A. M. 
The Corporación Financiera Internacional (IFC), a member of the World Bank Group, made a US$150 million equity investment in Holding Davivienda Internacional S.A., a subsidiary of Banco Davivienda in Central America. The investment aims to expand access to financing for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), promote job creation, and support sustainability and climate resilience initiatives in the region.
As part of this historic regional equity transaction, IFC subscribed to common shares issued by Holding Davivienda Internacional S.A. The investment supports the integration of Davivienda’s operations with Scotiabank in Panama and Costa Rica, strengthening Davivienda’s regional presence and enabling it to mobilize greater resources toward traditionally underserved segments in Panama, Costa Rica, Honduras, and El Salvador.
“Our relationship with IFC has been defined by a shared purpose: to create opportunities and positive impact in the countries where we operate. With their arrival, this time as a shareholder in our Central American operations, we will continue to expand access to financing, drive business development, and support the transition to a more sustainable economy in the region”, said Javier Suárez, CEO of Banco Davivienda and Davivienda Group.
“We are proud to reaffirm our long-standing partnership with Davivienda through a truly transformative investment, both in terms of its scale and the share acquisition, as well as its regional reach”, said Vittorio Di Bello, Regional Director of the Financial Institutions Group for Latin America and Europe at IFC. “This transaction will have an impact across multiple dimensions: it will promote financial inclusion, foster job creation, and strengthen sustainability in Panama, Costa Rica, El Salvador, and Honduras”, he said.
The growth potential of SMEs in Central America remains limited by a lack of credit history, informality, and barriers to accessing financing, resulting in a financial gap equivalent to 28% of the region’s GDP. At the same time, Central America is one of the regions most vulnerable to natural disasters such as droughts, floods, and hurricanes.
The relationship between IFC and Davivienda began with an equity investment in 1973, followed by several advisory services commitments and additional investments, primarily aimed at supporting the growth of the bank’s SME and housing loan portfolios.
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