Surprise candidate in elections Guatemala wants to expand relations with China

Bernardo Arevalo, who made it surprisingly to the second round of Guatemala’s presidential elections with an anti-corruption speech, said on Tuesday that, if he wins, he will expand relations with China, which would mean a change in policy in the Central American country that maintains ties with Taiwan.

In recent years, China has managed to attract more and more allies in Central America and the Caribbean. In March, the government of the leftist Xiomara Castro established relations with the Asian giant after breaking them with Taiwan, which Beijing sees as one of its provinces without the right to state-to-state ties, which the government of the democratically governed island refutes. .

“Guatemala has to have the clarity to set a foreign policy based on its own interests, its own visions and principles (…) let’s own our foreign policy and not let them dictate it to us,” Arévalo said in an interview. with the radio program “Con Criterio”.

“We need to work on trade relations and expand, in the case of Popular China,” added the 64-year-old deputy, son of former president Juan José Arévalo (1945-1951). “Our intention is to maintain good political relations with the ROC and Taiwan within the framework of mutual respect.”

Sandra Torres, the former first lady (2008-2011) who will compete in the runoff on August 20 against Arévalo, has reaffirmed her predilection for Taiwan in the past.

Recently, the outgoing president of Guatemala, the conservative Alejandro Giammattei, visited Taiwan to strengthen diplomatic relations between the two nations. Guatemala is one of the 12 countries -plus the Vatican- with which Taiwan maintains diplomatic relations.

The United States, Guatemala’s biggest trading partner, has tried to stem diplomatic leaks from Taiwan in Latin America. However, its scant success is a growing sign of China’s footprint in the region.

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