Guatemala has refused to accept the US crackdown on drug traffickers War Stories

The government of President Bernardo Arevalo said it had asked for a security agreement but did not accept the US invasion.

Guatemala’s government has denied reports that it will agree to a US crackdown on drug traffickers in the Central American country, while insisting it wants a security partnership with Washington.

“There is no agreement to allow foreign troops to go to war with any country in the country’s territory,” the President’s government Bernardo Arevalo he said in a statement on Thursday.

The denial appears to be in line with a New York Times report published earlier that day that cited two anonymous sources that Arevalo supported the US war in his country.

The Guatemalan statement was accompanied by a letter from the country’s defense minister, Henry Saenz, to his US counterpart, Pete Hegseth, dated May 28.

The document says that Guatemala “wants to lead, with the support of the US, effective military operations” against drug gangs known as “terrorist organizations” (DTOs) by Washington.

“In accordance with existing agreements and arrangements, Guatemala-led joint projects like this one can advance the interests of both countries to overcome DTOs and improve regional and territorial security,” Saenz said.

But the Guatemalan government stressed that the call for help from Washington was not a call for the US to invade the country.

“This request joins the existing agreements on this matter and strictly follows the provisions of the Constitution and the laws regarding mutual agreements in the field of civil or military security,” it said.

Under President Donald Trump, the US has shown a willingness to use force in Latin America.

Since last year, the US has been doing it a plane crash In the fight against suspected drug boats in the Caribbean and Pacific Ocean, killing at least 194 people, in a campaign that activists said was an extrajudicial killing.

In January, the US also impeached the President of Venezuela Nicolas Madurowho accused them of drug trafficking.

Maduro was replaced by his vice president, Delcy Rodriguezwho improved relations with Washington and allowed foreign countries to participate in the country’s oil sector. The US continues to control Venezuelan oil.

Many countries in Central and South America are struggling to stop the violence of drug trafficking gangs.

In January, Arevalo of Guatemala announced that a emergency situation after suspected terrorists killed at least 10 police officers.

But Latin American leaders have been wary of accepting US military intervention in their countries, while calling for strategic and security cooperation.

Arevalo was elected in 2023 as an anti-corruption campaign.