The president of Taiwan, Tsai Ing-wen, arrived in Guatemala on an official visit to strengthen diplomatic ties with the Central American country, the only one with which she maintains relations. Days ago, Honduras broke diplomatic relations with that country to intensify its exchanges with mainland China.
Following the break in relations between Honduras and Taiwan, Guatemala hastened to show its support for Taipei, saying that “the Government of the Republic of Guatemala reaffirms its solidarity and full support for the Government of the Republic of China (Taiwan), reiterating its recognition of Taiwan as an independent nation with which democratic values and mutual respect are shared.
The other country with which it maintains relations in Central America is Belize.
On Tsai Ing-wen’s agenda in Guatemala, she is expected to hold bilateral meetings with Guatemalan President Alejandro Giammattei, where she will also sign cooperation agreements and deliver a joint message.
During her visit, Tsai will go to the archaeological site of Tikal located in the department of Petén in the north of the country. It is also expected that she will visit the department of Chimaltenango where a hospital built with the donation of her country for some 22 million dollars is located.
The Guatemalan Prosecutor’s Office said a couple of weeks ago that the hospital inaugurated in February began operating with 70% of the equipment that had already been used in another hospital, but which was announced as new, for which reason they began an investigation for fraud for almost 10 million dollars.
According to the Prosecutor’s Office, the former Vice Minister of Health Gerardo Hernández authorized the purchase of new equipment for the hospital for the defrauded amount and in collusion with a company and the director of the medical center, but the new hospital was equipped with already used furniture.
Before arriving in Guatemala, the Taiwanese president was in the United States, a visit to which China reacted angrily. She will culminate her encounters in the region with a stop in Belize, before returning to the United States once more.
Connect with the Voice of America! Subscribe to our channel Youtube and activate notifications, or follow us on social networks: Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
