Authorities from the city of Laredo are touring Central America, promoting their city as a logistical center for the region.
Laredo manages 12.000 containers a day, it is the sixth largest customs district in the U.S. and handles 60% of all Mexican exports.
Héctor Vargas, city representative, explained: "We manage the U.S. central corridor, which starts in Laredo, Texas (Mexican border) and ends in Canada.
Business chains represent a new development model that is being adopted in rural Guatemala. Promoters say it can do more to build prosperity than any political or government mechanism.
The first stage in the development of a chain is the identification of a buyer interested in acquiring a product of a rural community. The buyers are linked to producers' associations capable of meeting targets and product specifications.