Guatemalan President Bernardo Arévalo told CBS News in a recent interview that the United States should invest more money into his country in order to deter migration.
Arévalo, who entered office in January, traveled to Washington, D.C., this week to meet with President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, who is leading the Biden administration's efforts to reduce migration at the southern border. His visit came about three years after Harris traveled to Guatemala to encourage residents not to emigrate to the United States.
When asked Wednesday if Guatemalans have listened to Harris' call, Arévalo simply shrugged and said, "Well, I don't know. You do the numbers."
He added that during a longer meeting with Harris during his visit he told her that Guatemala needs more investments from the United States, and not just taxpayer-funded aid, if the administration wants to deter immigration.
"Cooperation is not sending money," he told CBS. "Cooperation can be by creating conditions in which we can invite you to invest in Guatemala and establish factories, work that can begin to produce and create jobs. That's fundamentally what we are most interested in.
"We have to work to allow people, what we call, 'The right to stay.' People have a right to remain in their places. People need to find opportunities," Arévalo added.
Theodore Bunker ✉
Theodore Bunker, a Newsmax writer, has more than a decade covering news, media, and politics.
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