Have you ever heard of the Northern Triangle? It's not the Bermuda Triangle, the Triangle of Terror, or the Tri-Border Area in South America. It's a region in Central America that, usually, includes including Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador. By the way, why so many triangle references in the Western Hemisphere? We'll talk about it in a later episode.
This episode is about the rule of law, or lack of it, and how it impacts one of these three nations, Guatemala. If you're listening to this podcast from the United States, why should you care about Guatemala? Well, they're our neighbors and what happens there, sooner or later, impacts us here. The good and the bad. If you've never visited, you should. It's a great country with lots to do. However, they're going through challenging times right now and it impacts us.
Endemic poverty, corruption, and violence in the Northern Triangle region, sooner or later, become policy challenges of the United States. Illegal immigration, drug trafficking, human trafficking, and even terrorism, among other forms of transnational crime, divert tax dollars that could be used for other things, for starters. Transnational crime and corruption are investment kryptonite, meaning, American companies and investors tend to shy away from these high-risk markets.
In this episode, I talk with former a former Guatemalan Vice Presidential candidate and political analyst, Betty Marroquin. Betty has a unique perspective on U.S.-Guatemala relations and what should be done to improve how both countries work with one another. A businesswoman and former diplomat who served in Washington, D.C., she is a passionate defender of the rule of law. Betty has started and managed several companies focused on the prêt-à-porter industry, and, more recently, in the field of interior design. Currently, she owns a company that manufactures furniture and accessories with Guatemalan components in Guatemala.
A strong supporter of fundamental rights, including life from conception until natural death, Betty shares with us some of the challenges her country faces, especially from a certain non-Guatemalan managed NGOs that have been undermining the rule of law. We talk about a wide range of issues including the Foro de São Paulo, a group of socialist, anti-liberty political groups from throughout Latin Amerca. We also discuss how U.S. taxpayer-funded programs could be set up to better advance U.S. national and security goals in Guatemala and the Northern Triangle.
For more information about Guatemala, click on the following link for a background summary.
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Guatemala and the Rule of Law (and why it matters in the United States)