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Judi Lynn

(160,219 posts)
Fri May 29, 2015, 02:10 AM May 2015

Guatemala’s Legitimacy Crisis Dooms Obama’s Aid Package

Guatemala’s Legitimacy Crisis Dooms Obama’s Aid Package
By Michael Inganamort on 28 May 2015

The Obama administration’s proposed $1 billion aid package to Central America’s Northern Triangle—composed of El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras—already faced stiff resistance on Capitol Hill. But Guatemala’s growing “legitimacy crisis” makes the odds the United States will ultimately triple its aid to the region slim to none.

Originally proposed in January, the aid package was intended to stem the tide of unaccompanied minors at the US-Mexico border. Vice President Joe Biden explained in a New York Times op-ed that the aid would address the three countries’ “security, governance and economic challenges” and make the region a safer, more vibrant place for those who would otherwise flee. He even heralded Guatemala’s removal of corrupt government officials as a critical component to the countries’ joint economic reform plan.

Not four months later, Guatemala is mired in a major corruption scandal over the revelation of a brazen criminal ring operating at the highest levels of government. Flush with bribes paid by foreign importers in exchange for low customs duties, the ring’s mastermind was the now-missing secretary to the since-resigned vice president. To date, more than 20 individuals have been implicated in the scheme, including the country’s top tax collector.

The high-level corruption has sparked nationwide protests, now in their fourth week, with tens of thousands of Guatemalans calling for the president’s resignation. In a sign of the times, the #RenunciaYa (“resign now”) hashtag is trending on social media. The country’s major churches and universities have come together to question the government’s legitimacy and call for a new constitution. Even the ruling party’s presidential candidate (elections are in September) dropped out of the race.

More:
http://www.worldaffairsjournal.org/blog/michael-inganamort/guatemala%E2%80%99s-legitimacy-crisis-dooms-obama%E2%80%99s-aid-package

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