CAF Named "Best Multilateral Development Bank of the Year" by LatinFinance Magazine

 (Caracas, Nov. 22, 2013)."It has been a busy year for CAF. The multilateral - which last year was rebranded as the development bank of Latin America, to reflect its pan-regional ownership and scope - has worked hard to deepen global links; it has sold bonds in a range of international jurisdictions; it has seen a surge in its lending; and had its credit ratings updated by three agencies," said LatinFinance, the leading source of value-added financial markets intelligence for Latin America and the Caribbean, upon bestowing on CAF the Best Multilateral Development Bank of The Year Award.

CAF was selected by the magazine's editorial staff, who took into account both quantitative and qualitative factors, including opinions of market participants in an online survey as well as financial data and research materials. The accolade is considered to be one of the most important in the region for this category.

Appreciating the distinction, CAF Executive President Enrique García said the milestone serves as "an incentive to work even harder and with greater commitment to achieving sustainable development and Latin America integration."

LatinFinance praised CAF's Latin American development efforts: "the bank's catalytic effect on economic development is heightened through its expertise, capacity to encourage solid policies and encourage the pursuit of sound projects," the magazine said in its November 2013 edition.

The publication highlighted several CAF achievements - it expanded its portfolio by 11% in a year, it continued an impressive international funding effort - attracting resources from other regions for Latin America - and the recent improvements made to its credit ratings by the rating agencies Moody's and Standard & Poor's and Fitch.

The institution actively participated in high-caliber capital markets via 14 bond issues in 2013, raising more than USD 2.3 billion, which strengthens the institution's reputation among a very select group of issuers. The placements also highlighted CAF's role as a development catalyst by drawing funding from various sources across the globe into Latin America to promote investment and trade opportunities in the region.

Apart from offering various financial products and services, CAF plays a major role promoting research and knowledge on key development issues. "We not only support projects with funding, but we also provide our 18 shareholder countries with the necessary expertise to analyze industry and sector-related policies and trends based with research from case studies and from past success stories to educate stakeholders to act as a bridge with the rest of the world," said García.