In a joint statement issued by both governments, the United States has reaffirmed its commitment to supporting El Salvador’s vision of becoming a technological hub.
On Friday, the Minister of Economy, María Luisa Hayem, and the United States Under Secretary of International Trade, Marisa Lago, released a joint statement highlighting both nations’ dedication to deepening their cooperation in the digital realm.
The manifesto outlines the U.S. government’s commitment to assist President Nayib Bukele’s administration in realizing El Salvador’s ambition of becoming an innovation and technology hub. It also mentions actions aimed at strengthening trade and investment relationships.
“Both the United States and El Salvador seek to collaborate in making El Salvador’s aspirations of becoming a regional technological center a reality through the establishment of a robust digital regulatory environment and improving the overall business climate. We look forward to working together to share best practices in promoting job-generating foreign business investment in El Salvador,” the statement details.
After the statement was read, Under Secretary Lago described her meetings with Minister Hayem and local entrepreneurs as “productive and warm.” She emphasized that El Salvador is an important partner for the United States, and the entire Biden administration is committed to reinforcing bilateral relations.
“In this meeting, we discussed the next steps for El Salvador and the United States in our bilateral trade relationship. To state the obvious, El Salvador is an important partner for the United States. My visit here this week underscores the emphasis of the U.S. Department of Commerce and the entire U.S. government on the economic and trade commitment between our governments,” she said.
“Our intention is to deepen cooperation on digital policies to promote equitable and inclusive economic growth… As the Department of Commerce, we seek to continue working together with El Salvador to create a conducive environment to fulfill its dream of becoming a technology hub,” she added.
The Minister of Economy (Minec) highlighted several efforts being undertaken by the Salvadoran government, such as the Innovation and Technology Manufacturing Promotion Law, which provides tax exemptions for companies in the sector. She also mentioned the partnership with Google Cloud to digitize government processes and projects using cloud-based tools.
This agreement with the U.S. tech giant also includes artificial intelligence technology to enhance the national healthcare system and a commitment to increasing the use of Google’s platforms in public education.
“Technology is part of the DNA of President Nayib Bukele’s government, as we seek to boost competitiveness, create more jobs, streamline government services to our population, and become an innovation hub,” she noted.
Agreed Commitments
As part of Under Secretary Lago’s visit, a digital policy workshop was held with government officials and representatives from the private sector on Thursday, where points for improving cooperation, especially in cybersecurity, were identified.
“Yesterday [Thursday], we had an important workshop with technology experts from both governments and the private sector. Throughout the day, we had numerous discussions about issues affecting the digital economy. We also discussed the policies needed to navigate a complex and ever-changing digital landscape. It was a vibrant event. With this, we hope to lay the foundation for future commitments between our governments and the private sector,” the U.S. official pointed out.
Following this meeting, commitments were established between both governments, as mentioned in the joint statement. These commitments include an agreement to support reliable global data flows for cross-border trade and economies.
Furthermore, they state that both the Biden and Bukele administrations will work together to ensure the security and resilience of telecommunications networks, including the construction of a diverse supply chain and the promotion of the development of future telecommunications technologies such as 6G.
Finally, they affirmed their intention to “collaborate in creating open and interoperable networks and fostering public-private dialogue.”