GUATEMALA CITY (Reuters) – Guatemala said it was open to a “constructive and respectful dialogue” with the new administration of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump, even though no agreement had been reached on accepting deported migrants.
In a statement on Thursday, the Central American country’s government said it was engaging with Trump’s transition team, although no meeting with government officials had taken place to discuss his plan to deport a record number of immigrants living in the United States illegally.
Reuters exclusively reported on Thursday that Guatemala is open to receiving citizens of other Central American countries who have been deported from the United States, according to three sources familiar with the matter, a signal that the center-left government of President Bernard Arevalo is eager to begin smooth terms with Trump, who will to be inaugurated on January 20.
“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs wishes to emphasize that all anonymous statements … do not accurately reflect the official position of the Guatemalan government,” the government said in a statement on Thursday.
Guatemala has been particularly proactive in preparations for Trump’s second term, meeting with members of the transition team, Senator Marco Rubio before he was elected secretary of state, and the conservative think tank the Heritage Foundation, on migration and mass deportations, border security, drug trafficking and China , Reuters reported.
The state will prioritize Guatemalans for reintegration, according to one official, with the goal of using their skills acquired in the United States to work in the private sector.
Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras — which make up the so-called Northern Triangle — and Nicaragua must navigate Trump’s demand to accept deportees and a potential cap on remittances from immigrants to the U.S., who are major contributors to their economies.
