US offers support for economic growth to the new president of Guatemala

The president of Guatemala, Bernardo Arévalo, and José W. Fernández, the Under Secretary of State for Economic Growth, Energy and Environment of the United States, accompanied by their respective delegations, met early this week in their first “high-level economic dialogue” to outline a route to generate economic growth for the Central American country. The roadmap that both administrations outlined to collaborate over the next four years includes five main points: good governance and the fight against corruption; agriculture and food security; investment by renewable energy companies and expansion of electricity coverage throughout the country; promotion of investments through the first Competition Law, and the use of remittances for local development.

“The relationship between the United States and Guatemala is going through a very special moment,” Arévalo said at the start of the talks inside the National Palace of Culture in the Guatemalan capital. “The efforts […] to resist attempts to violate the elections and betray the will freely expressed at the polls were supported clearly and forcefully by the government of the United States of America.”

Fernández’s visit to the Central American country precedes another one by U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas, who is scheduled to travel to Guatemala on Wednesday to meet with Arévalo and participate in bilateral meetings with his Guatemalan counterparts, following the trilateral ministerial meeting on migration held last month with Mexico as the third party.

In addition, a meeting is scheduled for next Monday in Washington between Arévalo and U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris, where the Guatemalan leader’s commitment to supporting good governance, democracy, inclusive development will be “underlined” and the root causes of migration from the Central American country addressed.

The role of the U.S. government was fundamental for Arévalo’s inauguration last January. The United States sanctioned some 400 Guatemalans, including lawmakers, businesspeople, prosecutors and judges, for trying to “undermine democracy.” In addition, it halted cooperation on several security, health and agricultural programs due to the uncertainty that prevailed for the almost six months that the complicated presidential transition lasted.

“There are very few dialogues of this type in our hemisphere [and] they mark the promise of a very special point in the bilateral relationship. This election of President Arévalo and Vice President Herrera has raised great hopes for the population,” said Under Secretary Fernández at a press conference at the end of the dialogue.

Fernández said that representatives from 12 agencies interested in the Guatemalan market traveled with him. He also explained that it has been difficult for businesspeople to invest in that country due to widespread corruption, but that with the new Arévalo administration and its commitment to fight against this “cancer,” the doors are opening to attract that capital.

In mid-January, a delegation of senior state officials attending the presidential inauguration announced the resumption of programs run by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and promised to expand financing.

Last week, the vice president of Guatemala, Karin Herrera, was in New York for three days to discuss women’s issues. Meanwhile, President Arévalo participated in a forum organized by the Americas Society/Council of the Americas and met with entrepreneurs to address inclusive economic growth. It was there that he stated that both governments are at a “historical threshold” of their relations.

Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAÍS USA Edition