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From Associated Press
GUATEMALA CITY (AP) — A Guatemalan immigration agreement signed with the Trump administration won’t work because the Central American nation does not have the resources, the country’s new president-elect says.
Alejandro Giammattei, a conservative who was chosen overwhelmingly by voters in a weekend runoff election, said in an interview with The Associated Press on Tuesday that Guatemala is too poor to tend to its own people, let alone those from other countries.
The agreement signed in July by the outgoing administration of President Jimmy Morales would require migrants from other countries who cross into Guatemala to apply for asylum here rather than in the U.S.
“In order to be a safe country, one has to be certified as such by an international body, and I do not think Guatemala fulfills the requirements to be a third safe country. That definition doesn’t fit us,” said Giammattei, a 63-year-old doctor.
COMMENT:-
It looks like this is yet another "deal" that has absolutely no substance (and never was intended to have any), BUT since negotiations over the "secret protocols" are still ongoing, I rather suspect that it is possible that one of the things that is under discussion is how much money the US government will be paying to the Guatemalan government every month to cover the costs of dealing with the people who are being "retained" in Guatemala (and how soon after the first missed payment "the deal" expires).
But, then again, everyone knows that I'm a cynic.
President-elect says Guatemala can’t do migrant deal with US
GUATEMALA CITY (AP) — A Guatemalan immigration agreement signed with the Trump administration won’t work because the Central American nation does not have the resources, the country’s new president-elect says.
Alejandro Giammattei, a conservative who was chosen overwhelmingly by voters in a weekend runoff election, said in an interview with The Associated Press on Tuesday that Guatemala is too poor to tend to its own people, let alone those from other countries.
The agreement signed in July by the outgoing administration of President Jimmy Morales would require migrants from other countries who cross into Guatemala to apply for asylum here rather than in the U.S.
“In order to be a safe country, one has to be certified as such by an international body, and I do not think Guatemala fulfills the requirements to be a third safe country. That definition doesn’t fit us,” said Giammattei, a 63-year-old doctor.
COMMENT:-
It looks like this is yet another "deal" that has absolutely no substance (and never was intended to have any), BUT since negotiations over the "secret protocols" are still ongoing, I rather suspect that it is possible that one of the things that is under discussion is how much money the US government will be paying to the Guatemalan government every month to cover the costs of dealing with the people who are being "retained" in Guatemala (and how soon after the first missed payment "the deal" expires).
But, then again, everyone knows that I'm a cynic.