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.

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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.”

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– 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.

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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.”

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Central America

Guatemala narrows emergency measures to hardest-hit gang violence areas

The government of Guatemala has narrowed the scope of its state of emergency to the areas most affected by gang violence, Interior Minister Marco Antonio Villeda announced on Thursday.

The measure comes two months after coordinated attacks attributed to the Barrio 18 left 11 police officers dead.

President Bernardo Arévalo initially imposed a state of siege in mid-January following the violence, which was reportedly in retaliation for government intervention in three prisons where gang leaders had staged uprisings.

That measure, which allowed arrests without a warrant, expired after one month. It was then replaced by a less restrictive “state of prevention,” alongside an increased security deployment in Guatemala City and surrounding areas.

According to Villeda, the state of prevention has been extended for two additional weeks but will now apply primarily to the central department of Guatemala — home to the capital — and Escuintla, which have recorded the highest levels of homicides and criminal activity.

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“We need to continue these joint operations between the police and the military to maintain control,” the minister said.

The measure will also remain in effect in border departments including Petén, San Marcos and Huehuetenango, which border Mexico, as well as Izabal, which borders Honduras and Belize, in an effort to prevent the entry of criminal groups linked to drug trafficking.

Villeda added that in the past two weeks, homicides have dropped by 25% and extortion cases by 33% compared to the same period in 2025.

Central America

Costa Rica closes embassy in Cuba, citing human rights concerns

The government of Costa Rica announced on Wednesday the closure of its embassy in Cuba, a move that signals a further deterioration in diplomatic relations between the two nations.

Foreign Minister Arnoldo André confirmed that Costa Rica has also requested the withdrawal of Cuban diplomatic personnel from San José, leaving only consular representation in place.

According to André, the decision is driven by concerns over the worsening human rights situation on the island, including increased repression against citizens and opposition figures.

He also noted that Cuba’s ongoing economic and social crisis—marked by shortages of food, medicine, and basic services—has made the operation of the embassy increasingly difficult.

President Rodrigo Chaves backed the measure, stating that his administration does not recognize the legitimacy of Cuba’s political system.

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In response, the Cuban government rejected the decision, calling it a “unilateral” move taken under pressure from United States.

“Under pressure from the United States, Costa Rica has limited its relations with Cuba to consular matters,” Cuba’s Foreign Ministry said, describing the action as “arbitrary.”

Despite the diplomatic setback, Cuban authorities stated that historical ties between the two nations would endure.

Central America

Costa Rica closes Cuba embassy as president escalates rhetoric

The president of Costa Rica, Rodrigo Chaves, escalated political rhetoric on Wednesday, stating that “the hemisphere must be cleansed of communists,” following his government’s decision to close its embassy in Cuba.

The remarks come as Costa Rica moves to downgrade diplomatic relations with the island, citing a sustained deterioration in human rights. Chaves reiterated that his administration does not recognize the legitimacy of the Cuban government, accusing it of repression and of maintaining poor living conditions for its population.

“We do not recognize the legitimacy of that government. We will not maintain a consulate there; services will be handled from Panama,” Chaves said during a press conference.

The president also argued that the communist model has “failed” not only in Cuba but in every country where it has been implemented, emphasizing that freedom is essential for development.

The decision was made in coordination with president-elect Laura Fernández, who is set to take office on May 8 and is expected to maintain the same foreign policy stance.

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Foreign Minister Arnoldo André confirmed the closure of the embassy in Havana and requested that Cuba withdraw its diplomatic personnel from San José, while maintaining limited consular functions.

Costa Rican authorities justified the move by pointing to increased repression against citizens, activists, and opposition figures, as well as restrictions on fundamental freedoms.

The closure marks a new point of tension in bilateral relations and comes amid growing international pressure on Cuba.