Inversion y Desarrollo con Luis Velasquez 225 1/1 Antonio Saca Expresidente de El Salvador

Welcome to Investment and Development, today we will address the theme:
"Experiences of the Former President Tony Saca of El Salvador" who is visiting Guatemala
within the framework of: The Regional Meeting, Esquipulas Foundation
“Think Central America in a New Era" Mr. President, welcome to Guatemala.
How are you Luis? Nice to meet you all, it’s really a pleasure.
Well, I am happy to be in Guatemala and especially today when
important issues are addressed, I think it's always good to stop along the way, after 25 years
that leaders that are on shift make the decision to initiate an open process,
a comprehensive process so that Nicaragua with a serious of armed conflict,
and Guatemala with the sign of the Peace Agreements, and it is good I was saying Luis, sit to review,
Central America now is a lot better, than the Central America with war.
Of course, President we are already about 47 millions of Central Americans,
we have a lot of potential, but what is the balance that you do after
the signing of the Peace Agreements in Guatemala, El Salvador and Nicaragua?
First of all the fact that we have peace, gives us tranquility, countries develop,
I see a very positive balance, it is true there are a number of deficiencies, a number of historical debts
the citizens who are the ones that integrate the nations. We must achieve
to pay these debts. There are great troubles, but I think that the fact of
ending with the war, meaning this to stop with weapons, put an end to the tanks,
and primarily people will not die. I think it is a big step forward.
I see very positive in the region, I see Central America generally quite healthy,
and the democracy had to lead us to development and from there we still have
some debts that we have to go canceling.
And in this development is where we need to focus, but you and I are a little
Look Luis, I remember, I have 47 years, take away 25, I was a young man, a boy
that by the way when they tell you the insides that for me still are
State secrets, how was it signed, how was it agreed, I have spoken with some actors,
some of them have already passed away and tell us the great differences that existed in the country,
in the countries. I think in general terms that first it left us the peace,
left us a strengthened democracy, left us the duty and clarity
that any of our actions is directed to the respect of the Human Rights.
It has left us a State that definitively must worry about the people,
facilitate investment, generate a suitable climate in Central America. I remember
the tanks? Like this we were identified outside and still there are some movies in the cable
that if you watch them and put us in a situation of a tremendous disadvantage.
Today is a different time, so overall I think the first thing
we are democracies that will be maturing over time, suddenly we go mad
that there is a power struggling and that is normal in democratic countries.
It is part of the development process as we go towards a better Central America.
no one has to sit and hold a 2% growth. There was somehow the idea
in that process we almost kill the agro industry. Look! In El Salvador we bet for a long time on
making a regional service center, making a center in which the agriculture and certain things
said the technicians, the enlightened of the time: "To that we don't import" and we started to substitute
the things that we produced, and we started to kill the industry to import and that I believe
was not an adequate step, then when it came the 2,004, I decided to bet on agriculture.
We made a special agro quinquennium I think we bet, not only
to improve our exports, especially with our main partner, which currently
Well I would say, for people who have not traveled to El Salvador lately,
It is a road linking all 94 municipalities in the north, to the most deprived areas
the Port of La Union or you can perfectly without reaching San Salvador
you can notice that the war forced by decentralization to that regions of the East Country
as San Miguel, become, I dare to say that before Santa Ana was the
second Department of the Country, now is San Miguel. San Miguel besides the agricultural part,
is one of the departments that receive more than U.S. $ 1,200 billion in remittances, imagine
but the department, the great San Salvador, 19 municipalities with a first class road
infrastructure and above all with a development, for example Puerto de la Libertad,
is the coast zone more down to the capital, where actually are built more than
20 thousand houses on that road. There is a change of mind, the people are going out
of the cities, are retiring from the bustling city to go and live on the periphery,
where there are a lot of beautiful places and it is good that we are investing on it. Now there are different places in
the tourism, all the coast zone, you can go to the department of Cuscatlan to look at the cities
as historical as Suchitoto, there was the first Capital of El Salvador in Bermudas.
Well there are a number of places Chalatenango and all that Northern highlands of the country,
And we have seen that decentralization of which you speak president, we personally
to the President of El Salvador, Tony Saca.
We continue with Investment and Development, Mr. President, reading the history of our Central America
Presidents have died in the attempt and now in the year 2,012 we still have not done it.
about 30 million people and if we take the five southern states of Mexico,
I'll tell you a story Luis, when I assumed, 28 days later, here
and the Central American Court of Justice. I tell you at that moment: Forgive me but in my country
Why do I tell you this? Because at that time of the year 2,004 when I assumed
Central American regions, is definitely a great solution to the crisis that we have
with Europe to put our products in European markets, clear for some countries
At that time I told them: We have to be absolutely clear, the Presidents
Do you remember? And it was wonderful how people passed, today they get you out of your vehicle, they check you, I say
we live complaining that when we go to U.S.A. they treat us badly, they check us, they touch us
we had an Integration process that included: free movement of persons, free movement of goods,
you realize we move forward more than 50 years, was so easy to see how in August
Before they said, we receive colons when we had colons, then Christopher Columbus died
and appeared Washington and Benjamin Franklin and the dollar came, of course, today Salvadorans
keep coming despite of the difficulties that existed at some point but I want to say something,
the integrationist attempts had always been, Morazán’s dreams,
I don't know if this is a bit rude to say but I think the villagers conflicts,
every day I see less SICA meetings, I'm concerned, every day I see the presidents talking less with each other,
We are going to sign with you the integration and Central America was able to
agreed with Europe, with the conditions that were included there, some people consider that
it was an intervention in our States affairs, that depends on each person.
Sometimes those are abusive conditions I consider, but it was achieved.
I remember a meeting of President Tony Saca precisely with President Berger,
we would like to see from other countries, such as Costa Rica.
to him and to Wendy. That big job, that integration of the President Berger, of the President Saca
We want to get rid of them, because there must not be borders, this is a common territory
that must look like Europe. Look! When you talk about integration you inherit the benefits,
the troubles, the serious situations, like the ones that is living Europe at this time.
I think we have to take care of these efforts and the only luxury that Central America can't have
is losing what we have achieved with so much negotiation, with so much effort, convincing reluctant sectors
to agree. Well I am a Central American defender, I absolutely believe
in the integration. Imagine, I was telling to my colleagues how it is possible for you to come
asking us to kill the PARLACEN and the Central American Court of Justice and go to Europe
to ask them for a Treaty of Free Association, it doesn’t make sense. Why do we have one thing,
if on the other hand we are asking a Treaty to the Europeans, at the end, Thanks God it was not achieved.
Then came other presidents who understood that these organisms have
is binding, despite of some countries that say that it is not binding, but it is binding for many
things that have to do with Central American justice or confrontations between state powers.
President we are gathered here in this Regional Forum of Esquipulas, several presidents of
In first place I consider the actors are the front line, are the Heads of the State.
as we get together, I have the impression that the Central American market is the solution
to our problems. Look, you who were Minister of Economy Luis, notice the numbers
we had the Central American Common Market or what we trade, if our
main partner besides U.S.A. in the case of El Salvador is Guatemala and there you can see
that the next is Honduras and then Nicaragua, we need each other and maybe Costa Rica
at its rhythm, which we need to respect because these are political decisions of each country. At its rhythm,
I believe we all are trading, each day we see more Central American products
You have been a successful businessman and you know very well the theme of Economic Development,
we have water, we have people with an entrepreneurial spirit and indeed
the Economic Development to attract more investment to generate millions of jobs and
I was saying to my colleagues, that while politicians are sleeping or discussing issues
besides the opportunities, of constituting Strong States, States of Law, Countries with
Strong States of Law where the courts respond, where Justice is resolved,
where we don’t have to see the face of the one you are going to resolve but to be solved according to the Law.
When all of these exist, the investors will come but we must not forget about the investment
we already have in Central America. Let’s take care of the investment we have in Central America,
because it is an investment that has generated a lot of employment, notice the subject of tourism. If you realize,
something fundamental but I would say something: I think the Central American political class
if we have more than 40 million members, we are an interesting market for any power,
We must first interest young people, I think events like the one you organized
I really worry when I see many young people who have very little information
because not only are the future, they are also present and many young people are already working,
a segment is too large to neglect it. We must put it on first place of the options and
we are rethinking the future, we want to take advantage of all the benefits of technology,
of 5 years. First I want to tell you and the people who are watching us, stop complaining,
clearly that if we do things right, if we do not get ready, we will be left behind.
God bless you, God bless this Guatemalan land and of course, also bless
but the truth is that we have done well in many areas and what needs to be corrected.
President, God first, we're going to get ready and work together all countries
as brothers and as in our land.