What is Guatemala's 'dry canal' or Interoceanic Corridor and how far along is it?

The Interoceanic Corridor of Guatemala (CIGSA) is a private 372 km project between the Atlantic and the Pacific based at Puerto Barrios, with a stated value of US$15,000 million. Its first component, the International Logistics Center / Ciudad Portuaria San Jorge (Puerto Barrios, Izabal), was presented on Jul 17, 2026: a platform of more than 22 million m² with port terminals, a cargo airport and industrial parks, a port plan for 7.5 million TEU a year (extendable to 10 million) and 3,200 m of quay for 7 mega-vessels at once. All these figures are promotional claims by the developer reproduced in the press. The project has been more than two decades in planning (the Odepal precedent), according to Plaza Pública, and should not be confused with the historic concept of the 'Tecún Umán–Puerto Barrios dry canal' along the CA-2/CA-9 road axis.