Political Quotes

“the inauguration of Bernardo Arevalo as President of Guatemala shortly after midnight on January 15 was a triumph for the people of Guatemala. Despite corrupt forces in the outgoing government, the Congress, and the Office of the Attorney General--who abused their authority in a flagrant attempt to subvert the result of a free and fair election that President Arevalo won overwhelmingly--in the end, Guatemala's democracy was preserved. I want to congratulate the Guatemalan people for their courage and perseverance, especially the indigenous Mayan population who have suffered deprivation and indignity under successive governments whose officials cared far more about enriching themselves than improving the lives of the country's most vulnerable. It is long past time for Guatemala's indigenous leaders to have a central role in the national government. I also want to commend the Biden administration, in particular U.S. Agency for International Development Administrator Samantha Power, Assistant Secretary of State Brian Nichols, Charge d'Affaires Patrick Ventrell, and the other U.S. Embassy staff, who in the months leading up to the election and late into the chaotic night of January 14 until Arevalo was finally sworn in, used a combination of diplomacy, sanctions, and advocacy to support a peaceful democratic transition of power.…”