The Diplomat
His Majesty the King yesterday held a meeting with the elected president of Guatemala, Bernardo Arévalo, shortly after arriving in the Guatemalan capital, where today he will attend the inauguration of the new president of the Central American country.
Arévalo himself announced the celebration of the meeting through a message on social networks, pointing out that Vice President Karim Herrera was also present at the meeting, with whom he said that he was preparing to assume “the leadership of a government that will allow Guatemala advances.
The interview took place, apparently in a central Guatemalan hotel, and according to sources close to Arévalo, both parties expressed their commitment to strengthening and strengthening the ties of cooperation and friendship that have historically united the nations.
On his trip to Guatemala, a country where he is visiting for the first time as King of Spain, Don Felipe was accompanied by the new Secretary of State for Latin America, Susana Sumelzo, although the Minister of Foreign Affairs, José Manuel Albares is scheduled to arrive in Guatemala this morning, because yesterday participated in the day to which the President of the Government, Pedro Sánchez, invited his ministers to the Quintos de Mora farm (Toledo).
The King, who was received upon his arrival in Guatemala by the current Minister of Foreign Affairs of Guatemala, Mario Búcaro, also went to the Presidential Palace, where he met with the outgoing president, Alejandro Giammattei.
For today, in addition to attending the inauguration of Bernardo Arévalo, which will be attended by more than a dozen Ibero-American heads of state, Don Felipe has scheduled a reception for a representation of the Spanish community in Guatemala.
The monarch himself referred to this trip in his speech to close the Conference of Ambassadors last Thursday, stressing that this would be his first trip to attend the investiture of new presidents in Ibero-America given that there are several “electoral processes underway” this year. and highlighting the importance of this “democratic support” on the part of Spain.
Albares also referred to the trip and took the opportunity to reiterate the Government’s support for the “electoral process” in which Arévalo was elected “in the face of attempts to pervert the democratic result.” “Spain has shown, once again, leadership and determined support for the legitimacy emanating from the will of the citizens,” he said.
Last December, the Spanish Government rejected the actions of the Public Ministry of Guatemala against Arévalo, leader of the Semilla Movement, considering that they “attack democracy” and represent “a serious violation of the will of the Guatemalan people freely expressed at the polls.” “, and demanded that “all Guatemalan institutions respect the results of the polls and guarantee the peaceful transfer of power.”
Precisely, yesterday, the Constitutional Court of Guatemala accepted an appeal for protection presented by Arévalo to avoid legal actions that violate his right to pre-trial before taking office.
