The United States offers 170 million to Guatemala to prevent irregular migration

The Government of the United States this week during the visit to Washington of the president of Guatemala, Bernardo Arévalo, which will contribute 170 million more dollars to the Central American country for health, development and security projects with the aim of combating the central causes of the migration.

Arévalo held a meeting with Vice President Kamala Harris earlier this week to talk about migration, cooperation and foreign investment. Later, he was also with his counterpart, Joe Biden, to discuss issues of fighting corruption, defending democracy, migration, among others. “Today I welcomed President Arévalo to the White House to personally congratulate him on his inauguration and reiterate our commitment to a strong partnership between the United States and Guatemala,” Biden wrote on his official X account.

Around noon, Arévalo and Harris held a press conference in which the vice president reiterated her government's support for Guatemala. “His election of her has brought a sense of optimism to people in the United States and around the world. (…) While you hold corrupt actors accountable and promote good governance, we support you,” Harris told the Guatemalan president.

Harris stressed the importance of the fight against corruption both to mitigate irregular migration and to attract economic investment to Guatemala. “Corruption empowers criminal organizations and perpetuates violence, factors that force people to leave their country of origin,” he added.

For his part, Arévalo thanked the support received by the US Government during the “difficult presidential election and transition process” and reiterated his commitment to fighting corruption. “We will maintain our commitment as governments to encourage the participation of all sectors to build a new, democratic and much more prosperous Guatemala,” said the president.

The announcement of the 170 million more that will be added to invest in Guatemala was announced through a press release prior to the officials' meeting. This is part of the work path that the United States has implemented, according to Harris, in the last three years to address the root causes of irregular migration from Central America.

Arévalo asks the OAS for help

As part of his tour in Washington, which began on Sunday and concluded this Wednesday, President Arévalo participated on Tuesday in the Protocolary Session of the Organization of American States (OAS), in which he expressed his gratitude for all the support received during the transition of Government and asked them to support the election of magistrates for the Supreme Court of Justice and Court of Appeals, a process that will be carried out in the next five months and in which the Congress of Guatemala must elect the magistrates who will direct both cuts for the period 2024-2029.

“Guatemala requests the Organization of American States to support the selection of justice system authorities through an observation mission of this process,” he said. The president indicated that the country is on the eve of starting a legal and political “battle” against groups that control the judicial apparatus and that is why he asked for the support of the OAS.

In the Central American nation, the election of magistrates for both Courts has been a flawed process in which lawyers, magistrates, former public officials and businessmen have been in prison due to influence peddling and illegal management that at the time was discovered and investigated by the extinct International Commission against Corruption in Guatemala (CICIG) to appoint judges. This election is one of the most anticipated and complex in the Legislature for more than four years.

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