Just over a year after Bernardo Arévalo’s tense but ultimately successful inauguration as president of Guatemala his administration faces a complex mix of progress and mounting challenges Arévalo has delivered key reforms and economic growth—but his popularity is waning and governability remains uncertain amid fierce opposition public expectations and development challenges Claudia Méndez Arriaza is the editorial director of ConCriterio and has been an investigative reporter in Guatemala for over 20 years Juan Carlos Zapata is the director of the Foundation for the Development of Guatemala (FUNDESA) Brian Winter is the editor-in-chief of Americas Quarterly AQ’s special report on Guatemala The President Who Almost Wasn’t by José Enrique Arrioja Guatemala by the Numbers by Emilie Sweigart Arévalo Wants to Change Guatemala. Some Say He’s Moving Too Slowly. by Dina Fernández AQ Podcast: Guatemalan Democracy on the Brink, and the U.S. Response Americas Quarterly (AQ) is the premier publication on politics We are an independent publication of the Americas Society/Council of the Americas PUBLISHED BY AMERICAS SOCIETY/ COUNCIL OF THE AMERICAS As President Bernardo Arévalo enters his second year in office Guatemala faces a challenging political landscape His first year was marked by a mix of hope and frustration with his administration attempting to push for change while contending with political opposition While some strides have been made in areas like social justice and addressing corruption expectations have often clashed with the realities of governance we take a closer look at the key issues and challenges facing Arévalo’s presidency as he navigates a complex web of political Central America Program Director Ana María Méndez Dardón answers five key questions about Arévalo’s first year in office and her analysis on bilateral relations between the U.S and Guatemala as Trump prepares to take office as president of the United States.  which I think was the key factor that allowed him to take office on January 14 In September 2024, Arévalo ranked the fourth most popular president in Latin America with an approval rating of 54 percent, since then some media outlets reported that his popularity has dropped – he’s not as popular and I think that people are frustrated particularly some members of civil society organizations and this is because they were expecting more of a bold style of leadership.  there is a law that requires due process for the removal of the attorney general Arevalo believed it was important to respect the rule of law and democratic norms Another reason is that people were expecting a more populist narrative which is very popular in the region right now What we’re seeing is that people are willing to have a lead with authoritarian tendencies when it comes to security This has become something that some citizens are expecting One of the biggest issues that Guatemala and even Bernardo Arévalo are facing is the lack of judicial independence both in the Attorney General’s office and the high courts the Attorney General’s office has not only become a tool of repression but it also blocks access to justice for Guatemalan citizens for Arévalo demonstrated openness for international scrutiny but unfortunately Congress elected candidates that have been criticized for a lack of qualifications and bias that compromises the independence of the judiciary.   this is something that has been criticized by civil society specifically that some members of the Semilla party in Congress have aligned with the traditional political parties in Guatemala The final challenge has been the turnover rate in Arévalo’s cabinet. There are a lot of ministers that have resigned and there has been a lot of back and forth,  particularly with the communication minister. So there is what I would say is a weakness in his cabinet and the people that are advising him Right now, the private sector is displeased about this and several other measures. For instance, in early February last year, Arévalo signed an agreement with Guatemala’s Indigenous groups, which was The agreement establishes a state of the art policy that addresses the lack of access to land and creates a space for permanent communication but traditional elites in the private sector are not happy about that some members of the private sector and the big business association known for its Spanish acronym have blocked structural change in different moments of Guatemalan history they did it in 1996 when the peace accords were signed and in 2015 after mass demonstrations against corruption that resulted in the resignation of former president Otto Perez Molina Under the current context of lack of judicial independence they have failed to express concerns over the Attorney General.  trying to address all these issues like social injustice but also trying to balance the demands of the private sector without confronting them Navigating between these two forces is very complicated in a country like Guatemala will need to be carried out over the long-term some measures will be difficult to implement given the complexity of Guatemala’s security situation as well as the country’s long history where its security forces not only have failed to protect citizens they have been  a direct threat.  So trying to overcome this reality of the military is complex. One thing that personally surprised me is that Bernardo Arévalo announced that the police were going to have joint efforts with the military to address insecurity. He announced that the military would be involved in citizen security measures a mistake because of the long history of violations that the military committed during the armed conflict in Guatemala.  At the community level in rural areas, however, Guatemala has been a good example on how to counter violence because of Indigenous groups that implement their own systems to address insecurity I think Arévalo would be more successful if he considered their security models but overall his plan is very comprehensive and even touches on environmental security I think the bilateral relationship between  the Biden administration and Bernardo Arévalo were good in terms of the bilateral agenda and cooperation that they have tried to pursue Fostering economic growth to prevent irregular migration along with promoting security for Guatemalans were the top priorities of the Biden administration.  one issue that hasn’t had a lot of attention in Guatemala is inequality While promoting economic growth has been the main focus for the U.S. it hasn’t been able to actually democratize the economy So the issue is inequality and the fact that the economic elites in Guatemala have a lot of power The Biden administration is also very committed to human rights and democracy but the majority of the economic elites are not We will see how this plays out with the Trump administration For some Republicans, Bernardo Arévalo is seen as a good ally, and he has for instance, demonstrated he’s committed to democracy and human rights, not just in Guatemala, but in the region, like in Venezuela.  Arévalo also received the 135 Nicaraguans that were expelled from Nicaragua — they were political prisoners So I think Guatemala could be a key ally for the Trump administration but we will see how the negotiations play out between the two governments on the key issues The Asylum Cooperation Agreement, more commonly known as the “third safe country agreement” was signed with Guatemala under the first Trump administration with Jimmy Morales as president I don’t believe that Arévalo would sign something similar but there will be a lot of pressure on Guatemala on migration and on issues like the deportation flights What I think is going to happen is that there will be a huge shift in terms of a focus on the root causes of migration which will not be a priority for the Trump administration as it was with the Biden administration This is very problematic because it is important to continue working on justice and security because these are the main causes of migration Based on Trump’s first term, we are almost 100 percent certain that he will not be prioritizing justice, rule of law, and human rights, which is a huge error in my opinion. From an economic perspective, I think Guatemala will be negatively impacted by Trump’s proposed mass deportations given that the Guatemalan economy depends on the remittances that are sent by Guatemalan migrants So it’s not just the human aspect of mass deportation.  we’ll have to acknowledge that some corrupt actors have implemented a sophisticated lobby in Washington D.C using a narrative that has grabbed the attention of some Republican party members This relationship will impact the future of bilateral relations and the overall ability of Arévalo to implement his agenda or even finish the rest of his term as the coup d’etat denounced by Arévalo continues to be a threat especially if Republicans continue to support Consuelo Porras.  To know more listen to our podcast episode From Promise to Pressure: Bernardo Arévalo’s First Year in Power in Guatemala with Ana María Mendez Dardón and Adam Isacson Subscribe to get the latest on analysis and policy Washington Office on Latin America1666 Connecticut Ave NW, Suite 400Washington, DC 20009(202) 797 2171info@wola.org Subscribe with your email to receive exclusive reports and expert research directly to your inbox every week (Your privacy is important to us; your information will be kept confidential and secure.) Please select what you would like included for printing: Copy the text below and then paste that into your favorite email application Funeral mass will be celebrated at 11:00 AM 2024 at Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Church in Amarillo Arrangements are by Boxwell Brothers Funeral Directors.  He graduated from Caprock High School and worked for BNSF Railroad for over 45 years as a track maintenance technician He enjoyed traveling and tending to his rose garden Luis loved to cruise around town and trying out new restaurants but his go to was always He always enjoyed going to the movie theatre to catch the newest release.  Alejandro Arevalo and wife Maria Arevalo and Oscar Arevalo and wife Bianca Arevalo; grandchildren Leonardo Luis Arevalo and Cesar Jesus Arevalo; sister Toni Trujillo-Hernandez and husband Pete Hernandez Amarillo - Boxwell Brothers Funeral Directors Enter your phone number above to have directions sent via text This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply Service map data © OpenStreetMap contributors Countries & Areas Bureaus & Offices About Marco Rubio, Secretary of State MODERATOR:  (Via interpreter) (In progress)  Palace of Culture this morning where we presenting this press conference We have the President of the Republic of Guatemala Bernardo Arévalo de Leon and the Secretary of State of the United States We thank each one of you for being here in this press conference And we give the floor to the president of the Republic of Guatemala PRESIDENT ARÉVALO:  (Via interpreter)  Good morning And good morning particularly Secretary of State Rubio and his delegation as I said to you yesterday afternoon in our conversations we welcome you to Guatemala and we greet Donald Trump’s government administration Your presence here today opens new opportunities for cooperation between our countries Guatemala is and will continue to be the United States partner to address the issues that we face as countries but also to build more dignified societies and with greater opportunities for development Our countries share 176 years of diplomatic relations that bring us together and present a common horizon for both We are now confronted with the challenges of 21st century – migration these challenges have also been the core of the work agenda that we now share These challenges need to be addressed comprehensively and jointly to guarantee regional stability we have clarity of the vision of the future that we are building for Guatemala – a joint vision for all the peoples and sectors of our country We believe in a new migration model that will allow us to address the phenomenon of migration in a humanitarian and comprehensive manner to address the causes that have forced so many Guatemalan men and women to leave their communities we have implemented that the return home plan that makes it possible for our brethren back home to be dignified and that their reintegration be facilitated Our government works with our sight to ensure your dignity and safety and to resolve the migration crisis will allow us to create conditions to find long-term solutions we make a commitment to broaden the capacities that allow more Guatemalan men and women to go – come back to their home where we will welcome you with the dignity and with more opportunities we have agreed to increase by 40 percent the number of flights of deportees both national returnees as well as deportees from other nationalities for their ulterior repatriation The details of this process will be discussed and binational working groups to be established for that purpose the permanent response to migration is to bring development for people not to have to leave the country a delegation led by the Government of Guatemala and with the support of the private sector will visit – will perform a high-level visit to Washington in coming weeks to create agreements in terms of economic productive development and investment to ensure tangible impact we know that border security is key to address these challenges We understand that by protecting Guatemala’s territory as we have been doing with initiatives that – the Fire Belt with Mexico and the special forest operations in Petén we have shared with Secretary Rubio the creation the protection – for border control and protection task force in the northern border of our country along the almost 300 kilometers of border – a combined force of the national civic police and the national armed forces that will protect and combat all forms of transnational crime With a border that has been strengthened and which is secure we guarantee the peace and security of our people We have requested the re-establishment of cooperation programs in terms of development and security and we appreciate the approval by Secretary Rubio to consider priority problems to combat transnational crime including narco-traffic and particularly combatting the trafficking on fentanyl and prevent the conditions that produce the Guatemalans’ migration in this regard where he expresses his support for the establishment of a partnership for the development of a priority infrastructure established by my government – ground infrastructure we appreciate your expressions of support to democracy respect for the sovereign decision of the people in the ballots Guatemala is a country of people who are hardworking and who get ahead – a dignified people with commitment with the present and future of Guatemala We will continue to act with firmness to build a safer country with dignity And with these objectives we know that the United States is a key partner MODERATOR:  (Via interpreter)  We have heard the president of the Republic of Guatemala thank you very much for having us and welcoming us so openly You’ve given me – you gave me so much time last night and this morning as well I think this has been such an impactful visit that there was an earthquake that we felt It’s the first time I have ever felt an earthquake in my life I’d like to commend you for your commitment to democracy We said last night that democracy really is a modern moment democracy has only existed for under 300 years the idea that people can govern themselves through the ballot box in a republic where they put the power in the hands of elected officials to determine the destiny of a country while always answering to the people again at the polls And I’d like to commend you for your commitment to defending the institutions of a republic and we will continue to work together with you so that you can achieve what you wish to achieve along that road I’d like to thank you again for the commitment you’ve made regarding migration Guatemala is a country that confronts all aspects of what’s happening in our hemisphere as you have had many people who have had to leave this country to seek out other opportunities you’ve had to face the fact that geographically you are in the middle of a massive drug and drug trafficking industry that uses your country as a transshipment point for moving this poison that is on its way to the United States And I thank you for all of your cooperation in order to intervene and prevent it not only from coming to the United States but to prevent it from corrupting the institutions of this country and harming your economic plans I’m very pleased to have signed that letter today in support of everything that we can do but specifically the opportunity that exists for the Army Corps of Engineers of the U.S to work together with your government to create preliminary plans that are necessary in order to build a modern port and everything that is necessary in order to have an economy that moves forward These projects as they progress will create employment in the short term in construction and labor which is important because that builds a middle class but in the long term it will position Guatemala as a hub of economic activity in the region – a vision that takes some time to build but it will be something positive and really revolutionary for the future of this country we thank you very much for your support and the relationship that you already have with Taiwan It’s not easy in a world where there is a lot of pressure to change that recognition and to break those ties and we look for opportunities for that only – not only to be a diplomatic relationship but for it also to be an economic relationship with investments and opportunities we will continue to work together – two peoples who are not only allies and neighbors but we are united by a long history and there are so many things that we have in common in our cultures and our cooperation (In English)  I just want to say a few words I want to thank this very warm reception that I have received here from our allies with whom we have a long history of diplomatic and economic and cultural engagement and I think that will be evidenced by the work that we’ve done here in the day that we – in the hours that we have been here The – the very important offer of cooperation which was already existing – Guatemala was already accepting deportation flights of their nationals who were returning home and not just accepting them as deportees but reintegrating them into society I want to thank the business community here who very firmly has said that this is an important part of bringing back their brothers and sisters and reintegrating them into the economic hopes and dreams as a labor force for the future And so I think that’s a very important step by the government and also by the private sector The president who has made the offer today then we’ll be working on the details of all this – but the offer to increase these flights – these – by – and these deportations by 40 percent It’s very important for us in terms of the migratory situation that we’re facing His willingness to accept not just nationals but those from other nationalities as they seek to ultimately return to their own homelands is also important And we’ve pledged our support with those efforts We recognize that in addition to those who may be returned because they’re currently in the United States there are those who are here now from faraway places And we are pledged to do all we can to help assist getting them from here to the – to their final destinations and their homelands our law enforcement cooperation is very strong because of its geography has been a place of transshipment of drugs small little airplanes that landed in clandestine fields At one time it was 70 to 80 flights a year And that’s thanks to the dedication that the authorities here have placed in shutting that down but those maritime routes and other routes still exist courage and dedication to go after those routes and shut down those routes will reauthorize programs that allow us to continue to work in partnership to stop that from happening Drug trafficking organizations who do not simply leave violence along the way and obviously ship drugs into the United States that are very deadly but they also – their existence in any country – one of the impacts that it has is it creates corruption It compromises institutions and makes it harder to govern a country and progress moving forward We recognize that that is the nefarious metastasis that often happens with the presence of these groups And we are going to do everything – continue to do everything we can to help in that endeavor And today I’ll be signing waivers on foreign aid that will continue that partnership and hope to build on it as well there are opportunities to cooperate economically Today I’ve signed a letter of support pledging the full cooperation of the State Department on a very specific project which is the partnership between the Government of Guatemala and the Army Corps of Engineers in the United States to begin preliminary planning for the expansion of not one but two new port facilities the opportunity to do the interconnections through highways and railroads so that Guatemala can become an economic hub of trade and commerce creating even more opportunity for the people of the region and of Guatemala we must recognize the commitment the president and his administration have had to democracy and to freedom and to – and respect for institutions and the rule of law And your commitment to maintaining and defending democracy and the stability of institutions It’s critical for all of our futures in every country where it’s threatened as part of that is your longstanding friendship and relationship with the people of Taiwan And we hope – and we’ll do all we can to expand it beyond just the diplomatic realm to an economic one We’ll do all we can to facilitate more Taiwanese investment in the economy of Guatemala so that it can continue to grow into the advanced 21st-century economy that allows it to be a place where all of its people can flourish and prosper and leave their children better off than themselves MODERATOR:  (Via interpreter)  We have heard the Secretary of State Marco Rubio I’d like to ask you how prepared is Guatemala how ready is Guatemala to be considered a third safe country and what is your official position regarding China and Taiwan PRESIDENT ARÉVALO:  (Via interpreter) Good morning A safe country is not a topic that exists What we have now is a new migration arrangement that guarantees safety humanitarian conditions for repatriation processes in the case of Guatemalans and for the case of deportations of other nationals in such a way that they can continue on to their respective countries of origin which are elements that have nothing to do with the concept of third safe country we have stated from the first moment that we maintain our diplomatic relationship with Taiwan and that we hope to be able to improve on them within the framework of our government administration to be able to further develop them in terms of economics and investment MODERATOR:  The second question is by the United States Guatemala has been a large recipient of USAID in recent years as a developing nation and the halt of funding – we’ve spoken with contractors and Foreign Service officers who work for you They say that the impact on lifesaving programs worldwide has provoked chaos and confusion among rank-and-file staff and upheaval a gift to America’s geopolitical geostrategic rivals such as Russia and China I’d like to say that it’s a pleasure to see you again We saw each other last in Washington before you were inaugurated as president regarding the return of Guatemalans from the U.S. what kind of work or jobs do you expect that deportees will be able to do here in Guatemala What is the role of the private sector in the reintegration process And could you please share a few of the companies that are involved in the My First Home initiative SECRETARY RUBIO:  I’ll answer the USAID question first Let me walk everybody through these steps; they’re important Our goal for USAID was to align the programs that it fulfills with the foreign policy of the United States What would be a gift to our geopolitical rivals is billions of dollars in foreign aid that is not aligned to the national interest and the foreign policy of the United States If you read the statute that created USAID it is supposed to take policy direction from the President And multiple administrations have complained about it Our preference was to go into USAID and work from the top down in identifying all of our programs What are all the programs we fund around the world Which are the ones that align us with the foreign policy of the United States And which are the ones that we should not be involved in we owe it to the American taxpayer because this is taxpayer money and we have an obligation to spend it wisely some of that money could be freed up to be spent We didn’t have that problem at State Department and that’s why every single day we are issuing waivers on State Department programs we did not get the same level of cooperation that were still trying to push payments through in contravention and in direct insubordination And so now we’ve had to do it in the opposite direction It’s not the way we wanted to do it initially but it is the way we will have to do it now About the notice that was issued yesterday It talks about specially designated programs as being exempt from the order of returning home And that language is deliberate because we are now going to have to work from the bottom up instead of the top down to identify which programs should be specially designated and therefore exempted from that order Our preference would have been to do this in a more orderly fashion from the top down and so it required us to work from the bottom up openly engaging missions all over the world that have a USAID presence to identify which programs they are running so that we can define those that we’re going to specially designate because they further our national – and are aligned with our national interest It is about structuring it in a way that furthers the national interest of the United States we’ve already had insight into what some of those programs are here that contribute to some of the things we’ve discussed here today because they further our national interest because they allow our economy to grow and create prosperity – and not just for us but for our partners and allies And that’s what we hope to be able to achieve here in the coming hours and days PRESIDENT ARÉVALO: (Via interpreter) About your question about returnees it is very difficult to decide in advance where we will be able to locate returnees because this is a population that we don’t know well yet what skills they bring back And it is only based on that knowledge that we can look for and explore the best way to help them to become a part of the labor market in Guatemala and explore different possibilities not only in terms of jobs but possibly in terms of investment in the second phase of the plan we have established a process through which the ministry – the Migration Institute with the Ministry of Labor together interview returnees to identify precisely their qualifications and to be able to begin to understand all of it we are holding conversations with different companies to identify those that are ready to absorb some of these migrants but this availability will be dependent on the capabilities that we identify as they return we expect there’s going to be people who come with vast experience in one topic – to give you an example in installing air conditioners – but did it without any technical formal training They don’t have a certificate to confirm that they are qualified In identifying a person with those skills without a certificate we will send them to a certificate program within the CAP or the ministry of education that will recognize that skill and in this manner will make it possible for him/her to be absorbed by a company that is looking for technicians in refrigeration A very simple example – we know that our returnees will come back speaking English which for the tourism industry that is growing in Guatemala is necessary Tourism in Guatemala grew by 13.7 percent; last year we exceeded 3 million visitors and all of these persons who now come with English as an added skill but might also bring experience in the hospitality industry cruise ships – all of these persons can be reabsorbed But the first task is go through this process of diagnosis to be able to identify the labor supply that we have and the labor demand that the private sector will have MODERATOR:  (Via interpreter)  We then continue let’s say if these agreements don’t become true I would like to ask you if the United States is going to keep the sanctions against persons accused of corruption and anti-democratic practices because many of them contributed to the triumph of President Trump How much are you concerned about Chinese influence in Guatemala through a gigantic technological company whereby they have become positioned in the agencies of the state SECRETARY RUBIO:  (Via interpreter)  In the first part this is not a question of – we have a need domestically for an ally country that’s helping us It’s a matter of people who have the obligation to accept under an international agreement It’s not a matter of sanctioning a government for not cooperating That’s what friends and allies do to help each other out as we are committed to working with you on several projects not only in economic development but also confronting drug trafficking and other actors that try to corrupt the country The second phase – we’ve only been in power for two weeks – there have been no changes to sanctions against individuals every administration always reviews existing sanctions that they have inherited from previous administrations but to date no decisions have been made in that regard nor have these been discussed or contemplated We know that the government in Beijing is committed not only to breaking those ties but also to coming into important sectors of the economy and they are obsessed with establishing or dominating telecommunications through Huawei and other companies And this is a very serious threat to a country’s security to be able to communicate without interruptions We’ve seen case after case where the Chinese Government comes in with billions of dollars They bring in their own workers to do the work and in the end the project is either incomplete or they are in debt and now a government owes them billions of dollars in what we call a debt trap And we want governments to know about that risk I also think that the relationship with Taiwan we’ll do everything we can to help with that We are going to support it not only being diplomatic recognition to do anything possible to bring investment in the economy MODERATOR:  (Via interpreter)  Next question and last question QUESTION:  (Via interpreter)  Thanks very much to both of you (In English)  How is the administration planning to carry out the proposal of President Trump to own Gaza and relocate Palestinians will be planning to stay in that territory And how can you accomplish the rebuild plan as regional partners have rejected the proposal to forcibly relocate Palestinians and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has called for the United Nations to step in to protect the rights of the Palestinian people the question for you is we know that now you will have an agreement that is similar to the one in Panama Will you receive foreign nationals in Guatemala on these flights the deportation flights coming from the United States would you be willing to receive members of gangs such as Tren de Aragua SECRETARY RUBIO:  Let me answer the first question What President Trump said yesterday is an acknowledgement of the following:  Gaza has been severely damaged the billions of dollars that are going to be required for reconstruction are enormous And so what the President – what President Trump announced yesterday is the offer the willingness of the United States to become responsible for the reconstruction of that area there are unexploded munitions; there are all kinds of Hamas weaponry still buried underground For people to be able to live in a place safely And the only thing President Trump has done – very generously in my view – is offer the United States willingness to step in clean the place up from all the destruction that’s on the ground clean it up of all these unexploded munitions the people living there will not be able – the people who call that home will not be able to live there while you have crews coming and removing debris It’s actually – he made a similar – obviously he offered a $50 billion plan to help Palestinians which was rejected by the PA and obviously others obviously people are going to have to live somewhere while you’re rebuilding So what he’s very generously – very generously has offered is the ability of the United States to go in and help with debris removal the rebuilding of homes and businesses and things of things of this nature would have to be worked out among multiple partner nations one that – no other country in the world has stepped up and made an offer But I think it’s one people need to think about seriously the offer to rebuild and to be in charge of the rebuilding of a place they would have nowhere to live safely because there are still unexploded munitions and debris and rubble PRESIDENT ARÉVALO:  (Via interpreter)  About your question citizens of foreign nationalities that may come to Guatemala in the framework of these flights they do it in – as part of their continued repatriation So the way that this repatriation will be pursued how the United States is going to cooperate with the Government of Guatemala our topic is that we are going to be discussing in a bilateral working group that we have agreed today on establishing There has been no discussion around convicted criminals in the framework of those talks MODERATOR:  (Via interpreter)  We thank the high authorities for the information that they had provided at the National Palace of Culture and the Courtyard for Peace We now bid farewell to the President of Guatemala and United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio We use cookies to make our website work better and improve your experience Icon DONATE Americas Quarterly's New Issue: Inside Bernardo Arévalo's Guatemala The magazine looks at how the president is rolling out ambitious reforms but critical challenges remain for Central America's largest economy In the new issue’s cover story, Managing Editor José Enrique Arrioja interviewed President Arévalo in his office, as well as Finance Minister Jonathan Menkos and  Director of the National Civil Police David Boteo, among others, to provide an overview of the successes and challenges that Central America’s most populous country and largest economy faces With migration to the United States no longer an option for many Guatemalans the need to make Guatemala itself a better place is even more acute Emilie Sweigart presents detailed graphics on Guatemala's key education as well as its main trade partners and migration data The full issue is available at americasquarterly.org View the PDF To request interviews with the authors, or to request publication permission, please contact AS/COA Media Relations at mediarelations@as-coa.org  La revista analiza cómo el presidente presenta ambiciosas reformas mientras perseveran importantes desafíos para la economía más grande de Centroamérica © 2025 Americas Society/Council of the Americas NEW: The Effects of the US Foreign Aid Freeze on Freedom House Bernardo Arévalo overcame tremendous obstacles to become Guatemala’s president but the old guard that tried to derail his campaign is now retaliating against his government to protect their own corrupt network In the year since Bernardo Arévalo won Guatemala’s presidential election he has faced fierce resistance to his anticorruption campaign (Photo credit: Wikimedia Commons/Presidencia de Guatemala) Arévalo also outlasted a nearly 10-hour delay and several last-minute attempts by the outgoing Congress to obstruct a constitutionally mandated transfer of power President Arévalo has faced fierce resistance since taking his post. His supporters, including Indigenous groups, worry that the opportunity for meaningful change may be lost while those linked to deep-rooted interests and corruption are fighting to preserve their advantage And observers hope that the administration will keep Guatemala in the democratic column of nations Arévalo is perceived as a democratic champion Arévalo’s one presidential term—he is constitutionally prohibited from seeking another—ends in January 2028 and the first round of the next election is due in June 2027 The narrow window of opportunity to bolster democratic rule and dismantle a complex web of corruption is closing supporting Arévalo but are also pondering his prospects And the ground for Arévalo will shift further when a new administration takes office in Washington this month In a hemisphere and a world where authoritarians and populists are consolidating power Arévalo’s victory and inauguration felt hopeful and refreshing and democratic governments can remain cautiously hopeful on Arévalo’s second year in office Freedom in the World has been widely used by policymakers Donate today to help us ensure the future of this vital resource.  © 2025 Advance Local Media LLC. All rights reserved (About Us) The material on this site may not be reproduced except with the prior written permission of Advance Local Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site YouTube's privacy policy is available here and YouTube's terms of service is available here Ad Choices Guatemala’s Bernardo Arévalo was nearly prevented from taking office can his drive to reform the country succeed BY JOSÉ ENRIQUE ARRIOJA | APRIL 22 This article is adapted from AQ’s special report on Guatemala | Leer en español GUATEMALA CITY — When you enter Bernardo Arévalo’s office today goateed 66-year-old who sounds exactly like the trained sociologist and philosopher he is—analyzing the numerous challenges of one of Latin America’s most unequal nations with a kind of scholarly remove urging patience even as some of his supporters grow frustrated with the slow pace of change the institutional rescue is the sine qua non that (will) allow us to generate development later,” Arévalo told AQ in an interview Arévalo has survived the departure of his most critical international ally and surprised some observers by building a seemingly positive relationship with the Donald Trump administration cooperating closely on key issues like immigration and drug interdiction while avoiding—at least so far—any of the turbulence that has hit peers like Mexico remains in office and seemingly ready to act upon any hint of weakness or wrongdoing and millions have emigrated in recent years in search of a better life “We will witness the democratic spring (once again) when we tangibly rescue the institutions from the corrupt actions of the state and put them to work for what they were created for,” Arévalo told me he outlined a bold vision for progress on social spending would be game-changers for Central America’s most populous nation and largest economy.  an international organization that focuses on building peace and fostering connections in post-conflict societies The Biden White House, concerned about another source of instability in Central America and eager to prop up a fragile democracy, spun into action urging then-President Alejandro Giammatei to guarantee the democratic transition as well as Arévalo’s own security canceled hundreds of visas for politicians and business leaders alleged to be interfering with the transition and sent a procession of officials to Guatemala City to pressure for the popular vote to be respected and even the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights supported Arévalo’s cause also spoke against efforts to overturn the election Arévalo speaks with some relief of the forces arrayed against him: “With changes in the courts and the political landscape this power is becoming increasingly isolated and is disappearing.”  “In politics, perception is everything,” Raquel Zelaya, president of local think tank ASIES In a country with a pronounced authoritarian tradition who bridges gaps,” but lacking the capability to impose his will and set a course “That doesn’t fit the idea of power and command that we suffered for years.” Additionally Arévalo and his newly empowered party show “surprising divisions when they should be fully united They are confronting many challenges,” she said focusing on developing and maintaining the key roads that converge on and surround Guatemala City and connect the nation’s maritime ports and main airport we have an ongoing dialogue with Congress and a clear agenda for the proposals we want to submit,” Arévalo told me with an optimistic tone A new law for civil aviation is needed to modernize the La Aurora airport an outdated facility in the heart of the city that serves international and national flights and urgently requires expansion and upgrades The government’s procurement and acquisitions law is antiquated and distorted after several reforms Civil service and water legislation also need updates as does legislation governing maritime ports on both the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans The government also has two anti-corruption laws in the pipeline one initiative on technology and a reform for the nation’s criminal code to ensure more substantial jail and financial penalties for those breaking the law “It is a challenge for a government to have a minority bloc in Congress,” Arévalo told me because “its performance depends on the ability to establish alliances necessary for governability.” Others agreed. Sonia Gutiérrez Raguay, the only self-described Indigenous lawmaker in Congress admits that the Arévalo’s administration didn’t have “all the allies it needed” last year complicating the government’s performance during the “democratic crisis” the nation endured “We want to see the continuation of this government and our party is in favor of advancing the progress and democracy in our country,” said the lawmaker from the WINAQ-URNG party.  Semilla is contesting three legal actions filed against it that have reduced its members to independent lawmakers in Congress the legislator in charge of the party’s legal defense “Guatemala’s main problem right now is its poor road infrastructure quality,” Elmer Palencia the congressional leader of the opposition party Valor citing “high logistics costs that ultimately translate into high living costs” for both regular citizens and companies Congress passed the Priority Road Infrastructure Law in November to repair and expand more than 1,600 kilometers of critical roads will enable the government to invest as much as $5 billion per year in public works “The government now has the tools they need As the system is set up now, the government cannot build large-scale projects that surpass $120 million, according to Juan Carlos Zapata, the director of the Foundation for the Development of Guatemala (FUNDESA) who applauded the approval of the infrastructure law as a “big achievement” for Arévalo and Congress he said the country still needs additional legislation such as reforming the current law for public-private alliances and the one that regulates the port system I’d say that projects worth $250 million or $300 million would be structured The problem with completing infrastructure projects goes beyond anything on paper “It’s a challenging task,” Miguel Ángel Díaz Bobadilla the minister of Communications and Infrastructure told me at his office near the international airport but the petty cash of many administrations,” leaving behind uncompleted or poorly maintained works this ministry has been used to embezzle the public treasury,” he added A sign of the ministry’s challenges is its high turnover: Díaz Bobadilla is the fourth such minister under Arévalo Arévalo wants to connect Guatemala’s most isolated rural areas with a plan called Rutas para el Desarrollo “We have identified that the country’s poorest areas are those with the worst infrastructure,” he said will recover most of the national road system “which has been abandoned and neglected for a long time,” Arévalo added The government envisions the expansion of Puerto Quetzal (Pacific Ocean) and Santo Tómas de Castilla (Caribbean Sea). In the initial stage, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will design and execute the expansion of Puerto Quetzal The administration also plans to rebuild the national railway system to connect the previously mentioned ports creating a terrestrial interoceanic corridor that could be an alternative to the Panama Canal A second railroad line would connect traffic from El Salvador to Mexico the government plans to build an above-ground metro and expand the La Aurora airport a project open to international companies.  Díaz Bobadilla admits that the government will need to accelerate its execution this year as 2024 was a “lost year” in infrastructure due to political pressure from the government’s adversaries the corruption is Venice: It has many channels to flow,” he added Making progress will require considerable national and foreign investment. Guatemala No Se Detiene a government-private sector partnership focused on detecting key areas for national development has put together a portfolio of $8.7 billion in infrastructure projects needed to modernize the country as Guatemala’s population is expected to rise from its current 18 million to 24 million by 2040 Better infrastructure adapted to this new reality could mitigate future pain Semilla’s 2023 governing platform calls for “urgent” investment in a range of infrastructure initiatives Arévalo will not be cutting the red ribbon “We are going to start processes and works that future governments will inaugurate We decided that we needed to put this ship to the sea so it can start navigating,” he told me To consolidate progress, more resources are needed, David Boteo, the Director of the National Civil Police told me after speaking at an event at the National Palace The institution under his watch operates with 41,265 officers nationwide but “we need another 13,000 officers to get 20 officers in each station in the country which is the minimum that we should have.” Nowadays each police station has 10 to 15 police officers In early March, seven people were killed and another seven injured in two shootouts near the capital Arévalo is implementing what the government calls a “democratic security program” to tackle as many as 22 gangs operating in connection with cartels in Colombia Guatemala seized a record of more than 18 tons of cocaine and sizable quantities of other narcotics the government captured 24 criminals facing charges in the U.S and arrested more than 1,300 individuals on drug trafficking charges some Guatemalans yearn for a tougher approach akin to that of President Nayib Bukele in El Salvador “our security model is somewhat different; there are different political and institutional conditions … We are committed to succeeding so Guatemala would be a country to invest in and become a reference” in public security.  Expectations were high when Trump’s Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, visited Guatemala on February 5 seeking Arévalo’s support on receiving deported Guatemalans and stepping up the fight against organized crime and drug trafficking “I’d like to commend you for your commitment to defending the institutions of a republic and we will continue to work together with you so that you can achieve what you wish to achieve along that road.” It turns out the two men had a previously established bond from years ago when Arévalo was a lawmaker for Semilla and Rubio was still a Republican senator “We discovered (the common ground) as we were talking about the importance of history in understanding the times that we live in,” Arévalo said with a smile adding that Rubio expressed “his support for the democratic process in our country.” “Our relationship with the U.S. has been very good since the transition process,” Arévalo said. During Rubio’s visit, Arévalo agreed to increase by 40% the number of flights of deportees with Guatemalans and citizens of other nationalities from the average of seven to eight flights per week from the U.S Arévalo also announced the formation of a new border security force that will patrol Guatemala’s borders with El Salvador and Honduras The president also mentioned “good relations” with Mexico’s president “We have had working meetings discussing our borders and we’ve been discussing transforming the region into a development zone.” “We are also maintaining good relations with Europe and other countries this will translate into an influx of investment is what we know can make a difference,” Arévalo told me The positive performance led Fitch Ratings to raise the country’s outlook from “stable” to “positive” in early February citing “expectations of continued solid growth momentum and stability.” It also highlighted Guatemala’s governance challenges as a “key rating constraint.” The Finance Ministry plans to issue as much as $3 billion in international bonds this year possibly selling bonds denominated in quetzals and if there’s interest from different stakeholders,” Menkos said The country has a solid record to bank on. Guatemala’s sovereign bonds are already trading as investment grade papers in the so-called secondary market, Luis Lara, the Chief Executive Officer of Banco Industrial He sees the goal as viable given the country’s public finance health and the implementation of the infrastructure strategy we would grow at a rate of 6% per year,” he said.  which argued that the increase threatened the country’s economic and social stability When asked if additional minimum wage increases were coming and forward-looking discussion about the minimum wage” as part of a medium-term policy he rejected the possibility of increasing taxes or proposing a fiscal reform during Arévalo’s government Raising the minimum wage is necessary to make progress against Guatemala’s protracted poverty the resident representative of United Nations Development Program in the country “This is a government that aims for development that doesn’t just want to put out fires,” Benitez Verdún said As Arévalo tries to modernize Guatemala and revive its democracy there is consensus that he needs to show results in his second year in power “The president has been doing many good little things,” Sonia Castillo told me one afternoon at Plaza de la Constitución the square overseeing the Palacio Nacional but perhaps he needs to think things through before acting All key posts that may enable him to reset the leadership of the judicial branch and the electoral authority the key branches that opposed him in 2023.  For each institution, the president will receive nominations from special committees comprised of authorities from public and private universities as well as from professional associations, such as the influential lawyers and notary’s bar association which in February chose a new leadership closely aligned with Arévalo’s party The four decisions are critical in setting a new course for the nation we’ll be playing for our democracy next year,” Semilla lawmaker José Carlos Sanabria told me It is far too early to predict how Arévalo and his administration will pass on to history but the evident social disparities call for action we don’t have a consolidated democracy,” said Zelaya of ASIES citing a reality of “two Guatemalas,” rich and poor we have to deliver,” asserted the finance minister Menkos emphasizing the relevance of this year’s performance when people will see the works,” added Díaz Bobadilla the communications and infrastructure minister he has a characteristically broad legacy in mind the population reaffirms their commitment to the democratic system,” he said to conclude our conversation It’s an aspiration that was in doubt two years ago Introduction images: First and fourth photo by Erick Velásquez/EBLA Digital; second and third photos by José Enrique Arrioja Reading Time: 16 minutesArrioja is the managing editor of Americas Quarterly and Senior Director of Policy at the Americas Society/Council of the Americas During an interview with the Associated Press on Wednesday Guatemalan President Bernardo Arévalo said there will be room to negotiate with the new U.S administration in favor of his country’s interests Guatemalan President Bernardo Arevalo gives an interview at the National Palace in Guatemala City Guatemalan President Bernardo Arevalo points at a part of the map of Guatemala during an interview at the National Palace in Guatemala City At the start of the second year of his presidency Arévalo said in an interview with The Associated Press that Guatemala is “one of the United States’ few trusted partners” in the region Arévalo pointed out that in the first year of his presidency Guatemala seized more than double the amount of drugs compared to the previous year “We mustn’t assume that it will be a relationship that turns dramatic,” he said “I believe the conditions exist to be optimistic about what we can become.” But Central America has been a challenge for the United States in recent years immigration dominated his administration’s relationships in the region Human rights and corruption received little attention if countries were perceived to be working to decrease migrant flows to the U.S “We believe that the ‘safe third country’ configuration was absolutely inadequate and that the answer to the challenges that are coming now with the immigration issue must be considered regionally,” Arévalo said He said Guatemala has other proposals on immigration that they are prepared to bring into negotiations with the U.S. Regarding the mass deportations promised by Trump Arévalo announced Tuesday a plan to receive Guatemalans and assist their reintegration into the country mass deportations would be a major hit to Guatemala’s economy Remittances – the money migrants send back to Guatemala – account for about 20% of the country’s gross domestic product consulates’ resources and developing a phone application that would share information with migrants about possible immigration enforcement raids and legal assistance They also discussed the possibility of Mexican consulates in the U.S though Arévalo said it was just an idea under consideration “It’s a tragedy that men and women of all ages find it necessary to abandon their communities because in (Guatemala) they don’t find work High-level diplomats from across the region were scheduled to meet in Mexico Thursday and Friday to discuss ways to address immigration In this podcast episode WOLA’s Central America Director, Ana María Méndez Dardón reflects on Bernardo Arévalo’s first year in office 2025 marks one year since the inauguration that followed his unexpected election As we discussed with Ana María in a podcast episode shortly after his inauguration Bernardo Arévalo and his Semilla party had a very difficult time reaching inauguration day notably due to active obstruction from Guatemala’s traditional made it possible for Arevalo to democratically take office the difficulties he and his party faced back then have remained negatively affecting his popularity due to unmet expectations Three prominent obstacles that the Arevalo administration will continue to face from his first year to his second are the office of the Attorney General and the powerful presence of other known corrupt actors within the government; the instability of his cabinet paired with a small presence of his party in Congress; and the powerful private sector’s ties to corrupt elite groups The Attorney General’s office has played an active role in blocking access to justice and promoting the persecution and criminalization of those who have been key to anti-corruption and human rights efforts while maintaining the threat of forcibly removing Arévalo from office Although Attorney General Consuelo Porras was sanctioned by the United States Arévalo has determined that removing her would violate constitutional norms (Her term ends in May 2026.) Ana María also notes alliances that Porras has cultivated with members of the U.S including the launch of an alternative business association It is uncertain whether the Trump administration will continue these efforts and while some Republicans regard Arévalo as a strong democratic ally particularly the incoming Trump administration’s plans to deter and deport migrants may be the topline item in the bilateral relationship To follow Guatemalan developments, Ana María recommends independent media including Plaza Pública, Con Criterio, and Prensa Comunitaria Subscribe with your email to receive exclusive reports and expert research directly to your inbox every week. The San Diego State swim and dive program received continued acclaim for another highly successful campaign from the Mountain West on Thursday, as Valentina Lopez Arevalo earned MW Diver of the Year honors, while Roland McDonald garnered MW Dive Coach of the Year laurels. The announcement was made Tuesday by the conference office. With her accolade, Lopez Arevalo collected her first career conference postseason award and gave the Aztec program a MW Athlete of the Year recipient for the seventh straight year after Alex Roberts (2023-24) and Klara Thormalm (2020-22) received conference Swimmer of the Year distinction in each of the previous five seasons, while Ximena Lechuga Gonzalez (2018-20) was twice tabbed MW Diver of the Year. Additionally, McDonald was recognized as the MW’s top dive coach for the second year in a row and the fourth time in his 15 seasons at San Diego State after earning the honor in 2019, 2020 and 2024. He also becomes the third coach in MW history to merit at least four conference Dive Coach of Year plaudits. A native of Zapopan, Jalisco, Mexico, Lopez Arevalo was the lone Mountain West diver to qualify for the NCAA Championships after finishing sixth on the 3-meter springboard at the NCAA Zone E Championships earlier in March. With her zone performance, SDSU swim and dive program extended its streak of qualifying at least one student-athlete to the national meet to 15 consecutive seasons. In February, Lopez Arevalo was named Mountain West Diver of the Meet after helping the Aztecs capture their fourth consecutive conference championship and sixth in the last seven years. The Aztec senior compiled 92 points across three events at the MW Championships, which marked the highest individual total in the field of competitors. She took home gold medals in the 3-meter and platform events while winning a silver medal on the 1-meter board. With her efforts, Lopez Arevalo’s MW Diver of the Meet award marked the fourth time an SDSU student-athlete earned such honors after Lechuga Gonzalez received the same honors in 2019 and 2022. During the 2024-25 campaign, Lopez Arevalo captured 13 event titles (five in the 1-meter springboard and four apiece on the 3-meter springboard and platform tower), collecting three Mountain West Diver of the Week awards in the process. Meanwhile, McDonald directed the overall success of the Aztec diving contingent, as all six competitors qualified for at least one event at the NCAA Zone E Championships. Under McDonald’s guidance, Alina Skrocki and Summer Westmoreland also received all-MW recognition at the conference meet with a pair of top-eight placements. Skrocki finished sixth from the platform tower, while Westmoreland took eighth on the 1-meter board. During the season, McDonald’s charges produced seven career marks, including Westmoreland, who finished second in the platform event at the Riverside Collegiate Invitational with a score of 252.90, which ranks seventh on the program’s all-time charts, while Skrocki’s second-place total of 321.55 points on the 3-meter board at the same meet is slotted ninth in school history. Prior to his arrival at San Diego State, McDonald was a three-time Diving Coach of the Year in the former Colonial Athletic Association at George Mason University. By BNP Paribas OpenThe last time time a pair of World No 1 doubles players won the men’s crown in Indian Wells came in 2014 when the all-conquering Bryan Brothers achieved the feat They were fitting champions, too, given that El Salvador’s Arevalo and Croatia’s Pavic didn’t lose a set the whole tournament. Their outings came mostly against predominantly singles players such as Korda and Thompson, who by contrast needed a pair of match tiebreaks along the way. Pavic became the only active men’s doubles player with 40 titles. Indian Wells had been the lone Masters stop where the 31-year-old had never made the final — and now he has the top prize. “It’s definitely a special one,” said Pavic. “I never made a final here, so that’s a first one for me, and yeah, you always dream to win any title, but especially Indian Wells. “It’s the so-called fifth Slam. You want to have that one in the books.” Call it special, too, for Arevalo, who was cheered on by fans hoisting flags of his home nation El Salvador at Stadium 1. “I’ve been coming here for maybe five, six years, and this was the first time I was able to play on center court. I remember watching matches up there and just imagined myself playing here,” the 34-year-old said, referring to higher up in the stadium. “Yesterday was actually the first time I played here in the warmup and the match, and that was the goal of the moment (to play on center court).  Now winning the title here, it went too far. I’m really grateful that we made it happen.” Pavic and Arevalo saved all four break points faced, all in the second set. The duo set the tone in the second game by creating three break points on the Thompson serve. Thompson and Korda hung on but couldn’t in the sixth game and trailed 4-2. Korda, close to the net and with time, pummelled a forehand long. Then Pavic engineered a potent forehand to prompt a Thompson error for the break. A point after a stunning backhand half volley passing shot, he erred on a forehand, then pulled his shirt over his head. The Floridian — watched by his Grand Slam winning dad, Petr, once again — took a toilet break when the first set ended. But on the first point of the second, he reacted late and his forehand volley found the net. Finals at this level are rarely straightforward and Thompson and  Korda did get their chances eventually, though. At 2-1, two break points came but were erased. Thompson drilled a ball at Pavic at the net. He didn’t catch it cleanly but his volley dribbled over and gave the speedy Aussie — a Grand Slam champion in doubles — little chance. An almost identical point saved the second break point. Arevalo and Pavic seized their opportunity, as a Pavic return got past Korda at the net for a break, 3-2. Korda couldn’t make the contact he hoped for on his return on break point in the ensuing game, and Pavic ripped a serve into the corner to fend off another break point at 4-3. Korda and Thompson missed out on a second Masters title together after winning in Madrid last year. “All the big points went your way because you do it every week, so congratulations,” Thompson said to Arevalo and Pavic during the trophy presentation. Lopez Arevalo will compete in the 3-meter springboard event on Friday at Weyerhaeuser King County Aquatic Center Competition trials are scheduled to begin at 12:15 p.m followed by consolation finals at 5:15 p.m Live coverage will be available throughout the day via subscription basis on ESPN+ A total of 49 divers are slated to compete in the preliminary round with the top eight finishers advancing to the championship finals and the ninth through 16th-place competitors earning a spot in the consolation finals Lopez Arevalo punched her ticket to the national meet after posting a sixth-place finish in the 3-meter springboard at the NCAA Zone E Diving Championships on March 10 at the same facility in suburban Seattle The SDSU senior recorded an aggregate 591.65 points for the day climbing into sixth place after placing 10th in the preliminaries with a score of 286.75 as the top eight finishers in the event advanced to this week’s national championships Lopez Arevalo will be making her second appearance in the national spotlight after qualifying for the NCAA meet as a freshman from the platform height her performance gives the Aztec swim and dive program at least one national qualifier in each of the last 15 seasons the NCAA Championships have been contested (2020 canceled due to COVID pandemic) Lopez Arevalo earned Mountain West Diver of the Meet honors at the conference championships last month after compiling 92 points across three events which marked the highest individual total in the field of competitors The Aztec senior won gold medals in the 3-meter and platform events while capturing a silver medal on the 1-meter board With her efforts, Lopez Arevalo’s MW Diver of the Meet award marked the fourth time an SDSU student-athlete garnered such accolades after Ximena Lechuga Gonzalez received the same distinction in 2019 and 2022 Lopez Arevalo captured 13 event titles (five in the 1-meter springboard and four apiece on the 3-meter springboard and platform tower) collecting three Mountain West Diver of the Week awards in the process the San Diego State swim and dive program completed another successful campaign winning its fourth straight Mountain West conference championship and sixth in the last seven years the Aztecs became just the second school in MW history to claim four straight team titles after former member Brigham Young accomplished the feat from 2007-10 Global Climate Agreements: Successes and Failures How Tobacco Laws Could Help Close the Racial Gap on Cancer Could Trump’s Tariffs Replace Income Tax for the Bottom 90% Peter McColough Series on International Economics With Robert E Welcome to today’s Council on Foreign Relations meeting with President Bernardo Arévalo of Guatemala CARUSO-CABRERA: I’m Michelle Caruso-Cabrera chief executive officer of MCC Productions and a CNBC contributor And I will be presiding over today’s discussion We are joined both by CFR members here in person and also virtually At 3:30 I’m going to open it up to audience questions So Guatemala did not have an orderly transition to power when you were elected and inaugurated earlier this year The opposition tried very hard to prevent you from becoming president the OAS stepped in and called what was happening a coup d’etat after a delayed inauguration where people were very nervous How secure do you feel about your hold on the position and democracy and ruling under such a condition I feel secure because I know that we have the support of the people of Guatemala But I am very aware of the fact that the corrupt minority that attempted to derail the elections has not—is still occupying spaces of power They are still actively trying to find ways into which they can attack us And they have not lost hope that at some point in time they succeed in bringing us down and trying to have something of a comeback we believe that we are in the middle of a process that has led us to get control of the executive branch of power a process of election of judges for the courts in Guatemala that is having positive results And that at the end of the day the—both the international and national environment is going to make impossible an attempt to try to derail the process but I’m aware that people will try to keep trying to bring us down CARUSO-CABRERA: What are your priorities as president And can you achieve them in this situation when you have so much opposition I think that our priorities are fundamentally about letting people—giving them evidence that they were right They were right by hoping that you can have a government that can govern without corruption that can begin to use public money as it is supposed to be used and that actually delivers in terms of development for the people And so our goal is to produce evidence in roads on new conditions in which indigenous populations actually can live and thrive to deliver on what institutions are created to do we need to manage the space politically and be aware that there’s always going to be this corrupt minority that is going to continue attacking us in the process CARUSO-CABRERA: When a lot of Americans think of Guatemala they think of the thousands and thousands of Guatemalans who have come to the U.S more than 200,000 last year according to the Border Patrol Vice President Kamala Harris has gone to Guatemala to try to attack the root causes of irregular migration from Guatemala and the rest of the—of the region What are you doing in order to try to reduce the level of irregular migration immediate term in order to try to mitigate some of the effects that we have of the fact that the levels of poverty in our country are pushing people out of their villages and making them to look for work in different places we are very strongly working in order to dismantle human trafficking networks that are also causing a lot of misery and pain to these populations as they move—try to move into the United States with the United States and with other countries like Canada and we’re discussing it now with countries in Europe expanding programs for temporal labor so that we have bigger contingents of people that can go for six months or a year and then come back to Guatemala with the possibility of returning again for another six months or a year to work on different issues And if you handle this in a way that it goes and happens in towns which are identified as the ones that are expelling more people it’s a short-term solution that it’s only to—going to mitigate a problem that will not cease to exist until you actually And the root causes is poverty and underdevelopment It is not until the moment in which we actually begin to bring decent livelihoods and dignified livelihoods to these people that migration is going to cease People are going away not because they want to come to the United States and break from their families and what this is happening is in communities which are very tightly knit they do it because there is—there are no economic alternatives is to begin to provide paths into development so that these people can have jobs And so many of our development programs are aimed precisely at the poorest regions in the country where you—when you have the concentration of poverty where people are actually really coming out—walking out when they are seventeen And investing in infrastructure for development in those places CARUSO-CABRERA: One of the reasons people leave Guatemala according to the Border Patrol when they interview them where he’s imprisoned more than 1 percent of the population He’s been criticized for lack of due process he’s become extremely popular because crime has gone down and other people in the region seem to see that as a model ARÉVALO: What you’re saying about people leaving out of fear of violence relates more to El Salvador and Honduras than to Guatemala In the case of Guatemala it’s fundamentally about poverty the migration has poverty as the fundamental reason at the roots and our criminal landscape is different than the one that you have in El Salvador and Honduras It’s the different types of—the profile of criminal activities that you have The profile of criminal activity in El Salvador had gangs as one of the fundamental reasons for crime and murder rates and so on They are a factor but not necessarily the biggest factor and for us it is much more important organized crime and drug trafficking And so we need to actually design strategies that respond to our own criminal profile and not necessarily begin to bring solutions that are not—that do not respond to our own problems We are working very strongly to tackle narcotrafficking We have captured in these eight months five times more crooks than the government—previous government did in the last year between capturing cocaine in the ports to uprooting cocaine plantations and marijuana plantations and so on and so forth very clear policy designed to gain control over the jails because the prison system was completely lost—was in the hands of the criminals It is taking time but we are entering prison by prison and we are working in expanding our police force We have as a goal to have 12,000 new policemen and women in the streets in our four years so to get the level of police force per capita to the international standards because that’s one of the reasons why you have a prevalence of crime So we are tackling it from different angles CARUSO-CABRERA: We highlighted at the top the disorderly transfer of power that happened in Guatemala A place where the transfer power has not happened is Venezuela despite overwhelming evidence that Maduro lost that election What’s your position on what should happen there and what Maduro should do We have—we rejected the results announced by the National Electoral Council of Venezuela We said that they were just not acceptable We have stated very clearly that we reject the declaration of Maduro as the winner and that we demand some sort of recount of the actas I always forget; how do you say actas in English CARUSO-CABRERA: The proof that came out of the ballot machines which showed the voting So either a recount by the actas by some sort of international actor that is agreed upon and that then you can use that and count that; or to have—or to have new elections organized But in any case we are very clearly rejecting the current process as credible at all and we are not recognizing Maduro as the president What needs to happen I think that the international community needs to support Venezuelan actors to try to find a way to either recount or go back to the ballots to have a solution CARUSO-CABRERA: Is there anything more that can be done regionally with other presidents like you pushing harder or using some kind of leverage there are different efforts that are going on at the time The presidents of Brazil and Colombia are engaged in or have been engaged—I don’t know what has happened in the late days—in discussions with both the regime and the opposition in Venezuela in order to try to find a possible solution and I think that pressure should continue from every side and possible sanctions that should be imposed in order to force nondemocratic actors to actually abide by the law CARUSO-CABRERA: You’re headed to the inauguration next week in Mexico— CARUSO-CABRERA: —for the new president where there’s also been criticism what’s been happening with the new election of the legislature before Claudia Sheinbaum actually takes over—the election of judges and also perhaps the undoing of independent agencies which would then be a threat to Mexico’s participation in the USMCA Are you going to speak with AMLO or Claudia Sheinbaum about these things Or what do you think about that situation as we question the state of democracy in Latin America We have our own debate in terms of what should happen and how should judges be elected I know that there are differences around the world There are countries in which judges are elected I think that some judges in the United States are actually elected CARUSO-CABRERA: Right here in New York City I don’t know if that is the best way as well I’m currently thinking of the possibility of having judges selected just by a meritocratic process But I think that that is a question that should be answered by every country according to its own mechanisms and traditions and what works in one place not necessarily works in the other CARUSO-CABRERA: You took a stand and said you were going to stand by Taiwan A lot of countries in Latin America are being forced by China to make a choice and you made yours I understand you suffered economic coercion from China as a result Why did you make that choice and what do you hope will come as a result we have been—we made a decision that we’re going to sustain our diplomatic relations with Taiwan And we made it very clear from the very beginning that that was going to be the situation because we knew that this idea that we were going to immediately open relationships with the PRC and sometimes—well we know that it was used in the context of the election in order to attack us So we made it very clear and we have kept our word We told them as well that we believe that what we need to do is actually get relations between Guatemala and Taiwan to a strategic level one in which we see more investment and trade between our countries and not just exclusively cooperation have very good conversations with Taiwan on exploring possibilities We were discussing with you the fact that we—for example we are discussing both with Taiwan and with the United States the possibility that Guatemala gains access to CHIPS Act fund considering the fact that we have an open and privileged relationship with the United States and we have a privileged relationship with Taiwan So why not triangulate this relationship and explore the possibility of making high-tech investments in Guatemala with a view to export to the United States market And so that’s the type of conversations that we’re having at this point so the same way that we have given subsidies to Intel and other chip companies are you hoping that there will be subsidies provided to chip manufacturers to put manufacturing in Guatemala we’re not looking for subsidies from the United States The CHIPS Act has established a fund at the University of Arizona that is supposed to—potential partner countries identify their path into government to provide us access to those funds so that we can have assistance from the University of Arizona into charting our path into that type of compliance it’s going to happen because we in the government are going to facilitate the investment but the investment will be 100 percent private CARUSO-CABRERA: We mentioned earlier that there had been economic—attempts of economic coercion by China there was the inauguration of the new presidency in Taiwan they blocked import of some products into China products like nuts and coffee and cardamom CARUSO-CABRERA: What would you do right now ARÉVALO: I think that what the world needs is a ceasefire and the beginning of some real international collective effort to establish a framework that enables the parties to seriously find a way into some sort of workable I think that international actors have not really made the best efforts in the last twenty thirty years to try to get actors to the table in a way that enables a reasonable solution the levels of suffering that we have there now make it evident that we should try to get back to the table and think of something that is workable or the cycle of violence and despair in that region is going to continue and grow not only for the people living in the region CARUSO-CABRERA: When you call for a ceasefire is that on condition first of the release of any remaining hostages CARUSO-CABRERA: Do you still believe in a two-state solution ARÉVALO: I do believe in the two-state—I don’t—I don’t see any other solution And we need to try to abide by those principles and find the solutions of our time CARUSO-CABRERA: Before you were president you were a diplomat But we need—what you need to have is real political will on the side of the international community to commit itself to a working process And sometimes that places—that generates questions internally for each of these countries but if we don’t tackle it seriously the level of suffering and the potential effect that that can have in the—in peace around the world is terrible CARUSO-CABRERA: So we’re headed toward the end of this section but let’s wrap it up with more about Guatemala in particular You’ve met with investors while you’re here and the next two days I’m going to be meeting different groups of investors CARUSO-CABRERA: What’s your elevator pitch What are you telling them about investing in Guatemala come and grow with us and invest in a country that is rescuing its democratic institutions that is investing in creating the conditions that you need for investment—rule of law that has one of the best macroeconomic indicators in the region and that has open relationship with the United States but it’s also the key to have access to markets not only in Guatemala CARUSO-CABRERA: Your macro environment is stable Your currency has been stable for a very long time which would be very attractive to investors I think the one concern they might have is when they look at which is what you ran on and why you got elected— CARUSO-CABRERA: How do you—how do you combat corruption And what’s going to be your measure of success the first measure of success is by ensuring that executive branch of power conducts business transparently We are the ones that sign the contracts to build roads we are seeing very positive movement on the side of the process of election of new judges that give us hope that actually what is going to—what we’re going to be witnessing in the next years is a process in which the courts are going to claim back justice as the corrupt actors are being left out of positions to join our conversation with their questions And I wanted to ask you about the attorney general Stephen Schlesinger is asking about the attorney general Q: I wanted to ask you—my name is Stephen Schlesinger I wanted to ask you about the attorney general I believe she has two more years in office Are you going to just wait until she retires Or are you trying to do other ways of—obviously And I have said that I’m going to make every legal effort that I—that I can to substitute her We have introduced a bill in Congress to promote an amendment to the law of the attorney general’s office that will enable us to do it And that’s—and there’s another possibility in terms of another action that goes through Congress And we have already introduced the bill in Congress and we are just discussing and negotiating we’re going to do whatever we can within what we can do legally We are not going to cease in our effort to try to get her out of office because we do believe firmly that she is a fundamental obstacle for actually the recuperation of justice and democracy in my country Q: Thank you very much. My name is Natalie Jaresko. I’m the former minister of finance of Ukraine and currently with EY-Parthenon. I wanted to thank you for being one of the very few Latin American leaders that have made an incredible effort to support Ukraine since the onslaught of the full-scale invasion May I ask you how you would recommend Ukraine and the allies to bring more Latin American leaders and countries to that understanding ARÉVALO: I don’t know if I’m in a position to recommend to you but I will say that the argument that for us it’s critical is what type of world do we have—do we want in the future Do we want a world—an international world ruled by law the invasion of Ukraine was a critical breach by a member of the Security Council of one of the fundamental principles of international law for a small country with big neighbors around the structure of an international system in which the laws guarantee some level of equality in the face of the law is a fundamental principle critical in terms of actually enabling us to come together and to identify ways to work And that is what the Russian invasion of Ukraine threatens that’s why our—if you argue that what you are discussing is not Euro-Asiatic politics but the principle of rule of law and what type of world do we have then you can have a different conversation CARUSO-CABRERA: Let’s go to a virtual question OPERATOR: We’ll take the next question from Clifford Krauss I had the pleasure of covering your country for several years for the Wall Street Journal and the New York Times and I wanted to ask you a question—a historical question was president of Guatemala at a tumultuous moment the revolution that he led came to an unfortunate end when his successor—after his successor took over And I’m wondering what you learned from your father—because I’m sure you remember a lot of that—what you learned from your father ARÉVALO: How many chapters we have for that question (Laughter.) Because it’s not a simple answer I would—I would answer to you that what I learned from my father is that the possibilities for action are provided by the context in which you are moving You have to really understand what are the conditions—internal and internationally—which are moving that would actually sustain your path toward the goals that you want to reach He was living at the moment—completely different moment internally and internationally and he came into power following a revolution He had 85 percent of Congress or 95 percent of Congress on his side And so our conditions are extremely different but we are going into a different—if we do not care what I’m learning is—what I learned is he—even if the revolution finally was toppled the foundations of the modern state of Guatemala were the ones that were set during his period and that was because he was reading exactly what needed to happen in terms to build solid foundations So I think that that capacity of understanding the contexts in which you are moving and knowing how can you set the foundations of change even if change needs to happen way after you have to leave office CARUSO-CABRERA: Question here in the front CARUSO-CABRERA: We’re going to bring you a mic and led the Committee to Protect Journalists Now I teach journalism at the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism here in New York City And I wanted to ask you about a friend of mine These are retaliatory charges against him in reprisal for his critical journalism we were hopeful that his case would be resolved So I wonder if you could update us on his situation and what you’re doing to try and resolve his case we have no control over the justice system in a republican—in our republican system the minister of interior went to visit José Rubén at his cell and discussed with him the change of the conditions in which he was being detained we improved them as much as we can legally because we also have to do it in the context of our legal system which he considered and he declined at the end And we continuously—we continuously visit him in order to inquire about his conditions and try to help and improve them as much as we can I have made publicly that I believe that José Rubén Zamora is a perfect example of the abuse of justice that you have He is the victim of this corrupt system that not only wanted to punish him for his very active journalism denouncing corruption but he wanted to make him a cautionary tale to all other journalists and activists that were trying to resist the corrupt regime we try to work with him on different areas But we do not have control over the courts the ones that are deciding whether he stays or not CARUSO-CABRERA: A question there in the back I am a guest here today and I’m not a journalist (Laughter.) I am probably best representing my nine-year-old daughter almost ten—ten-year-old daughter who is Afro-Chapina and her family (Continues in English.) And so I’m delighted to be here in your presence today Q: You talked earlier about poverty being among Guatemala’s fundamental problems/challenges and you also talked a little bit earlier about visiting with corporations with respect to investment I’d love to hear you talk a little bit more about what does development look like in terms of addressing the poverty and to what degree small-business development plays into that shifting the poverty paradigm the fight of—fighting poverty is a fundamental goal for our government how do you do it when you’re addressing a 500-year gap of exclusion So we believe that at the end of the day poverty is going to be resolved precisely by what you are saying In our—we have two key strategies for development One is addressing the poorest parts of the country So it’s arch where you have the concentration of poverty And when you look at that region and you contrast it with the map of infrastructure investment in the country you find out that it’s been completely abandoned and sidelined by investments So we made a decision to concentrate our investment in development infrastructure in that arch of the country We’re going to be investing in secondary roads and roads which are going to be connecting microrregiones productivas which is not just connecting the towns but actually connecting regions which are identified by their productive potential And then we’re going to be aggregating to this investment in health We’re going to be bringing agricultural support in the form of credits and in the form of technical assistance extensions program We want also to add that a layer of association so that we can bring people and generate conditions by which this population we can help to turn them into small agricultural producers and then connect—bring them into the economy and connect them to the value chains that can lead them to market And we are already—there’s already some interest on the side of the potential buyers of produce We believe that that is going to have a huge effect in the poorest regions of the country So that we are not going—and we are doing so because we believe that by bringing them into the economy based on what they can produce they’re going to have a huge effect and impact in all those regions we’re going to really start investing in strategic infrastructure—ports And we’re going to be doing this together with private investment are going to generate a cycle in the economy We believe that by the combined effort of this we’re going to have a real contribution to jobs and a fight against poverty And two other elements that we’re going to be having One fund for small and medium entrepreneurs but that are going to be given with really preferential interest rates really under what you can find today in the commercial banking—in the commercial banks And a fund which is going to be open to enterprises big and small to invest in—to make investments in technological conversion so that they can begin to bring more technology into producing process So we believe that by having a combination of interventions we’re going to generate ways to—mechanisms to improve the economy of the people in general OPERATOR: We’ll take our next question from Alberto Mora After the depart—after CICIG departed from Guatemala the attack on the rule of law seemed to deepen and accelerate in a—in a drastic way and journalists were driven into exile in the country that it’s—this effort against the rule of law seemed to have the support of many of the elite business leaders in the—in the country is Guatemala reintegrating these exiled leaders back into society what can you do to increase the level of support among the elite business leaders in the country towards your reform program to restore the rule of law and recover democracy in the country the problem is that the reason why we have this community in exile is because they are running they’re escaping the—they’re being crime analyzed by the justice system They’re being persecuted spuriously and falsely by the general attorney’s office and by the courts They do not come back into the country because they are concerned about the fact that if they come into the country they’re going to be thrown into jail immediately because of these spurious cases and accusations that is something we’re in constant contact with them But this is something that we cannot resolve What we are doing is we’re working with them to have programs that provide support to them while they are away in the United States ease the situation in which they are living at this point in time And the second one is that actually even before I came into office we started a series of dialogs with all actors in society during the transition Remember that we had a very long transition Between the second round and the inauguration we had rounds of conversations and dialog tables with many actors We actually brought together for the first time indigenous leaders and the private sector to discuss how to address—you know how to counter what they were trying to do in terms of turning the electoral results And we have continued with this round of contacts and conversations And we are working with the private sector around the goals that we have It doesn’t mean that everybody in the private sector—and I have no doubt that probably some individuals still consider us absolutely dangerous and will—might find a way to collaborate with the—with these corrupt elites they themselves participate in that probably we are working together with the private sector we have a group of businessmen that are coming for the meetings that we are having with the U.S And they are carrying on also to Washington in order to have meeting with other actors And that’s an expression of the collaboration that we’re having at this point I’m the founder of Alimenta La Soldiaridad which is one of the biggest humanitarian efforts in Venezuela So going back to the question of Venezuela I want to appreciate your strong voice for democracy in Venezuela But in order to put more pressure on Maduro to accept a negotiation there are two proposals that have been on the table that I want to get your reaction to The first one would be to—in the face of the evidence that Edmundo Gonzalez won just outright recognize Edmundo Gonzalez as the victor of the election And the second one would be to request an organization such as International IDEA for both sides to bring the evidence of the tallies that’s how they call—they act as the tallies for an independent international institution to make—to analyze which side is saying the truth So I would love to hear your reaction to those proposals ARÉVALO: What you’re saying is—the second proposal that you mentioned is exactly what we have been thinking of Anybody that actually is accepted by both sides and that is provided by the actual tallies and that are provided with conditions in which they can perform their work So that’s a mechanism that we believe could actually resolve the problem the point is that I’m not sure—I know that that’s a demand that is that is out there at this point in time but I’m not sure what it will be achieving in actually resolving the situation your second proposal actually finds a way in which both parties agree to abide by this counting and that actually accepting whatever is a result And that would be—get you out of the crisis And the other solution is just another step in it China has been making significant investments in your neighborhood after your election the business community in your country sought to significantly expand business relationships with China seemingly as a hedge against the increased effort from the United States to support the conclusion of your election I’m curious if you would be able to contextualize the opportunity for CHIPS Act funding and the kind of trilateral relationship between Taiwan and Guatemala with potential pressures that you are feeling domestically with respect to Guatemala’s position on the Taiwan and China relationships ARÉVALO: We are not feeling any domestic pressure on that regard CARUSO-CABRERA: You don’t have businesspeople saying and we should be doing as much as possible to do business with them ARÉVALO: There are some people that are saying we should not lose sight of that market So trade with the PRC has been there for already thirty years I’m Alexandra Starr with International Crisis Group I wanted to follow up on your comments on the private sector And he spoke about the importance he attaches to your administration succeeding And he spoke a little bit about what the United States has tried to do in terms of applying some pressure behind the scenes on actors who are—what’s the way to put it—making it very difficult for a lot of the reforms you’re talking about to go through So wondering if you could talk about whether that’s been effective and if there are broader things the United States and the EU can be doing to ensure that you’re able to realize at least some of your goals the United States and the EU have been using different measures to try to put pressure on a different range of actions that have gone from visa sanctions to other type of—you know the attorney general is now proscribed from—she is considered a corrupt actor in thirty-two countries around the world we believe that all of these measures do help and do—are part of a framework that is allowing people to think twice before they engage in certain activities and is providing an incentive for others to engage more constructively CARUSO-CABRERA: But you’re satisfied with the level I think someone in your position could say the U.S But you’re happy with the level of support that you’re getting I think that in general what we have is a very frank and open conversation with the United States and the European Union on what is going on and OPERATOR: We’ll take our next question from Donald Zilkha It’s—I know it because my wife is a Chapina So what I find disappointing is the lack of interest on the part of foreigners to build and run property and own properties in Guatemala Unlike Costa Rica and the Dominican Republic which have seen a huge building boom there and a lot of interest on that part given the fact that the aging population in the U.S But just those sort of links might create a much broader sort of flow of income I know that immigrant remittances are 15 to 20 percent but this would be different and probably more permanent ARÉVALO: I believe that the reason why people are not flocking with foreign investment into Guatemala is because up until now we have not had the right conditions to welcome those from economic conditions if it’s industrial investment in terms of infrastructure the security levels that you have and the issues of social development that are fundamental So we’re going to be working in solving those issues So I believe that—I hope that in the future the conditions will be there and people will actually begin to come because the country has really a lot to offer to foreign investors CARUSO-CABRERA: One last question here from the room a word I didn’t hear a lot was “tourism.” Myself my only experience in Guatemala is tourism And as you spoke about the region that’s in greatest need of development you focused on what they are poor in but not necessarily what they may be rich in which is sort of untouched landscapes and indigenous culture you know—it’s very easy talking about agriculture to think we’re going to bring down rainforests and plant something new which cuts counter to what might be appealing— CARUSO-CABRERA: Your question is about tourism are you also visiting with influencers and travel bloggers I think that long term there are two key industries for the development of the economy in Guatemala and we can begin to tap into it relatively easily and quick The other is something that I happen to believe—and I don’t know if everybody believes—which is biotechnology because we have one of the richest biomasses in the—in the world and we are not investing and researching and using it And I think that that requires mid- to long-term investment to see the yields happen And we actually are working to see it expand significantly without—in a way that does not affect because what we have is this untouched nature that we have been able to keep and that we believe is at this point one of our biggest strategic assets we don’t believe—we are not going to be cutting down woods and jungle in order to make room for agriculture There’s enough already open fields for this you know that we are the first country in Latin—I think that in the hemisphere that has already achieved the goal of having 30 percent of its land being declared reserved and we’re going to be investing into carbon markets The CFR staffers are going to open the door in a second We want to thank the president for being here Central America’s Turbulent Northern Triangle Freedom”: Protests Continue to Surge Across Iran A Tale of Two Elections: Trump Casts Shadow Over Australia and Singapore World Press Freedom Continues Decline at a Time of Upheaval When Marcelo Arévalo first began playing at Indian Wells as a singles player in 2015 he and his dad got tickets to watch the action inside a suite that looked down on Stadium Court inside the 16,100-seat stadium at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden They stayed late into the evening to watch the matches marveling at the atmosphere inside one of the largest tennis stadiums in the world but thought to himself how incredible it would be to one day play inside that stadium where many of the greats in tennis have played over the last 25 years but a dream to one day play on that Stadium Court Arévalo finally appeared on Stadium Court at the BNP Paribas Open playing doubles with Mate Pavić of Croatia over Australian Jordan Thompson and American Sebastian Korda when I was here with my dad," Arévalo said "it didn't even cross my mind to win the title on that court [More: Jack Draper shocks Carlos Alcaraz to reach first Masters 1000 final] [More: Rolger Rune tops Daniil Medvedev to reach BNP Paribas Open final] With the win Arévalo and Pavić will split $457,150. Thompson and Korda will split $242,020. The win was a sort of redemption for Pavić, who lost in the mixed doubles final Friday, playing with American Bethanie Mattek-Sands. He played in the men's doubles semifinals in the morning, and then later in the mixed doubles final. "That was actually a good, fun event that they put on," Pavić said. "It was some good matches and I have to say that the final was also a good match. Stadium 3 was pretty much full. We lost it, but it was close." Fans filled the lower bowl of the stadium, some waving the El Salvador flag in support. Arévalo said that he knows people who drove over from other parts of Southern California specifically for the match. Korda and Thompson saved 3-of-4 break points in the first set, but the one break is all Arévalo and Pavić needed. The pair didn't face a single break point in the set. In the second, Korda and Thompson had four break point opportunities, but couldn't convert any of them. Arévalo and Pavić had just two break point opportunities, and the one they converted was enough. Arévalo and Pavić, who are tied as the top-ranked men's doubles players in the world, ran through the men's doubles draw this week without dropping a set. They won all five matches without facing a seeded team the entire way. In doing so, Pavić joins just five other players who've completed the set of Masters 1000 finals. Only Bob and Mike Bryan, Max Mirnyi, Leander Paes and Rohan Bopanna had done it previously.  Korda and Thompson are now 9-2 in three tournaments as a doubles team. Last year, they won the Masters 1000 title in Madrid. If they weren't before, Arévalo and Pavić might be considered one of the best doubles teams in recent memory. They reached a Masters 1000 in Rome last year, and the ATP Finals. While they lost in those finals, they won four titles together, including Hong Kong, Geneva, a Masters 1000 in Cincinnati and a Grand Slam at Roland Garros. Now, they've also won Indian Wells together. Andrew John covers the BNP Paribas Open for The Desert Sun and the USA TODAY Network. Email him at andrew.john@desertsun.com. Marcelo Arevalo and Mate Pavic — the joint No 1s in doubles — ended the nine match winning streak of wild cards Christian Harrison and Evan King 6-3 6-4 before Sebastian Korda and Jordan Thompson topped Fernando Romboli and John Patrick Smith 3-6 they played so well and have been playing well all week,” Thompson “They took advantage of that and we just lifted our energy and managed to sneak it out Korda and the Aussie won the Madrid Masters last year while Brazil’s Romboli and Australia’s Smith were 36-year-old alternates ranked in the 80s who were playing together for the first time this year All three of their previous matches went to match tiebreaks including against Olympic silver medalists Austin Krajicek and Rajeev Ram of the US Krajicek and Ram led 7-3 in the match tiebreak When Romboli and Smith led the match tiebreak 3-0 in the semifinals But a miscue from Romboli — he didn’t play a Thompson return when he thought the ball was going long — made it 3-1 Romboli might have still been thinking about that on the next point Smith took over later by slamming serves and crushing a forehand return to give his side a 6-4 advantage Another fine return by Smith helped increase the lead to 8-6 couldn’t find too many first serves thereafter who lost the 1994 singles final to Pete Sampras in five sets — grabbed hold of the final two points The Floridian pummeled a forehand down the line and ended proceedings with an equally potent serve “I didn’t do anything to help out during the whole tiebreak ‘I have togive you something,’” said Korda Arevalo of El Salvador and Croatia’s Pavic are both Grand Slam winners but neither had ever played in the final in Indian Wells The pair faced off against singles players in their first three matches — coming off a quarterfinal victory over good friends Matteo Berrettini and Lorenzo Sonego King and Harrison entered the contest higher than them in the calendar year standings (inthird) Since losing their opener in Montpellier at the end of January The Americans even won two titles as qualifiers But Arevalo and Pavic never gave them much of a chance Arevalo and Pavic only lost four points on serve They broke early in the second and led 3-1 The lone real opportunity for King and Harrison came when they earned a first break point at 2-3 Harrison and King dropped serve again to trail 5-2 Asia Muhammad of the US and Demi Schuurs of the Netherlands meet Tereza Mihalikova of Slovakia and Olivia Nicholls of Great Britain It marks the first all unseeded women’s doubles final in Indian Wells since 2016 Download the official BNP Paribas Open Mobile App to manage your tickets and follow your favorite players Our goal: to leave no breach of freedom of information unreported our latest investigation reports as well as our publications produced every day by our regional offices in connection with our network of correspondents in 115 countries around the world we carry out in-depth work with governments and institutions We offer concrete solutions and launch international initiatives We are on the ground to assist journalists in danger Do you believe there can be no freedom of conscience without freedom of the press Do you want to help free and independent journalism Do you want to defend the right to information There are several ways to support RSF: find the one that suits you and join the fight Go behind the scenes of RSF and discover in detail our operations our governance… but also our favourite picks projects and events we support and who act in their own way to advance our commmon ideal Reporters Without Borders (RSF) presents its assessment of President Bernardo Arévalo’s first year in office Although his government has adopted a more open approach compared to previous administrations the continued criminalisation of journalists and lingering corruption within the judiciary perpetuate the hostile environment for independent media "We recognise the progress made by President Bernardo Arévalo's government in its first year especially in terms of fostering dialogue and respecting press freedom Yet these efforts are insufficient as long as the criminalisation and legal harassment of journalists persist The case of Jose Rubén Zamora serves as a constant reminder of the grave risks facing media workers in Guatemala The government must take stronger measures to dismantle the repressive apparatus inherited from previous administrations and guarantee a safe environment where independent journalism can flourish 14 January 2025 marked one year since President Bernardo Arévalo took office a period that began with high hopes after years of repressive policies Arévalo pledged to respect human rights and dismantle the authoritarian structures inherited from past administrations despite his notable advances — such as ending anti-press government rhetoric and opening the country to international assessments —key challenges remain particularly when it comes to ensuring fair judicial processes and effective protection for journalists with the participation of the Special Rapporteur for Freedom of Expression was authorised — the first such visit in Guatemala in eight years Arévalo honoured his promise to sign the Declaration of Chapultepec an international agreement outlining the key principles of safeguarding independent journalism and protecting journalists from censorship and persecution meaning Zamora has been spared being sent back to prison but will nonetheless remain under house arrest until the legal proceedings against him are completed.  The primary threats came from public officials and security forces These attacks have prompted journalists to self-censor and eroded the quality of information available to the public.  has been subject to two legal investigations and attempts by the National Police to access his personal information without justification.  Swiftly implement of the protection policy for human rights defenders giving special attention to journalists and media workers The government must ensure that journalists particularly those reporting on sensitive issues are provided with robust protective measures to carry out their work without fear of retaliation or violence Curb the abuse of the judicial system causing the criminalisation of  journalists through measures within the purview of the executive branch Cases like that of Jose Rubén Zamora highlight the urgent need to prevent the legal harassment of journalists and ensure the justice system is not weaponised to suppress press freedom Publicly promote journalistic work in the country through campaigns against discourse that stigmatises the media and policies that support journalism Public officials must recognise journalism’s essential role in democracy and actively work to counter rhetoric that discredits or endangers media workers Train and equip police forces to swiftly investigate crimes against journalists and media workers ensuring that perpetrators are brought to justice Strengthening law enforcement capacities to address crimes against the press is critical to combating impunity and guaranteeing accountability for attacks on journalists We depend on you in order to be able to monitor respect for press freedom and take action worldwide You support our activities when you buy our books of photos: all of the profits go to Reporters Without Borders joined our Lord in His heavenly kingdom on Friday after a valiant battle with cancer. Her devotion to family and her firm belief in God supported her in her struggle and ultimately gave her peace and professional peers. A graduate of United High School she then went on to receive her Bachelor’s degree from TAMIU with a degree in Elementary Ed/PE she dedicated her children to God and encouraged them to explore the beauty of the gospels and always had time to answer a question or solve a problem who celebrate the fact that she is at peace with her Creator. Melissa was the quintessential sports mom and creator of many magical moments for her family and especially her three children: Javi She devoted countless hours supporting her children with their education and their individual interests. Through her cancer journey she taught those around her what it looks like to live bravely and always with joy and a smile guiding light to her family and loved ones  She is preceded in death by her beloved husband & Lamar Ramirez; paternal grandparents  Left to cherish her memory are her children Lori Lamar (Oscar) Moreno; her niece and nephew The family will be receiving condolences on Thursday evening at Joe Jackson North Funeral Chapels & Cremation Services 1410 Jacaman Rd.; where a Vigil for the Deceased and Rosary will commence at 7 p.m Funeral Services will be conducted on Friday morning from Joe Jackson North Funeral Chapels to Christ the King Catholic Church for a Mass of Christian Burial at 9:30 a.m Rite of Committal and Interment will follow at the family plot of the Calvary Catholic Cemetery Jr. Honorary Pallbearers will be Javier The family would like to extend her heartfelt gratitude to her caretakers Socorro Puente and sign the guestbook online at: www.joejacksonfuneralchapels.com  Arrangements have been entrusted to the care and direction of the funeral service professionals at Joe Jackson North Funeral Chapels & Cremation Services I don’t often write articles — I draw them my job is to break down politics into digestible pieces using satirical and political commentary as my form of visual journalism I find myself sitting in front of my laptop grappling with a deep gnawing fear that I do not wish upon anyone Texas — 30 minutes away from the Hidalgo International Bridge — is the place I call home My whole life has always been surrounded by immigrants: my friends Our roots stretch across the Rio Grande to Reynosa I have long felt the weight of speaking out about the fear that permeates the small region I call home but few ever hear about the atrocities occurring in the Rio Grande Valley (or RGV) And even fewer still understand the violence dehumanization and constant surveillance that define daily life there I have experienced almost every form of racial profiling and dehumanization you can think of: I have been threatened by Border Patrol for wearing headphones while crossing the border I have had my citizenship status questioned while the Border Patrol officer examines my very legitimate Texas ID (which you cannot get without a US birth certificate) and I have had countless phone calls with my parents actively expressing their fear even when they themselves are legal because we all know just how easily an innocent question can turn into an indiscriminate roundup And we are not alone — every immigrant deemed a “national security threat” has a target on their back The asylum seekers in Plaza de la República know it too watching political decisions unfold that will have real consequences for my family Because I know I am not alone — there are others at Cornell who live this reality who carry this fear with them every day just like I do I see the backbone of America rotting from the inside out we are swarmed by red-pilled rhetoric and reactionarity fear that dampens civil discourse with a manufactured “Latino threat” narrative One that does not understand the nuances of the violence that immigrants face every day There is a reason why we leave and come to the United States We are fed the belief that America is a country of freedom far away from the corrupt countries we flee We are told that America is a land of opportunity we find ourselves facing the same exact violence Cornell’s commitment to protecting Latino students is formidable yet there’s a small part of me that feels it is performative and it's time the administration publicly reaffirms its support — not just in quiet emails You do not know what is happening at the border You have not witnessed what I have witnessed to reflect on what you know about the border It is beyond just a “national security threat” — it is my life and the lives of others that are on the line we were forced — a result of US foreign intervention in the places we once called home I should not be carrying red cards to give to people I know are at risk nor should I be writing this article to begin with and I should not be debating the integrity of my history or my basic human rights you will never understand why we are afraid Hannia Arevalo is the Graphics Editor on the Cornell Sun’s 143rd Editorial Board They are a sophomore in the College of Arts and Sciences studying Government and Near Eastern Studies they hope to provide satirical cartoons expressing their political perspectives The Cornell Daily Sun is interested in publishing a broad and diverse set of content from the Cornell and greater Ithaca community. We want to hear what you have to say about this topic or any of our pieces. Here are some guidelines on how to submit And here’s our email: opinion@cornellsun.com one country with arguably just as much at stake—Guatemala—has remained largely silent As the Trump administration undertakes what it touts as the largest deportation effort in recent U.S Guatemala’s President Bernardo Arévalo has been careful to avoid confrontation the Arévalo administration seems committed to discreet diplomacy and pragmatic engagement while it imported just $4.8 billion worth of goods Guatemala seized over twice the amount of drugs as it did in 2023 highlighting his commitment to fighting drug trafficking in Central America’s largest country and that there is ample room for collaboration The Arevalo government’s response to the prospect of mass deportations reflects its broader strategy. Instead of condemning the deportations, Arévalo has announced a plan to support deportees The administration is expanding consular services in the U.S establishing temporary shelters in Guatemala City and undertaking a skill-certification program to offer recognition for the trades and language skills they have practiced in the U.S The hope is that by conducting thorough interviews with deportees and logging their skills and experience they can be more efficiently incorporated into Guatemala’s economy in sectors from construction to tourism But Guatemala’s economy will still struggle to accommodate them an economics professor at Francisco Marroquin University in the nation’s capital The country creates only around 86,000 formal jobs a year compared to around 260,000 young people who enter the workforce and “that’s one of the main reasons people migrate to the U.S His administration will watch closely whether Rubio meets with Porras or other PM representatives as well as for Porras’ Public Ministry after it seized ballot boxes and criticized the Biden administration’s pressure who was a contender for the Secretary of State is now an envoy for “special missions” in the second Trump administration who had painted CICIG as left-wing and curried favor with Trump by moving the Guatemalan embassy in Israel to Jerusalem in 2018 he’s optimistic that there are other ways to cooperate The CICIG’s ouster was a major setback for transparency in the country long beset by endemic corruption As Arévalo’s left-leaning administration attempts to rebuild the rule of law he is eager to avoid antagonizing the Trump administration Guatemala will likely maintain a posture of broad acquiescence in search of a quiet coexistence with Washington Reading Time: 4 minutesMéndez Arriaza is the editorial director of ConCriterio She has been an investigative reporter in Guatemala for 26 years Goose drummer Jeff Arevalo addressed his firing from the jam band Goose expressing his displeasure with the situation after his former bandmates shared the news of his exit Jeff Arevalo is marching to the beat of his own drum The Goose drummer issued a statement on social media saying he took a “mental health break” from the band to seek treatment amid a “personal crisis” in January but the temporary absence later became a permanent exit from the group—seemingly without his input “Upon leaving the program, rather than hearing from my former bandmates, I had received an email from the band's lawyer stating that I was being let go for ‘reported behavior and actions,’” Arevalo explained in an Instagram post March 24 “I have had plenty of time to reflect upon my actions and values and I agree that we should go our separate ways.” While Arevalo—who joined the jam band in 2020—added that he was “extremely grateful” for the opportunities he was afforded during his tenure he also expressed displeasure with the situation “I do not feel that I was rightly respected or properly utilized in my time with the organization,” he went on I had to forgo severance because I refused to sign an NDA.” “I have chosen to retain my dignity and my truth.” Rick Mitarotonda and Trevor Weekz issued a statement of their own cryptically addressing Arevalo’s departure “We have been made aware of behavior in Jeff's personal life that does not align with the band's core values,” they said in a statement shared on Instagram March 23 Jeff will no longer be a part of the Goose organization.” While the band described the matter as “incredibly unfortunate” and “unexpected,” they determined that ousting Arevalo was a necessary move “It is clear that this is the only way forward as we remain committed to upholding the values that define our community,” they went on “particularly when it comes to respecting others and creating a safe environment.” the quartet said they felt more united than ever the four of us forged a deeper connection on and off stage,” they concluded “We're feeling inspired to continue growing as a unit as we move into this next chapter and are deeply grateful for everyone with us on this journey.” Keep reading for more memorable celebrity feuds Bobby (pictured second from left) addressed rumors of a falling out with Tan (middle) in January 2024 two months after he announced his exit from Queer Eye after eight seasons "I want people to know that Tan and I—we will be fine," he told Vanity Fair It was something personal that had been brewing—and nothing romantic In March 2024, Tan responded to allegations that he had campaigned to replace Bobby on Queer Eye with his friend Jeremiah Brent "Netflix and the production companies did a full-on casting I didn't put my friend up for the job They ended up getting it because they were the best person for the job," he said on Instagram "But I didn't get them hired by getting rid of somebody else." Following years of rumors of a feud between the two on a December 2023 episode of her podcast Let's Be Clear Shannen's former Charmed costar Holly Marie Combs alleged that Alyssa had once made an ultimatum to a show producer to choose between herself and Shannen which ultimately led to the latter leaving the show in 2001 "I did not have the power to get anyone fired" and that "this was so long ago that any retelling of these stories from anyone is just revisionist history." A day later, Shannen said at a panel event at MegaCon Orlando "There is no revisionist history happening in the truth that I know we told." Shannen passed away in July 2024 after a yearslong battle with cancer while playing a game called Stir the Pot with her daughter Kelly Osbourne on E Sharon said the That '70s Show alum was the rudest celebrity she had ever met rude little boy" and a "dastardly little thing." He did not respond to her remarks publicly Five years prior, Sharon told Larry King that when Ashton appeared on The Talk in 2014 he had an "attitude" after she got his name wrong what have you done in this industry?'" she recalled because I'm gonna eat you up and s--t you out.' So I was just like 'You don't know what you're dealing with In August 2022, Cassadee and Maren traded harsh words with Brittany after she shared an Instagram Reel of herself applying makeup on Aug "I'd really like to thank my parents for not changing my gender when I went through my tomboy phase JoJo Siwa described Candace Cameron Bure as the "rudest" celebrity later explaining that she felt snubbed when Bure once refused to take a picture with her on a red carpet the Full House alum apologized: "I kind of broke your 11-year-old heart Candace was asked if she expects the Great American Family network of which she serves as chief creative officer to feature same-sex couples as leads in holiday movies "I think that Great American Family will keep traditional marriage at the core." who came out as a member of the LGBTQ+ community in 2021 wrote on Instagram that the actress' comment is "rude and hurtful to a whole community of people." Back in June 2021, Courtney Love accused Olivia Rodrigo of copying her band Hole's album cover for a promotional photo without giving credit "Love u and live through this sooooo much." Courtney then replied I look forward to reading your note [winking face emoji]." During an appearance Watch What Happens Live the Happy Days actor was asked why he didn't get along with the Forrest Gump star on the set of the 1989 flick Turner & Hooch "I was directing that movie for 13 days and then I was called into [producer] Jeff Katzenberg's office and he said seem to get along with Hanks' four-legged co-star He also refused to admit if he's even seen the flick Fans of The Hills will remember that iconic line delivered by Lauren on the season three premiere Their feud began when Heidi started dating her now-husband Spencer Pratt and hit its peak when Lauren accused Heidi and Spencer of starting a rumor that she had made a sex tape with Jason Wahler Tyrese then opened up about the feud, telling Van Lathan on The Red Pill podcast "I have yet to talk to The Rock to this day and we will have a conversation." He shared that he did have a conversation with the former wrestler's producing partner "I found myself being the messenger on behalf of various people associated to the franchise but stupid me was the only one who went public about those feelings Taylor and Katy had been in a feud for years, even allegedly inspiring Taylor's song "Bad Blood." The drama, which reportedly started over a backup dancer and competing tours, came to an end after Perry sent Taylor a literal olive branch before her Reputation Tour kickoff "So I just got to my dressing room and found this actual olive branch," Taylor said in an Instagram video Sex and the City costars Kim and SJP had dodged feud rumors for years. But they were reignited after Kim decided not to return for a third movie and made comments about her costar that raised eyebrows "What was your reaction to Kim Cattrall telling Piers Morgan that you were never friends just colleagues?" Andy Cohen asked SJP on a Sept you and I spoke about it because I was just...I don't know I found it really upsetting because that's that's not the way I recall our experience." "So...it's sad but I'm kind of...I don't know I always think that what ties us together is this singular experience is the thing It was a professional experience but it became personal because it was years and years of our lives So I'm hoping that that sort of eclipses anything that's been recently spoken," she continued "That many years spent doing something so special that people had a connection with is such a privileged." And though they didn't film scenes together Kim did make a small appearance on And Just Like That The iconic singers have been feuding since 2004. While accepting the Classic Songwriter Award at the Q Awards that year, Elton said to attendees but I think everyone who lip-syncs in public on stage The former Grey's Anatomy star sparked a feud with the series creator in 2008 when she removed her name from the Emmy Awards consideration The actress stated that her reason for the move was because she wasn't "given the material to warrant a nomination." Shonda later opened up about Katherine's decision during an interview with Oprah Winfrey on Oprah's Next Chapter in 2012 "On some level it stung and on some level I was not surprised," she said It was the New York Fashion Week fight heard 'round the world when Nicki and Cardi got into a heated altercation at the Harper's Bazaar Icon party Cardi opened up about the catalyst for the fight with Nicki "For a while now she's been taking a lot of shots at me," Cardi said in W magazine's Art Issue The real spark of the fight came when Cardi saw that Nicki had allegedly liked and then unliked a tweet about Cardi's parenting skills "I was going to make millions off my Bruno Mars tour and I sacrificed that to stay with my daughter," Cardi continued So for somebody that don't have a child to like that comment So many people want to say that party wasn't the time or the place but I'm not going to catch another artist in the grocery store or down the block." Kanye updated his Instagram to follow only Taylor and the fellow musician did not respond publicly to the move It's been over 15 years since Mariah and J.Lo's "feud" has been going on It all started when the Queen of Christmas was asked to give her opinion on several singers during an interview Guatemala’s president said Wednesday after meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio that his country will accept migrants from other countries being deported from the United States Watch Rubio and Arévalo’s news briefing in the player above Under the “safe third country” agreement announced by President Bernardo Arevalo the deportees would then be returned to their home countries at U.S has been the major focus of Rubio’s first foreign trip as America’s top diplomat In El Salvador, he announced a similar but broader agreement which included an offer to accept American citizens jailed in the U.S © 1996 - 2025 NewsHour Productions LLC PBS is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization Subscribe to Here's the Deal with Lisa Desjardins Rock band Goose is saying goodbye to one of its members In a post to Instagram Sunday, the group released a joint statement hinting at a troubled split with drummer Jeff Arevalo "We have been made aware of behavior in Jeff's personal life that does not align with the band's core values," the statement reads Jeff will no longer be a part of the Goose organization." Once a five-man collective fusing psychedelic and funk sounds and we did not anticipate having to make another painful change to the band," the statement continued Arevalo first stepped back from his role in the band at the start of the year releasing a statement in February that implied a more temporary hiatus for his own "well-being." "It is clear that this is the only way forward as we remain committed to upholding the values that define our community," Goose's joint statement said "particularly when it comes to respecting others and creating a safe environment." Goose has been home to a rotating cast of characters the band is currently comprised of Rick Mitarotonda Only Weekz and Mitarotonda are founding members The details around Arevalo's alleged behavior remain unclear serving as the group's post-pandemic percussion as they played various festivals and stadium shows which is headed out on tour again in April traveled the country in 2024 for a spate of live shows "This past tour was an unexpected challenge to navigate the four of us forged a deeper connection on and off stage," the statement said "We're feeling inspired to continue growing as a unit as we move into this next chapter and are deeply grateful for everyone with us on this journey." the group announced its fourth studio album "Everything Must Go," which is expected to drop in April It is unclear whether Arevalo will play on the whole project but he is credited on the first two singles: "Give It Time" and "Lead Up." She was the daughter of Thomas Arevalo and Tandi (Sullivan) Reiff She found her passion for Volleyball in 3rd grade travel and school volleyball though the years She was looking forward to an amazing senior year who loved thunderstorms and literally dancing in the rain beanz and spending time at the family farm She also enjoyed spending time with her dad shopping at Menards and attending soccer games in Kansas City She expressed that side of her through painting A highlight of her life was spending time in her Grandma’s flower shop arranging flowers and going with her to Denver to see her Aunt She loved all things fashion and shopping for fun outfits Aleah had a knack for decorating her room with colorful rugs she loved to go camping and fishing with her dog Mr When she was younger a highlight of her summer was attending Camp Tomah Shinga where she could witness the beauty of God’s grace and every sunset sleeping under the stars and meeting new friends Aleah had planned to go to cosmetology school at Bellus Academy in Manhattan She looked forward to getting her own place and decorating and she absolutely loved Christmas and being with her family Her loving family includes her mother Tandi and Jeremy Reiff of Abilene and Maddy Reiff of Abilene; maternal grandparents Vikki (Larry Rowe) Sullivan of Herington and Micheal (Joan) Sullivan of Herington and Joan Reiff of Abilene; paternal grandparents Thomas and Antonia Arevalo of Hudson uncle Steve (Rosalie) Arevalo of Brooksville and aunt Kara (Mitchell) Cromwell of Abilene; cousins Joey Aleah passed away of natural causes at home on Saturday August 31 She is preceded in death by a sister Alexis Arevalo and great grandparents Virgil and Laurene Schlesener Her family will gather with friends on Saturday September 7 Paul Lutheran Church in Herington where her funeral service will be held at 3:30 p.m She will be laid to rest in Shadybrook Cemetery at a later date Memorial contributions in her name may be directed to St Paul Lutheran Church for Camp Tomah Shinga so other campers may experience what Aleah enjoyed Please sign her online guestbook and leave a memory of Aleah at www.yazelmeglifh.com “We have been made aware of behavior in Jeff’s personal life that does not align with the band’s core values,” Goose’s coauthored statement reveals Jeff will no longer be a part of the Goose organization and we did not anticipate having to make another painful change to the band it is clear that this is the only way forward as we remain committed to upholding the values that define our community particularly when it comes to respecting others and creating a safe environment “This past tour was an unexpected challenge to navigate the four of us forged a deeper connection on and off stage We’re feeling inspired to continue growing as a unit as we move into this next chapter News of Arevalo’s permanent exit from Goose comes nearly two months after the artist originally announced that he would not be participating in the band’s Spring Tour “to focus on my mental health and personal issues.” Then the artist expressed that his absence from the band’s first live shows of 2025 was his choice writing,  “As much as I love making music and being on stage I’ve come to realize that in order to continue giving my best to loved ones Trevor Weekz and Cotter Ellis issued their own collective statement in February: “Everyone’s well-being is the most important thing right now We are grateful for the community’s understanding as Jeff takes time for himself We appreciate the support and ask that you respect his privacy.” and stay tuned for updates on the band’s future Watch: Phish Become ‘Seinfeld’ Cast in New ‘Everybody’s Live with John Mulaney’ Sketch Billy Strings Performs for Kids at Michigan’s Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital Widespread Panic & Aquarium Rescue Unit Revisit the Touring Festival Listen: Bruce Springsteen Previews Unreleased Film Soundtrack ‘Faithless,’ from ‘Tracks II: The Lost Albums’ Daze Between New Orleans Day Two: Odes to The Allman Brothers Band Listen: Van Morrison Shares “Cutting Corners,” Second Preview Single from ‘Remembering Now’ Listen: Warren Haynes Unveils Four ‘Million Voices Whisper’ Bonus Tracks Lopez Arevalo successfully defended her event title from a year ago after totaling a season-high 367.45 points easily outdistancing second-place finisher Bailey Heydra of Nevada (334.90) Bergdahl and Smithbaker collected a pair of bronze medals in the finals of the 200 individual medley and 50 freestyle Bergdahl recorded a career-fast swim of 1:59.40 climbing into fifth place on the program’s all-time charts with her performance while Smithbaker logged a sprint of 22.34 in her event to surpass an NCAA “B” cut standard After recording a season-best 22.73 in the preliminaries, Alli Mann placed eighth in the finals of the 50 free after clocking in at 22.80 In consolation action, Grace Mering contributed to the Aztecs’ point-total with a victory in the “B” finals of the 200 IM, completing a collegiate-fast swim of 2:00.83 to finish ninth in the field, while Mai McKenna (2:02.54) was slotted eighth in the round and 16th overall the Aztecs maintained their hold on first place Thursday with 456 points followed by Wyoming (386 pts) and Fresno State (364 pts) The Mountain West Championships continue on Friday with the 400 individual medley along with the 100 backstroke and 200 freestyle relay Preliminaries are scheduled to begin at 10:30 a.m Links to streaming video and live results can be found on GoAztecs.com TexasTeam standings after eight events (Day two) President Bernardo Arévalo spoke at the Council on Foreign Relations on Monday about anti-corruption efforts in Guatemala and the country’s foreign policy under his administration Below are highlights from his conversation with Michelle Caruso-Cabrera These selections have been lightly edited for clarity. You can view the full transcript here. This meeting is part of the Diamonstein-Spielvogel Meeting Series on Democracy.  On migration: “Levels of poverty in our country are pushing people out of their villages and making them look for work in different places we are very strongly working to dismantle human trafficking networks that are also causing a lot of misery and pain to these populations as they try to move into the United States A summary of global news developments with CFR analysis delivered to your inbox each morning. Weekdays examining the debates and efforts to improve health worldwide. Weekly But it’s a short-term solution … a problem that will not cease to exist until you actually People are going away not because they want to come to the United States and break from their families and uproot themselves from their communities This is happening in communities which are very tightly knit.”  On crime:“We have captured in these eight months five times more crooks than the government—previous government did in the last year between capturing cocaine in the ports to uprooting cocaine plantations and marijuana plantations very clear policy designed to gain control over the jails because the prison system was completely lost in the hands of the criminals So we are tackling it from different angles.” On Venezuela:“We rejected the results announced by the National Electoral Council of Venezuela and that we demand some sort of recount […] of the ballot stations.  and that then you can use that and count that; or to have new elections organized What needs to happen I think that the international community needs to support Venezuelan actors to try to find a way to either recount or go back to the ballots to have a solution.” On Taiwan: “We made a decision that we’re going to sustain our diplomatic relations with Taiwan And we made it very clear from the very beginning that that was going to be the situation […] So we made it very clear and we have kept our word We are discussing both with Taiwan and with the United States the possibility that Guatemala gains access to CHIPS Act fund considering the fact that we have an open and privileged relationship with the United States So why not triangulate this relationship and explore the possibility of making high-tech investments in Guatemala with a view to export to the United States market?” On Ukraine: “The argument that for us it’s critical is what type of world do we want in the future Do we want an international world ruled by law the structure of an international system in which the laws guarantee some level of equality in the face of the law is a fundamental principle And that is what the Russian invasion of Ukraine threatens.” On José Rubén Zamora:“The next morning after my inauguration He is the victim of this corrupt system that not only wanted to punish him for his very active journalism denouncing corruption the ones that are deciding whether he stays or not.”