The quality of management at Bladex was further confirmed by the successful completion of the first year of external auditing of the Bank’s internal financial information controls under the SOX rules and regulations, to which the bank is subject as a result of its listing on the New York Stock Exchange  (Bladex celebrated the fifteenth anniversary of its listing on the NYSE in November 2007).                                        

In addition to its commercial activities, and as we have stated on previous occasions, social responsibility ranks high among Bladex’s institutional values. Our sense of responsibility compels us to make a commitment to the communities where we have the privilege of operating, and to whom we acknowledge a moral obligation to serve.  In addition, we assign great relevance to our role as a unique forum for the meeting and exchange of ideas among Latin American countries, a function that has become increasingly important in view of current geopolitical dynamics.

At the community level, our sense of obligation is reflected in the human and financial resources we earmark in support of the cause of education.  We are convinced that education represents the greatest challenge and the best opportunity for our people.  For that reason, during 2007 we supported the education of impoverished youth through programs in Panama, Ecuador, and Trinidad and Tobago.

Our institutional values and our sense of duty to society are also evidenced in our world class corporate governance standards, a set of principles and practices that we consider mitigate the risks of our business significantly, and which optimizes the use of our resources.