Guatemala–United States relations

Updated on Oct 27, 2023

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Guatemala – United States relations are bilateral relations between Guatemala and the United States. There is a U.S. Embassy in Guatemala located in Guatemala City. According to the US State Department, relations between the United States and Guatemala traditionally have been close, although at times strained by human-rights and civil/military issues.

According to a global opinion poll, 82% of Guatemalans viewed the U.S. positively in 2002. According to the 2012 U.S. Global Leadership Report, 41% of Guatemalans approve of U.S. leadership, with 16% disapproving and 43% uncertain.

U.S. policy objectives in Guatemala

The U.S. State Department lists policy objectives in Guatemala that include:

Supporting the institutionalization of democracy and implementation of the peace accords;

Encouraging respect for human rights and the rule of law, and implementation of the International Commission Against Impunity in Guatemala (CICIG);

Supporting broad-based economic growth and sustainable development and maintaining mutually beneficial trade and commercial relations, including ensuring that benefits of CAFTA-DR reach all sectors of the Guatemalan populace;

Cooperating to combat money laundering, corruption, narcotics trafficking, alien-smuggling, and other transnational crime; and

Supporting Central American integration through support for resolution of border/territorial disputes.

U.S. support for Guatemala peace accords

The US State Department says that the United States, as a member of "the Friends of Guatemala," along with Colombia, Mexico, Spain, Norway, and Venezuela, played an important role in the UN-moderated peace accords, providing public and behind-the-scenes support. The U.S. strongly supports the six substantive and three procedural accords, which, along with the signing of the December 29, 1996 final accord, form the blueprint for profound political, economic, and social change. To that end, the U.S. Government has committed over $500 million to support peace implementation since 1997.

Dangers to U.S. Citizens

The US State Department notes that violent criminal activity continues to be a problem in Guatemala, including murder, rape, disappearances, and armed assaults against persons of all nationalities. In recent years the number of violent crimes reported by U.S. citizens has steadily increased, though the number of Americans traveling to Guatemala has also increased.

US aid to Guatemala

The US State Department says most U.S. assistance to Guatemala is provided through the U.S. Agency for International Development's (USAID) offices for Guatemala. USAID/Guatemala's current program builds on the gains of the peace process that followed the signing of the peace accords in December 1996, as well as on the achievements of its 1997–2004 peace program. The current program works to advance U.S. foreign policy objectives by focusing on Guatemala's potential as Central America's largest economy and trading partner of the United States, but also recognizes the country's lagging social indicators and high rate of poverty. The three areas of focus for USAID/Guatemala's program are modeled after the Millennium Challenge Account areas—ruling justly, economic freedom, and investing in people.

US Embassy Staff

Principal U.S. Embassy Officials include:

Ambassador--Todd D. Robinson

Deputy Chief of Mission—David Lindwall

Political and Economic Counselor—Drew Blakeney

Management Officer—Leo Hession

Defense Attache—Col. Humberto Rodriguez

Military Assistance Group—Col. Linda Gould

Consul General—John Lowell

Regional Security Officer—John Eustace

Public Affairs Officer—David J. Young

Drug Enforcement Administration—Michael O'Brien

Agricultural Attache—Robert Hoff

Commercial Attache—Patricia Wagner

USAID/G-CAP Director—Wayne Nilsestuen

References

Guatemala–United States relations Wikipedia

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