Guatemala’s president calls for more foreign investment to prevent migration

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – The president of Guatemala, Alejandro Giammattei, assured this Wednesday (22) during his speech at the United Nations General Assembly that the “only solution” to avoid irregular migration is the “construction of prosperity walls” for the population, including more excellent foreign investment in the country.

“The only solution to stop the flow of irregular migration must be based on the construction of walls of prosperity that allow human beings to improve their living conditions,” said the Guatemalan president about his country, where 59% of its 16.3 million inhabitants live below the poverty line.

Read also: Check out our coverage on Guatemala

That is why Giammattei made a “call” to the countries that receive the most significant number of illegal migrants to “increase their foreign direct investment” in Guatemala and thus reduce the outflow of nationals.

Likewise, the president asked them to allow “improved access” of Guatemalan products to international markets, especially in those countries where their compatriots migrate, to improve the economy of the Central American nation.

According to official figures and those of international organizations, more than 300,000 Guatemalans decide to flee their country irregularly in search of better living conditions and escape violence every year.

According to the Guatemalan Foreign Ministry, around 3 million of its citizens live in the United States, most of them without documents proving their legal status in the North American nation.

FOREIGN INVESTMENT

Giammattei added that Guatemala has managed to “maintain a stable economy” with an expected “growth” of 4% in its Gross Domestic Product this year, and for this reason, “it has become one of the best destinations for international investment”.

The Guatemalan president recalled that so far this year, US$851 million in direct investment had been made in his country after completing more than 55 projects that generated around 14,000 formal jobs.

During his speech, Giammattei also criticized drug trafficking in the region, which “has cost countless lives” due to violence and which “we have to suffer because of the demand that exists for its consumption, particularly in the United States.”

Giammattei’s speech before the United Nations General Assembly also included a space to recall that the covid-19 pandemic “has affected and continues to affect thousands of Guatemalans.”

According to the president, the spread of the coronavirus has caused “a strong impact on the economy”. It has modified “social and cultural dynamics”. However, in Giammattei’s opinion, his government gave “a response following our possibilities” and implemented “priority actions to meet the most urgent needs” of the population.

According to official figures, in Central America Guatemala is the country with the highest number of deaths (13,115) from covid-19 and the highest number of people infected (533,744 confirmed cases) of the disease.

According to international organizations, 59% of the 16.3 million Guatemalans live below the poverty line, and one out of every two children suffers from malnutrition.