Guatemala’s leader promised Wednesday to allow a surge of deportation flights from the United States as he won a show of support from US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, a boost after simmering tensions in the Central American country.
President Bernardo Arevalo, who has been undermined by an elite that has connections to US conservatives, promised to allow a 40 percent increase in flights repatriating Guatemalans and others from third countries, addressing a key priority for President Donald Trump.
“We’re not just neighbours. We’re allies — we’re friends — and I think that will be evidenced by the work that we’ve done here,” Rubio told a joint news conference with Arevalo.
He also said the US Army Corps of Engineers would visit Guatemala to help develop plans for a more modern port.
Rubio, a Cuban-American and fierce opponent of Latin American leftists, has quickly sought in his new role as the top US diplomat to bolster ties with the region’s conservatives.
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