short timeframes for a complex tender of this nature. These concerns have still not been addressed.

The Embassy urges CEPA not to launch the concession at this time. Rather, CEPA should follow through on completing the demand studies recommended by international financial institutions and develop a clear vision for the potential economic activity in the port. These steps would guarantee that the development of the port will be in the best interest of all Salvadorans.