This archive report was first published on 22 May 2020.
On May 21, 2020, Guatemala's President Alejandro Giammattei spoke out against the US deportation of migrants infected with coronavirus, citing the strain it has put on the country's health system.
According to Giammattei, among Guatemala's 2,000 coronavirus cases, 100 were migrants deported from the US. He expressed frustration that the US sends contaminated flights to Guatemala, saying, "We understand that the United States wants to deport people, we understand that, but what we don't understand is that they send us contaminated flights."
"Guatemala is an ally to the United States, the United States is not an ally to Guatemala," he told the Atlantic Council, a Washington-based international affairs think tank.
Giammattei also criticized the US for not providing medical supplies to Guatemala, saying, "We see how the United States has helped other countries, including with ventilators, we've not even had a cob of corn," he complained.
However, the US embassy in Guatemala responded to Giammattei's comments by listing the ways it is helping the country, including a commitment of $2.4 million for clinical care, public health screenings, and medical supplies. The embassy did not address Giammattei's criticism about the infected deportees.
