US and Guatemala vow to jointly target ‘narco politicians’
The United States and Guatemala on Tuesday announced an alliance to jointly combat organized crime, drug cartels and "narco-politicians" through the courts.
The agreement was signed during a visit to the violence-plagued central American country by nine prosecutors from different US federal districts.
The investigators met with President Bernardo Arevalo, who has made the fight against corruption a key tenet of his mandate, and senior security and justice officials.
Jorgan Andrews, Charge d'Affaires at the US Embassy in Guatemala City, told a press conference that the two countries would "prosecute drug traffickers, their allies, and those who provide them protection, including narco-politicians."
Guatemalan politics is under close US scrutiny over allegations of links between senior officials and businesspeople with criminal groups and drug traffickers.
In August, the US embassy warned that Washington would show "zero tolerance" towards "drug traffickers and those who provide them with political cover" ahead of elections next year.
Andrews said that the alliance with Arevalo's government aimed to curb the flow of narcotics into the United States and strengthen Guatemala's ability to investigate cases that will be tried in US courts.
Guatemalan Attorney General Gabriel Garca Luna called the agreement "historic."
Garcia Luna's predecessor, Consuelo Porras, was sanctioned by the United States for alleged corruption and anti-democratic practices.
She had tried to prevent Arevalo from taking office in 2024.
Sponsored by
