Guatemala Chamber of Industry concludes 21st Industrial Congress

The Chamber of Industry of Guatemala (CIG) concluded its 21st Industrial Congress in Guatemala City, themed ‘The new resilient industry: vision, transformation and competitiveness in the new global environment’. The event gathered over 2,000 participants, including business leaders and public authorities. During the closing ceremony, CIG President Enrique Font emphasized that economic strengthening requires structural foundations such as adequate infrastructure, competitive energy, legal certainty, and efficient administrative processes.

A highlight of the congress was the presentation of the Distinguished Industrial Award 2026 to Álvaro Castillo Monge, President of the Board of Directors of CBC and former president of CIG and CACIF, for his leadership in regional business expansion and sustainability.

In a separate meeting with President Bernardo Arévalo held prior to the congress, CIG executives proposed the creation of an inter-institutional committee to accelerate electrical energy projects. Led by the government and the Ministry of Energy and Mines, this proposed body would coordinate the approval of permits and licenses to facilitate generation and transmission projects, including those under the Generation Expansion Plan (PEG 5). President Arévalo received the proposal positively, noting it as an idea worth analyzing.