This article is adapted from AQ’s special report on Guatemala
This could be a new day for Guatemala. With a serious pledge for change, President Bernardo Arévalo stands out for his commitment to democracy, transparency and rule of law. It is marvelous to see a president committed to eliminating corruption.
Just as important, President Arévalo has declared security a key objective for his government. Guatemala has already reduced its homicide rate by nearly half over the last decade. But this government knows further progress is necessary in order to succeed in its broader development agenda.
President Arévalo is working to modernize Guatemala with investments in badly needed infrastructure and connectivity. And he understands the important role of the private sector and public-private partnerships to accomplish these goals.
Finally, as in many other countries today, he is looking to reduce bureaucracy and make it easier for investment to flow—creating jobs and providing opportunity throughout the country.
Guatemala is the largest country in Central America, and therefore critical to the success of the entire region. At a time when many democracies around the world are showing signs of fragility, Guatemala is an important case. President Arévalo has appealed to various sectors in society, including the business community, in order to advance on an agenda that can reduce poverty and provide prosperity for all.
More integration with Mexico and its other neighbors would unlock further economic growth and prosperity, developing alternatives to crime and violence and creating space for the creation of small business. The vision for Mexico and Guatemala can best be expressed in the meeting of their foreign ministers last February. They reconfirmed the commitment of their presidents to transform the shared border into an area of shared prosperity.
All of this is not without risk. There are many challenges along the road to transformation for Guatemala. But this may be one of the best chances the country has had in generations for a brighter future.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Susan Segal
Reading Time: 2 minutesSegal is President and CEO of Americas Society and Council of the Americas.
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