![CAF opens the year with its 100th international bond issue CAF opens the year with its 100th international bond issue](/media/3975/plazadelasbanderas-solas.gif)
CAF opens the year with its 100th international bond issue
- The Latin American development bank conducted its 8th bond issue in Switzerland, thus re-affirming its presence in the most prestigious and demanding of global financial markets.
- This is the bank's first bond issue since rating agency Standard & Poors upgraded CAF to a AA- rating last December.
(Caracas, January 15, 2013) - "This year CAF celebrates its 20th consecutive year in the global capital markets, where the bank has established a distinguished track record, obtaining more than 90% of its financial resources from investors outside of Latin America. With the support of these global investors, CAF has been able to concentrate its efforts on helping to generate economic development in the bank's member countries and to promote Latin American integration," declared CAF president Enrique García, as he announced the 100th bond issue in the history of the development bank of Latin America.
The sale of the bonds, which come due in 2021 and bear an annual interest rate of 1.375%, raised 250 million Swiss francs (approx. US $272 million). The bonds carry the lowest interest rate and have the longest term of any bonds CAF has sold in the Swiss market. CAF is the most frequent Latin American issuer in Switzerland, one of the world's most exclusive financial markets, to which only institutions with the highest credit ratings have access. Credit Suisse was the issuing bank for the sale.
García added that CAF attracts a lot of interest from international investors "as a result of the bank's solid and consistent financial performance throughout its history, which is attributable to the unwavering support of its shareholder countries, the bank's prudent credit policies, and its independence, all of which together, make CAF a trusted issuer in the most prestigious global markets".
CAF, which belongs to a select group of Latin American issuers in global capital markets, plays a catalytic role by attracting international funds, which are used to support economic development opportunities in the region.
In 2012, CAF raised more than US$ 2.7 billion in international financial markets, bringing the total amount raised since 1993 to approximately US$17 billion. These resources translate directly into investments in economic development projects in Latin America, through a variety of high value-added financial services in both the public and private sectors, in the form of direct loans, credit guarantees, equity raises, treasury services, financial consulting, and technical cooperation, among others.
CAF's more recent content
![CAF, JICA and Sicredi join forces to support women and rural producer CAF, JICA and Sicredi join forces to support women and rural producer](/media/4669796/foto_sicredi_divulgação_310724.jpg)
CAF, JICA and Sicredi join forces to support women and rural producer
The amount represents the largest international facility ever undertaken by Sicredi, with the involvement of four internationally renowned entities: Banco Finantia, BNP Paribas, Eco.business Fund, and Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation (SMBC). The funds raised can also be used in regions with a Human Development Index below the national average.![CAF-FAO: Digitization project for agribusiness with repository launch CAF-FAO: Digitization project for agribusiness with repository launch](/media/4669830/caf-fao.png)
CAF-FAO: Digitization project for agribusiness with repository launch
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), CAF -development bank of Latin America and the Caribbean-, the Ministry of Agriculture, Land and Fisheries and the Tobago House of Assembly celebrated the successful completion of the “Digitization and Innovation for the Competitiveness and Sustainability of the Agribusiness Sector in Trinidad and Tobago” project. The closing ceremony, that took place on the 29th of July, marked a significant milestone in the country's efforts to modernize and enhance the agricultural sector.![CAF at the Mexico-European Union Forum: transformation of sargassum CAF at the Mexico-European Union Forum: transformation of sargassum](/media/4669724/cooperacion-interdisciplinaria.jpg)