Last week, I travelled to Guatemala to attend the inauguration of President Bernardo Arévalo, following his clear victory in the Presidential election on 20 August. It was the first visit by an EU High Representative to Guatemala and a clear sign of our commitment to support the people of Guatemala and their democracy. A democracy that has been repeatedly under threat from within.

Our engagement with Guatemala over the past months serves as a case study of what is possible when the EU’s foreign policy tools are used in a mutually reinforcing way. The EU’s electoral observation mission played a decisive role in strengthening confidence in the process, upholding the election results and refuting false accusations of fraud. After the elections, we engaged in diplomacy to strongly condemn persistent attempts to overturn the results and efforts to suspend President Arévalo’s political party, Movimiento Semilla. Immediately prior to the inauguration, we adopted a sanctions framework that will allow imposing measures - such as travel restrictions or asset freezes - on those who have been undermining democracy, the rule of law and the peaceful transfer of power in Guatemala.

Our engagement with Guatemala over the past months serves as a case study of what is possible when the EU’s foreign policy tools are used in a mutually reinforcing way.

When I travelled to Guatemala City, I did so knowing that the presence of numerous international guests would not only send a strong message of support to democracy in Guatemala, but also a strong signal to obstructionists that circumventing democratic processes would not be tolerated by the international community. However, attempts to delay or obstruct President Arévalo's inauguration persisted until the very last minute. These attempts were met with a firm response from the international delegations present in Guatemala City and were ultimately overcome. Now, with the rightful President in office, we can look forward to closer cooperation between the EU and Guatemala.

Building the invisible infrastructure that sustains democracies

I have invited President Arévalo to Brussels and proposed that we sign a Memorandum of Understanding that had been put on hold because of concerns about the efforts to overturn the election result. This will provide a strengthened basis for our political dialogue and our cooperation to defend and develop the invisible infrastructure that sustains democracies: inclusive governance, the separation of powers, the protection of the rule of law and access to justice, respect for human rights, social cohesion, and the promotion of equality and respect for diversity. This invisible infrastructure also featured prominently in my meetings with human rights defenders, justice operators, journalists and indigenous authorities. We also intend to collaborate with the new government in combating climate change - which greatly affects Central American countries.

We will strengthen our political dialogue and our cooperation to defend and develop the invisible infrastructure that sustains democracies.

The EU is certainly an important partner for Guatemala. We are its fourth-largest export destination, following the US, and its neighbours Honduras and El Salvador, and our trade has more than doubled in the last decade. We are also already the second-largest investor in Guatemala and, if the rule of law and democratic stability improve, the country can become an even more attractive destination for European investments. We are also engaged with important development programmes.

After the inauguration in the capital, I travelled to the department of Petén to meet the beneficiaries of a € 50 million package aimed at supporting the green transition over the coming years. In the heart of the Guatemalan rainforest, I met the people living there, who use the forest for their livelihood and, at the same time, preserve it. I saw how the forest can be sustainably managed and its wood used as a sustainable economic activity by the local people. Our support is designed to ensure that indigenous communities can continue to live there, while also having access to health services and higher education.

Almost half of Guatemala's population is indigenous yet, until now, they have not been sufficiently represented in the social and political life of the country. However, I am hopeful that under the new government we will see greater efforts to improve things in this area. Over the past months, indigenous leaders and thousands of Guatemalans took to the streets and were key in the defence of democracy and the election results.

Building on strengthened ties with Latin America

The mission to Guatemala marked my seventh visit to Latin America and the Caribbean in my capacity as High Representative. Since the beginning of my mandate, it has been my priority to place this region on the strategic radar of the EU as an indispensable partner and to give renewed political impetus to the sense of community that binds Europe and Latin America and the Caribbean. A sentiment that has been forged by the journeys of millions of people across the Atlantic, united by a shared history, languages, and cultures.

At the margins of the inauguration, I met the President of Chile, Gabriel Boric, to discuss the possibilities arising from the recently signed EU-Chile modernised Association Framework Agreement. With the Foreign Minister of Mexico, Alicia Bárcena, I exchanged on our bilateral relationship and the modernization of the EU-Mexico Global Agreement.

Since the beginning of my mandate, it has been my priority to place Latin America and the Caribbean on the strategic radar of the EU as an indispensable partner.

I also met, for the first time, with Santiago Peña, the President of Paraguay, as well as with Brazil’s Vice-President Geraldo Alckmin. In both cases, the prospects of successfully concluding the EU-Mercosur agreement were a major focus. In this matter, the ball is currently also in the European court. We, Europeans, need to show that we also want this final negotiation to succeed.

In all my discussions, we also delved into the situation in Latin America, with the worrying developments in Ecuador and the upcoming elections in Venezuela being on everybody’s mind.

In Ecuador, the situation has reached a critical level, as a wave of organized crime-driven violence is sowing chaos. At the root of these problems lie transnational drug trafficking networks. This is not just a national problem for Ecuador; it is an international challenge that also affects the European Union and weakens public institutions, prosperity, and social cohesion in many countries around the world. Ecuador's government and democratic institutions can count on our support in their efforts to re-establish public order, defend the rule of law and protect human rights.

The battle is not over but Guatemala demonstrated that democracy can prevail. 'Sí, se pudo!' – this was the proud chant of the many Guatemalans gathered for the inauguration of President Arévalo. Whether in Guatemala, Venezuela, or elsewhere, the EU stands ready to support democracy, which is increasingly under threat globally.