The San Cristóbal Green Academics and Sports Campus (CSC) project, led by Fundación Montesquieu and its subsidiaries Corporación Educativa Montesquieu and High Learning Operations, marks a milestone in the region’s social infrastructure. With a total investment of US$60 million, the campus will feature more than 29,000 m² of facilities to serve 1,400 preschool-to-high school students, 10,000 university students, and 2,000 users of Olympic-level sports infrastructure.
This is the first climate-resilient and sustainable social infrastructure project in Guatemala, the first in Central America, and one of the first in Latin America and the Caribbean to have the internationally recognized Fast-Infra label verified. In addition, the project includes concrete measures to promote educational inclusion of women in STEM and indigenous students, along with scholarship programs, academic support services, and a robust corporate governance plan.
BLP acted as lead legal counsel, advising IDB Invest and the Central American Bank for Economic Integration (CABEI), providing comprehensive legal support throughout the financing process. This included reviewing the project’s bankability and all relevant documentation; conducting legal due diligence on the participating entities and project assets; designing and structuring the local guarantee package; negotiating and drafting the finance documents; and providing full legal support through closing, ensuring regulatory and contractual alignment of the academic and sports project.
Pablo Umaña, Partner at BLP, commented:
“This innovative project reflects BLP’s ability to lead complex legal transactions with high social impact. Our involvement in this landmark operation highlights our deep expertise in structuring financings for projects with ESG components, our regulatory knowledge, and our ability to deliver legal solutions that enable transformative initiatives. The San Cristóbal project stands as a regional benchmark in Central America for its comprehensive approach to sustainability, inclusion, and educational development, setting a precedent for future investments in social infrastructure across the region.”
The transaction was led by Pablo Umaña (Partner), Julio Castellanos (Partner), Jorge Arenales (Partner), Rodolfo Salazar (Partner), Adriana Acuña (Director), Anneliss Wohlers (Senior Associate), Ana Gabriel Ávila (Senior Associate), Alejandro Fallas (Senior Associate), Javier Figueroa (Associate), Adrián Urbina (Senior Paralegal), and Paola Fernández (Senior Paralegal).
Our team in this transaction
- Pablo Umaña – Partner, Costa Rica – Email
- Jorge Arenales – Partner, Guatemala – Email
- Julio Castellanos – Partner, Costa Rica – Email
- Rodolfo Salazar – Partner, Guatemala – Email
- Adriana Acuña – Director, Costa Rica – Email
- Ana Ávila – Senior Associate, Guatemala – Email
- Anneliss Wohlers – Senior Associate, Guatemala – Email
- Alejandro Fallas – Senior Associate, Costa Rica – Email
- Javier Figueroa – Associate, Guatemala – Email
- Adrián Urbina – Senior Paralegal, Guatemala – Email
- Paola Fernández – Senior Paralegal, Costa Rica – Email