Vice President Kamala Harris met with President Bernardo Arévalo of Guatemala today to strengthen the U.S.-Guatemala bilateral relationship and make progress on addressing the root causes of migration. They discussed the importance of good governance, economic opportunity, security, and migration management and how the United States can work with Guatemala to support these goals. 

The Vice President expressed support for President Arévalo’s efforts to combat corruption in Guatemala and reaffirmed the U.S. commitment to good governance and the rule of law. The Vice President underscored the Biden-Harris Administration’s efforts to hold corrupt actors accountable in Guatemala and to support Guatemala’s efforts to strengthen democratic institutions by involving more stakeholders, including representatives of indigenous communities. The Vice President also commended Guatemala’s support for other democracies around the world.

On migration, the two leaders discussed the importance of creating conditions for safe and orderly migration in the region, including by providing lawful pathways to migrants, increasing cooperation on border enforcement, and through U.S. support for Guatemala’s migration management efforts.

The Vice President and President Arévalo agreed on the urgent need to address the drivers of irregular migration from northern Central America and to continue cooperation under the Biden-Harris Administration’s Root Causes Strategy. The Vice President discussed progress made under her leadership of the Root Causes Strategy, including civilian security, good governance, human rights and labor protections, gender-based violence, and economic opportunity. Both leaders also discussed commitments made through Central America Forward, the public-private partnership that was created in response to the Vice President’s Call to Action in May 2021 and which has mobilized more than $5.2 billion in private sector commitments for northern Central America. 

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