Panama leads Latin America in terms of attracting foreign direct investment, according to a report by the United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean.
In Central America, only Panama and Guatemala experienced growth during the first six months of the year, while investment in Latin America as a whole declined by 23% to $ 84 billion, compared with the same period last year; this is partly due to a slowdown in the sector of natural resources.
Panama received $ 2.6 billion in the first half of the year, an increase of 26% compared with $ 2.1 billion in the same period last year.
Guatemala recorded $ 713 million, up slightly from the $ 693 million received in the first half of 2013.
Costa Rica experienced a decline of 21% to $ 1.1 billion.
The largest drop in the region was found in El Salvador, where FDI fell to $ 25 million in the first half, down 67%.
Among the challenges facing El Salvador to attract investment are high levels of crime and lack of economic advisers in embassies abroad.
FDI in Mexico also sank; in this case by 66% to $ 9.8 billion while the figure in the first half of last year was $ 28.7 billion.
However, 2013 was an unusual year for Mexico, with the purchase of the Model brewery by Anheuser-Busch InBev, based in Belgium, at $ 13.2 billion, representing an exceptional boost.
Colombia with $ 8.5 billion, grew by 10% compared with the same period last year.
