Guatemala rejects reports of US strikes against drug smugglers on its territory. At the same time, he acknowledges the request for help from Washington in the fight against the cartels.
Guatemala on Thursday denied reports that it had agreed to cooperate with the United States in strikes against drug traffickers on its territory. At the same time, she admitted that Washington had asked for help in the fight against drug cartels. TASR writes about it according to the AFP agency.
- Guatemala denied agreement on US attacks on smugglers.
- The presence of US troops requires authorization from Congress.
- However, she asked the US for help against drug cartels.
- Cooperation should include equipment, training and experts.
The New York Times (NYT) reported that Guatemalan President Bernardo Arevalo agreed on cooperation with US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth during a phone call last week. The Guatemalan government said Thursday that “there is no agreement that authorizes any country to conduct foreign military operations on Guatemalan territory.”
Arevalo said that while the country has asked Washington for cooperation in the fight against drug gangs, this does not include the presence of US troops in Guatemala and would require authorization from Congress. According to the Guatemalan president, the partnership will “include access to equipment, training and experts to support the planning of operations at both the strategic and tactical levels.”
He described the operations as combined
According to a May 23 document released by the Guatemalan government, Defense Minister Henry Sáenz told Hegseth that Guatemala “wants to conduct active military operations in cooperation with the United States to combat organizations designated by the United States as terrorists.” In the letter, Sáenz referred to the action as “combined operations led by Guatemala.”
International drug cartels operate on the territory of Guatemala, which in addition to smuggling them and launders money from their sale, which contributes to the increase in violence in the region.
The US military has been attacking vessels in the Caribbean and the eastern Pacific Ocean since last September. According to his own statement, he is targeting “narco-terrorists” who operate in Latin America. So far, however, it has not provided clear evidence that these ships are involved in drug smuggling. According to US authorities, 90 percent of the cocaine that reaches the United States passes through Central America and Mexico.
