Guatemala's Alejandro Giammattei Visits Ukraine to Express His Solidarity With Volodymyr Zelenskyy

President of Guatemala Alejandro Giammattei paid a visit to Ukraine on Monday to express his solidarity with the country's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Guatemala's president met with Zelenskyy in Ukraine's capital, Kyiv. He was the first leader from the Latin American region to make the trip. ABC News Go reported that several leaders were hesitant to make a statement regarding the current Russia-Ukraine war.

In a joint news conference, Giammattei said that Guatemala stands in solidarity with the Ukrainian people, "who have resisted with courage."

The Guatemalan leader added that they would not be silenced as long as there were human lives lost. Zelenskyy then thanked Giammattei for backing up the sanctions against Russia, including support for an international tribunal on crimes committed during the war.

The Ukrainian president further noted that Latin America, and many other parts of the world, have experienced higher prices due to the fighting in Ukraine, a significant producer of agricultural and other commodities.

Critics of Giammattei noted that the president has more urgent issues in his home country, including corruption and human rights.

Carolina Jiménez, president of the Washington Office on Latin America, said Alejandro Giammattei has been "eroding democracy and promoting impunity in his country." Jiménez noted that one trip to Ukraine will not change that reality.

Guatemala President Alejandro Giammattei in Ukraine

Guatemala's communication secretariat for the presidency did not note in a brief press release the details of when the visit started or how long it would last, France 24 reported.

Alejandro Giammattei closed Guatemala's embassy in Moscow after Russia's initial invasion of Ukraine. The country also exports nickel to Ukraine while importing iron and steel.

However, Guatemala also continued to export coffee and bananas to Russia despite cutting off its diplomatic relations with the Eurasian country. The Central American country also continued to import fertilizer, medical supplies, and paper.

Alejandro Giammattei and Volodymyr Zelenskyy had a phone conversation in June when the Guatemalan leader said Zelenskyy wanted him to "see first-hand the damage done in Ukraine."

The Guatemala's president noted that they also talked about reconstruction in Ukraine, which will need laborers. He added that Zelenskyy asked that Guatemalans travel to work in Ukraine.

Issues in Guatemala

The United States government has criticized the weakening of anti-corruption efforts in Guatemala. It also cancelled the U.S. visa of Guatemalan Attorney General Consuelo Porras.

According to The Washington Post, Guatemala's government has been filing legal charges against the former anti-corruption officials themselves instead of going after corruption. More than 20 of those anti-corruption officials have already fled the country.

Alejandro Giammattei's government and prosecutors had ramped up efforts to undo a United Nations-backed anti-corruption campaign that placed several officials, including former presidents, behind bars.

Porras was accused of being involved in corruption, with the U.S. department alleging that she had "repeatedly obstructed and undermined anti-corruption investigations in Guatemala," BBC reported.

Meanwhile, Porras has maintained that fighting corruption has been her priority and has denied any wrongdoing accused against her.

This article is owned by Latin Post

Written by: Mary Webber

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