Kirk LaughlinHonduras’ Deputy Foreign Minister Alden Rivera announced that former United States president Bill Clinton and Mexican businessman Carlos Slim will travel to Honduras on November 4-5, 2010 to help encourage private investment.
Honduras is among the most severe in Latin America. Approximately 53% of the population is rural, and it is estimated that 75% of the rural population lives below the poverty line, unable to meet basic needs.
The country still has high rates of population growth, infant mortality, child malnutrition and illiteracy. These and other social and economic factors reflect its status as the second poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, after Haiti.
“The visit is aimed at promoting the country as a tourism destination to the world, thereby attracting foreign investors,” said Mr. Rivera.
Mr. Slim is listed by Forbes Magazine as the world’s richest person, with a net worth estimated at US$60.6 billion.
Mr. Clinton oversees the William J. Clinton Foundation, which has an endowment estimated at US$46 billion.
Both Mr. Slim and Mr. Clinton are working with the government of Spain on a philantropic program, valued at US$150 million, to improve healthcare in Central America and southern Mexico.
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