Central America

Harris says US wants to work with Guatemala to limit migration

AFP/Editor

US Vice President Kamala Harris said Monday the United States hopes to work with Guatemala to address the root causes of illegal migration by creating “a sense of hope” in the poverty- and violence-plagued country, on her first trip abroad since taking office.

Meeting President Alejandro Giammattei in Guatemala City, Harris said reducing undocumented migration from Central to North America was a priority for US President Joe Biden’s administration.

“Most people do not want to leave the place where they grew up,” loved ones, and people with whom they share a language and culture, Harris said.

But they often do so “either because they are fleeing some harm or because they simply cannot satisfy their basic needs by staying at home,” she added.

20250501_mh_noexigencia_dui_728x90

Regardless of their reasons for leaving, Harris urged would-be migrants not to make the journey: “Do not come” to the United States, she told them.

“The United States will continue to enforce our laws and secure our borders… If you come to our border, you will be turned back,” she said.

Instead, she proposed that the United States and Guatemala “work together” to find solutions to “long-standing problems.”

Critically, people must be given “a sense of hope that help is on the way,” said Harris.

“It must be coupled with relationships of trust. It must be coupled with tangible outcomes, in terms of what we do as leaders to convince people that there is a reason to be hopeful about their future and the future of their children.”

20250501_mh_noexigencia_dui_728x90

– Create conditions –

Giammattei said Guatemala wanted to cooperate “to create conditions in Guatemala so that they (young people) can find here the hope they do not have today.”

Harris announced a joint task force on smuggling and human trafficking, a women’s empowerment program, and an anti-corruption task force to help Central American law enforcement prosecute cases.

She rejected Republican criticism of the fact that neither she nor Biden had visited the US southern border, saying she had come to Central America to discuss matters in a “way that is significant and has real results” rather than making “grand gestures.”

Harris, who later flew to Mexico to meet President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador on Tuesday, said she had told Giammattei the United States would send 500,000 coronavirus vaccines to Guatemala.

Her trip is part of the Biden administration’s promise to implement a more humane immigration policy after the hardline approach taken by his predecessor Donald Trump.

20250501_mh_noexigencia_dui_728x90

But the Republican opposition has accused Biden of creating a “crisis” on the country’s southern border by failing to rein in migration.

Congress must still decide whether to approve the $861 million Biden has asked for next year as part of a $4 billion plan to tackle the issue.

American officials have in recent days called on Central American countries to defend democracy and fight corruption in a bid to improve conditions at home and thus eliminate a driving factor for migration.

Asked Monday about Guatemala’s anti-corruption stance, Giammattei said: “How many cases of corruption have I been accused of? I can give you the answer: Zero.”

20250501_mh_noexigencia_dui_728x90

Central America

Guatemala Police Arrest Prison Guard Caught in the Act of Extortion

Guatemala’s National Civil Police (PNC) arrested a suspected extortionist in the act during an operation carried out in the department of Quiché, authorities reported.

According to the police report, the arrest took place in Zone 1 of Santa Cruz del Quiché after officers responded to a citizen complaint. Agents from Precinct 71 identified the suspect as Encarnación “N”, 41, who was serving as a guard in the Guatemalan Penitentiary System.

The suspect was caught while attempting to collect a package simulating an extortion payment totaling 25,000 quetzales. Police intervened at the precise moment the money was being handed over, allowing authorities to document the crime in flagrante delicto.

Following the operation, the detainee was placed at the disposal of the competent courts to face criminal proceedings.

The PNC emphasized that such operations aim to dismantle criminal structures involved in extortion, regardless of whether those implicated are linked to state institutions, and urged the public to continue reporting these crimes through confidential channels.

20250501_mh_noexigencia_dui_728x90

Central America

Honduras swears in conservative president Asfura after disputed election

Conservative politician Nasry Asfura assumed the presidency of Honduras on Tuesday with an agenda closely aligned with the United States, a shift that could strain the country’s relationship with China as he seeks to confront the economic and security challenges facing the poorest and most violent nation in Central America.

Asfura’s rise to power, backed by U.S. President Donald Trump, marks the end of four years of left-wing rule and secures Trump another regional ally amid the advance of conservative governments in Chile, Bolivia, Peru, and Argentina.

The 67-year-old former mayor and construction businessman was sworn in during an austere ceremony at the National Congress, following a tightly contested election marred by opposition allegations of fraud and Trump’s threat to cut U.S. aid if his preferred candidate did not prevail.

Grateful for Washington’s support, Asfura—who is of Palestinian descent—traveled to the United States to meet with Secretary of State Marco Rubio, before visiting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

“We need to strengthen relations with our most important trading partner,” Asfura said after being declared the winner of the November 30 election by a narrow margin, following a tense vote count that lasted just over three weeks.

20250501_mh_noexigencia_dui_728x90

Central America

Bukele leads public trust rankings as UCA survey highlights gains in security

Results from the UCA Survey, conducted by the José Simeón Cañas Central American University (UCA), were presented on Tuesday, offering an assessment of the performance of the Government of El Salvador during 2025 and measuring public perception on key issues such as security and the economy.

According to the survey, President Nayib Bukele received an average score of 8.39 for his performance in 2025. In the category measuring levels of trust in national institutions and social actors, Bukele led the ranking with 77% public confidence, surpassing the Central Government (69.6%), the Armed Forces (69.1%), the National Civil Police (PNC), and the Catholic Church (58.4%), among others.

The survey also highlights an upward trend in the president’s evaluation. While Bukele scored 8.15 for his performance in 2024, the most recent assessment of his sixth year in office showed an increase to 8.39.

Meanwhile, the Government of El Salvador as a whole was rated 8.33 for its performance during 2025.

Respondents identified public security as the area showing the greatest progress in the country, with 62.7% recognizing improvements in this sector, according to the UCA survey released on Tuesday.