Tech giant Intel announced on Thursday that it will close its microprocessor assembly and testing plant in Costa Rica and move the operations to Asia in a bid to enhance efficiency and competitiveness.

“After a comprehensive review of our business, today we are announcing changes aimed at driving greater efficiency and utilization across our global manufacturing network. This includes the gradual reduction and closure of Intel’s Assembly and Test Manufacturing (ATM) plant in Costa Rica, as we consolidate these operations in Malaysia and Vietnam over the coming months,” the company stated.

Intel added that “these actions are necessary to remain competitive in a dynamic industry.”

El Salvador’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ambassador Egriselda López, emphasized the country’s national housing approach during the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) High-Level Dialogue on Adequate Housing.

“My country is firmly committed to ensuring the human right to adequate housing as a cornerstone of our social, economic, and urban development,” López stated.

“Under the leadership of our president, Nayib Bukele, we have made significant progress, including an investment of $1.1 billion, which has allowed thousands of families to access dignified housing, with a strong focus on social interest projects,” she added.

The ambassador noted that over 120,000 families have benefited from housing loans, land tenure legalization, resettlement programs, and urban improvement initiatives.

López also highlighted the launch of the Casa Mujer and Casa Joven programs, spearheaded by the Social Housing Fund (FSV), which aim to make it easier for Salvadorans to access credit and purchase a home anywhere in the country.

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Panama’s Monthly Index of Economic Activity (IMAE) recorded a 2.95% year-on-year increase as of May, driven by growth in the transportation, storage, communications, and financial intermediation sectors, among others, according to data released Tuesday by the National Institute of Statistics and Census (INEC).

The INEC noted that this increase was higher than the 1.53% reported during the same period last year, underlining a stronger trajectory in economic growth.

From January to May 2025, the IMAE accumulated a 5.48% increase compared to the same period in 2024, the INEC added.

Explaining the year-on-year performance, the agency highlighted that the transportation, storage, and communications sector showed favorable behavior — especially in revenue from Panama Canal tolls, net tonnage, and air transport.

Financial intermediation also reported positive results, supported by growth in local deposits and loans. Additionally, the electricity and water sector showed strong performance, particularly in the generation of hydroelectric, wind, and solar energy.

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However, several economic activities showed negative trends, including the value of re-exports from the Colón Free Zone, domestic fuel sales, registrations of new vehicles, container traffic, production of grey cement and ready-mix concrete, and thermal energy generation.

The agricultural sector also declined, with drops reported in the cultivation of bananas, watermelon, tomatoes, cattle farming, and the purchase of raw milk, according to INEC.