I congratulate President Bernardo Arévalo and Vice President Karin Herrera of Guatemala on their inauguration and commend the people of Guatemala for making their voices heard and this important transition. The United States will continue to support our shared democratic values.

I look forward to hosting President Arévalo in Washington in the coming months to strengthen the U.S.-Guatemala relationship and to make further progress addressing the root causes of migration. As our Administration continues to implement the Root Causes Strategy, I look forward to working with President Arévalo on civilian security, good governance, human rights and labor protections, gender-based violence, and economic opportunity. Governments must work together to manage irregular migration in our Hemisphere, including through the Los Angeles Declaration on Migration and Protection. 

In addition, I look forward to working with President Arévalo on expanding private sector investments in Guatemala through Central America Forward, the public-private partnership that has generated more than $4.2 billion in investments in northern Central America. Our nations, working with the private sector and civil society, can build a more inclusive, stable, and prosperous future for the people of Guatemala in Guatemala.   These are long-term development efforts, but together we can and will make progress.

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