Google has opened offices in El Salvador as part of a strategic partnership with the Central American nation to modernize its public services. Under this seven-year agreement, El Salvador will invest $500 million in Google Cloud to supply its technological and digital services for the modernization and digitalization of healthcare, education, and administrative services in the country.
El Salvador aims to become a technological hub in Central America and Latin America. “We will become the most competitive country for investing in technology in the region,” declared Nayib Bukele, the President of El Salvador, during the inauguration ceremony on April 16, 2024.
El Salvador – Google partnership
As part of the agreement with Google Cloud, the technology giant will enhance education by implementing the Google Classroom system nationwide and distributing 900,000 Chromebooks and laptops to primary school students. Google will also establish and operate an academy, “Tech by Google,” to boost technology education and skills. In the healthcare sector, Google will develop telemedicine services in El Salvador powered by its technology. Regarding administration, President Nayib Bukele highlighted the planned modernization of the customs network.
The deal also includes the rollout of Google Street View in the country, the establishment of a data center, and a $200,000 investment from Google in Pro Mujeres, a social funding organization that supports women’s entrepreneurship in El Salvador and Latin America.
El Salvador, from gang haven to tech hub
After reducing crime rates and insecurity in El Salvador, President Nayib Bukele is pushing for rapid and extensive modernization. Last year, the Salvadoran government passed the General Law for Digital Modernization of the State and the Law for the Promotion of Innovation and Technology Manufacturing, aimed at digitalizing administration and public services and developing a tech-friendly ecosystem in the country.
At the initiative of President Bukele, El Salvador has become the first country in the world to recognize the use of Bitcoin (BTC) as an official currency. The project goes even further, as he announced plans to build “Bitcoin City,” a smart city and tax haven designed to attract the tech community from the U.S. and around the world.
Recently, El Salvador launched an initiative to attract highly qualified workers, announcing the availability of 5,000 Salvadoran passports for skilled foreign workers.
Colombia, a tech-friendly country
Colombia has already become an important technological hub in South America. Thanks to the stability and security it has achieved in recent years, the country has become attractive to tech giants such as Google, IBM, HP, Oracle, and Huawei Cloud. Currently, Colombia accounts for 10 percent of the Latin American data center market and is expanding its capabilities.
The country is also fully committed to digitalization, with strong and growing applications like Nequi, the country’s largest digital bank, and Rappi, one of the main delivery apps in the region.
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