On his recent visit to Guatemala, Secretary Marco Rubio declared, “We’re not just neighbors; we’re allies, we’re friends.”
In a demonstration of this friendship, Guatemala is already accepting deportation flights of their nationals from the United States, noted Secretary Rubio. Indeed, Guatemalan President Bernardo Arévalo has offered to increase these deportation flights by 40 percent.
“It’s very important for us in terms of the migratory situation that we’re facing. His [President Arevalo’s] willingness to accept not just nationals but those from other nationalities as they seek to ultimately return to their own homelands is also important. And we’ve pledged our support with those efforts, as we’ve done with other countries, like Panama.”
Over the years, Guatemala has significantly reduced the transshipment of drugs through is territory, said Secretary Rubio.
“And that’s thanks to the dedication that the authorities here have placed in shutting that down, but those maritime routes and other routes still exist. And it takes resources, and frankly, courage and dedication to go after those routes and shut down those routes. And we, today, will reauthorize programs that allow us to continue to work in partnership to stop that from happening.”
Drug trafficking creates a culture of corruption, warned Secretary Rubio.
”We recognize that that is the nefarious metastasis that often happens with the presence of these groups. And we are going to continue to do everything we can to help in that endeavor. And today I’ll be signing waivers on foreign aid that will continue that partnership and hope to build on it as well.”
On the economic front, Secretary Rubio signed a letter of support pledging the full cooperation of the State Department on a partnership between the government of Guatemala and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to begin preliminary planning for the expansion of two new port facilities.
And finally, Secretary Rubio recognized Guatemalan President Bernardo Arévalo’s commitment to democracy, freedom, and the rule of law.
“Democracy is a pretty new concept. It’s less than 300 years old. It’s easy to write on a piece of paper. It’s hard to maintain. And your commitment to maintaining and defending democracy and the stability of institutions, the integrity of institutions, is critical for Guatemala’s future.”
Democracy, said Secretary Rubio, is “critical for all of our futures in every country where it’s threatened.”
