
Guatemalan president says no timeline on receiving third-country nationals after Rubio meeting
Arevalo met with Secretary of State Marco Rubio this week as Rubio visited five countries across Latin America for his first trip since taking office. In a press conference in Guatemala City on Wednesday, the pair announced that Guatemala had not only offered to ramp up deportation flights from the U.S. by 40% but also agreed to receive third-country nationals as they make their way back to their home countries.
'It's very important for us in terms of the migratory situation that we're facing,' Rubio said of the agreement.
Arevalo told NBC News that the U.S. had also agreed to aid Guatemala's effort to repatriate third-country nationals who land in Guatemala. But the Guatemalan president added that he did not expect 'big numbers of people' from other countries and noted that countries like Panama have also agreed to take third-country nationals.
'In our case, there was no discussion of specific amounts of nationalities, because it is not expected to be about that,' Arevalo said. 'The repatriation process is expected to be about Guatemalans and other Central Americans, and there might be other nationalities, in which case we're going to be apply[ing] the rules that we are developing.'
A delegation of Guatemalan officials is slated to visit Washington in the next few weeks to discuss details of the agreement, he said. Arevalo insisted that the new agreement was not the same as the 'Safe Third Country' agreement, a measure agreed to by the Trump administration and Guatemalan officials in 2019 that allowed third-country nationals to be deported to Guatemala and to apply for asylum there.
The agreement appears to be a win for the Trump administration, which has promised the largest mass deportation effort in U.S. history and has ramped up immigration arrests around the country. In Guatemala, Rubio also announced a carveout from the Trump administration's vast cuts to foreign aid programs that will allow U.S. aid to continue to help Guatemala combat drug trafficking.
'This is an example of foreign aid that's in our national interest. That's why I've issued a waiver for these programs,' Rubio told reporters on Wednesday.
Arevalo argued that the current agreement is not transactional.
'Our interest is fundamentally in the reception of all the Guatemalans that are returned to the country,' Arevalo said. 'There will undoubtedly be Central Americans that we will also support in their journey to return to their countries, but it's not a situation where we have charged something in exchange for that.'
Guatemala has received more than 1,400 immigrants from the U.S. since Trump started his second term in office roughly three weeks ago. For many immigrants, the sudden deportation back to Guatemala came as a shock, given that they had not been back to the country in several years.
Andres Sanchez Gomez told NBC News that he had landed in Guatemala on Thursday after he was arrested more than 10 days ago on his way to work in Miami.
'As Hispanics, we don't deserve this,' he said, adding he'd been in the U.S. for more than eight years. 'Because, honestly, we come to move forward with life, we don't come to do things we shouldn't be doing there.'
Arevalo said he sees potential challenges with the repatriation of people like Gomez compared to immigrants who had only recently left Guatemala.
'We are aware that we are going to be receiving now families, people that have been living 10, 15 years in the United States,' Arevalo said, 'and that their return might not be as, let's say, smooth.'
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


The Independent
14 minutes ago
- The Independent
US to leave UN agency again, citing anti-Israel bias
The United States is set to withdraw from UNESCO again, citing the agency's perceived anti-Israel bias. This marks the second instance of the US leaving UNESCO during a Trump administration, following a previous withdrawal and subsequent rejoining under the Biden administration. The decision to pull out will become effective at the end of December 2026. The move is a setback for the Paris-based agency, established after the Second World War to foster peace through international cooperation in education, science, and culture. The US had previously withdrawn from UNESCO in 1984 over alleged financial mismanagement and anti-American bias, rejoining in 2003.

Reuters
15 minutes ago
- Reuters
Live: Trump and Philippines' Marcos to discuss tariffs and defense ties at the White House
10:07 EDT Production: Kristin Neubauer U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth welcomed Marcos to the Pentagon on Monday where both praised the nations' decades-old security alliance. "Our storied alliance has never been stronger or more essential than it is today. And together we remain committed to the mutual defense treaty,' said Hegseth. Marcos said Hegseth's visit to Manila in March was 'an important symbol and sent a very clear message' about their continuing partnership. What time is Trump meeting Marcos? 9 minutes ago 10:00 EDT Rajaa Bint Talal Marcos is due to arrive at the White House at 11:00 a.m. EST (1500 GMT). After being greeted by Trump, the two leaders will hold a meeting in the Oval Office at around 11:15 a.m. They are then due to have lunch in the Cabinet Room at around 11:45 a.m. Who is Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr? 9 minutes ago 10:00 EDT Karen Lema Ferdinand Marcos Jr., the son of the late authoritarian leader whose rule defined the Philippines' recent history, was elected president in May 2022. It was the first win by a majority since the 1986 'People Power' revolution that toppled his late father's two-decade rule that included nine years of martial law. His election signaled a once-unthinkable return to rule of the Marcos family. Popularly known as "Bongbong", Marcos has said he will be a unifying leader. The family fled amid the popular revolt into exile in Hawaii, where the elder Marcos died. After their 1990s return, the younger Marcos was elected governor and congressman of Ilocos Norte, his father's political stronghold, and in 2010, a senator. He is married to lawyer Louise Araneta-Marcos and has three sons, one an incumbent congressman. He will be the first Southeast Asian leader to meet Trump in his second term. Philippines' Marcos to meet Trump with trade in focus 10 minutes ago 10:00 EDT David Brunnstrom and Karen Lema Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. will meet U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House on Tuesday. Marcos is hoping Manila's status as a key Asian ally will secure a more favorable trade deal before an August 1 deadline. Trump has already struck trade deals with two of the Philippine's regional partners, Vietnam and Indonesia. But he has been driving tough bargains in talks even with close allies Washington needs to keep onside in its strategic rivalry with China. Marcos is the first Southeast Asian leader to visit U.S. in Trump's second term. "I expect our discussions to focus on security and defense, of course, but also on trade," Marcos said before leaving Manila. The United States had a deficit of nearly $5 billion with the Philippines last year on bilateral goods trade of $23.5 billion. Trump this month raised the threatened "reciprocal" tariffs on Philippine imports to 20% from 17% threatened in April. "I wouldn't be surprised to see an announcement of a deal with the Philippines at a lower rate than those two," Marcos said, noting his country is a treaty ally closely aligned with the U.S. on China. Marcos arrived in Washington on Sunday. He held talks with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Monday and later met with Secretary of State Marco Rubio. During his trip, Marcos will also meet U.S. business leaders investing in his nation. Philippine officials say he will stress that Manila must become economically stronger if it is to serve as a truly robust U.S. partner in the Indo-Pacific Stay with us for the latest updates as we get them.


Glasgow Times
19 minutes ago
- Glasgow Times
At least 20 dead following latest Israel strikes on Gaza
The expansion of Israel's ground invasion comes as Israel and Hamas have been considering terms for a ceasefire for Gaza that would pause the fighting and free at least some hostages. The latest round of talks has dragged on for weeks with no signs of breakthrough, though negotiators have expressed optimism. With Israel expanding its control over large chunks of Gaza, an expected pullback of troops is a major point of contention in the talks. The Trump administration has been pushing Israel to wrap up the war and has shown signs of impatience. Smoke and flames erupt from an Israeli airstrike in Gaza City (Jehad Alshrafi/AP) On Monday, President Donald Trump's press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, said Mr Trump was 'caught off guard' by a recent Israeli strike on a Catholic church in Gaza. Top Christian clergy visited that church last week and in a press conference Tuesday in Jerusalem called for the war to end. In the latest round of strikes, at least 12 people died when tents sheltering displaced people in the built-up, seaside Shati refugee camp on the western side of Gaza City, were hit, according to the city's Shifa Hospital, which received the casualties. The dead included three women and three children, Dr Mohamed Abu Selmiyah, director of the hospital told the Associated Press. Thirty-eight other Palestinians were wounded, he said. The strike tore apart tents, and left some of the dead lying on the ground, according to footage shared by the health ministry's ambulance and emergency service. An overnight strike that hit crowds of Palestinians waiting for aid trucks in Gaza City killed eight, hospitals said. At least 118 were wounded, according to the Palestinian Red Crescent. The Israeli military had no immediate comment on the strikes. Israel blames the deaths of Palestinian civilians on Hamas because the militants operate in densely populated areas. It accuses the group of prolonging the war because Hamas has not accepted Israel's terms for a ceasefire – including calls to give up power and disarm.