Mesoamerica Project

EENI- School of International Business

Subject: The Mesoamerica Project (ex-Plan Puebla Panama). Syllabus:

1. Introduction to the Mesoamerica Project
2. Background: the former Plan Puebla Panama
3. The Mesoamerican countries: Belize, Colombia, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, and Panama
4. Transport and telecommunications in the Mesoamerican region
5. Case Study: The International Network of Mesoamerican Highways and the Pacific corridor

The objectives of the subject “The Mesoamerica Project” are as follows:

1. To understand the goals of the Mesoamerica Project
2. To analyse the regional economic integration among the Mesoamerica Project member countries
3. To know the programme of the International Network of Mesoamerican Highways

Sample of the subject - The Mesoamerica Project (America):

Description of the Subject: The Mesoamerica Project

The Mesoamerica Project (formerly Plan Puebla Panama) is a political and economic space that expresses the efforts of cooperation, development, regional trade, and integration of ten countries of Mesoamerica: Belize, Colombia, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, and Panama.

The main objective of the Mesoamerica Project is to make easy the management and implementation of projects to improve the quality of life of the Mesoamerican population (226 millions of people).

1. The Mesoamerica Project comprises a portfolio of 100 projects and 8 billion dollars in investments in the fields of human development, sustainable development, energy, telecommunications, international trade facilitation, natural disaster prevention and international transport
2. The International Network of Mesoamerican Highways is the Mesoamerica Project's signature programme in the transport sector. Its objective is to reach full physical integration and guarantee the smooth flow of products and passengers by shortening travel distances on north-south and coast-to-coast routes
3. The International Network of Mesoamerican Highways is rehabilitating 13,000 kilometres of roads, including two major corridors (Pacific and Atlantic), a tourism route, inter-oceanic corridors and a series of feeder roads and connections. It will also introduce international rules and standards for vehicular transit
4. More than 95% of foreign trade in the Mesoamerican region (6 billion dollars) is transported overland using the Pacific Corridor
5. International transit of products has allowed cutting average border crossing time from 60 minutes to 8 minutes at El Amatillo customs office, on the border between El Salvador and Honduras

The Mesoamerica Project belongs to the Latin American Economic Area of the Western Christian Civilisation.