FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 17, 2026
Contact: Gemma Givens
press@thedialogue.org
Washington, DC – The Inter-American Dialogue is proud to announce that Dr. Manuel Orozco has been named a recipient of the Galardón al Trabajador 2026 award from Grupo Financiero Bantrab, a leading Guatemalan financial institution.
Dr. Orozco was honored for his extensive contributions on remittances and development across Latin America and the Caribbean. His work has advanced financial inclusion, strengthened competition in the money transfer market, and helped reduce transaction costs such as the one percent tax on remittances, and initiatives linking diaspora communities to development.
At the Inter-American Dialogue, Dr. Orozco directs the Migration, Remittances, and Development Program, where he has spent more than two decades producing policy-relevant research and advising governments, international organizations, and private sector institutions on the economic dimensions of migration and remittances. He also leads the Remittance Industry Observatory (RIO), which provides a select group of money transfer companies exclusive access to research and market intelligence on the remittance industry.
Since 2015, Dr. Orozco has led the Inter-American Dialogue’s office in Guatemala, implementing remittances-for-development projects that have helped build assets for women and create concrete pathways toward greater financial independence. His most recent project, Prosperity and Progress in Intermediate Cities, builds on this work by showing how development strategies designed around remittance recipients’ savings can transform daily life in rural and urban communities throughout Guatemala.
Presented as part of Bantrab’s 60th anniversary celebrations, the Galardón al Trabajador is the bank’s highest honor, recognizing individuals who transform lives and represent the best of Guatemala through their work, integrity, and spirit of service. The award was formally presented at a gala ceremony marking the close of Bantrab’s Month of Labor celebrations, which honored the stories that have defined the bank’s 60-year history.
About the Inter-American Dialogue:
The Inter-American Dialogue is a hemispheric organization that builds networks of cooperation and action to advance democratic resilience, shared prosperity, social inclusion, and sustainable development across the Americas. We impact policy debates, devise solutions, and enhance collaboration to unlock meaningful change in the Western Hemisphere.
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