Christa Walters, Institutional Outreach Coordinator for the National Civic Movement, was invited to Emisoras Unidas to discuss President Giammattei's speech in Washington D.C.

On December 6, President Alejandro Giammattei participated in an event at the Heritage Foundation in Washington D.C. This is a think tank with 48 years of experience defending free trade, limited government, individual liberty, and traditional American values.

Alejandro Giammattei's participation comes a few days before the Summit for Democracy, an event organized by the current U.S. administration, to which the Guatemalan government was not invited.

President Giammattei's Speech

Most of President Giammattei's speech revolved around the country's macroeconomic growth despite the Covid-19 pandemic, as well as various actions taken by his government. In his closing remarks, he mentioned that "Guatemala will continue to be an ally and friend of the United States, despite this (Biden) administration."

President Giammattei's words had some accurate points and others that could be refuted. Many may not like the interlocutor. However, on the macroeconomic front, Guatemala has been one of the most resilient countries in the region, with positive results. This also holds true for border security and the fight against drug trafficking, in collaboration with the U.S. government. Other topics, such as mitigating corruption or institutionalism to provide services to the population, were mentioned briefly, despite there still being a long way to go to resolve serious deficiencies.

Guatemala and the Summit for Democracy

There is much speculation surrounding the effect of excluding Guatemala from the Summit for Democracy and Giammattei's visit in the same week it takes place. There have been reciprocal actions between both countries. For example, the United States not inviting Guatemala to the Summit for Democracy, followed by a tour of the Guatemalan President in Washington D.C. with various think tanks and the Organization of American States (OAS).

The exclusion of the Guatemalan government from the Summit for Democracy should not be taken as a total rejection by the United States to collaborate with our country, or vice versa. The Summit for Democracy also includes dialogue with civil society, the private sector, and multilateral organizations. This is important to continue pushing collaborative points between both countries and to be strategic allies in achieving common goals.