The current amount would pay the country’s entire national debt.
The country's strong
economic performance, the increase in remittances and a rise of almost 20% in exports has allowed the growth of international reserves, an important macroeconomic indicator which measures the country's payment capacity.
As of May reserves amounted to $6421.1 million, while external public debt amounted to $5337.6 million.
However, economic theory suggests that comparing the reserves with the country's external debt is not recomendable, as it is not normally used for that purpose, except in complex cases.
An article in S21.com.gt states: "’ The reserves are only used for monetary exchange and credit, because they support monetary and balance of payments, so comparison with public debt does not make sense, and using them in this way would only complicate the economy,‘ said the expert from Central American Business Intelligence (CABI), Miguel Gutierrez.
In addition, he said, public debt should be compared with the means of payment, i.e. liquidity and the economy. And in that sense, he considered that the analysis of the reserves shows that there is no greater relevance for the moment. "