Local TD's visit to Guatemala watched by family living locally who fled the country
Minister of State Alan Dillon became the first Irish government minister to visit Guatemala earlier this month during a seven-day official visit to Central America which included engagements in Mexico Pic: Alan Dillon (Facebook)
A visit by local TD Alan Dillon to Guatemala in the run up to St Patrick’s Day is of interest to a Guatemalan family who fled the country and were resident for a time in the International Protection Accommodation Service (IPAS) centre in Ballyhaunis.
Minister of State Dillon was in the central American state to drum up business for Irish companies, though the country remains one of the most dangerous in the region due to gang violence.
“The current situation is more dangerous than when we moved here, the current government has not improved the security situation,” said Juan Luis Morales who moved to Ireland with his wife and children to escape crime and violence back home.
The family, who now live in Galway with refugee status, were a popular presence at a weekly Spanish language conversation group run by Ballyhaunis Language Café.
During the visit, Minister Dillon met the President of Guatemala, Bernardo Arévalo, along with several government ministers. Minister of State Dillon told this newspaper that he engaged with members of the Irish community, the diplomatic corps, and local government representatives at a St Patrick’s Day reception, which offered helpful insight into the lived experience of Irish people based there.
“Security challenges remain a real issue, but there is also clear interest from Guatemala in strengthening international partnerships. My discussions focused on building stable, transparent avenues for cooperation, particularly trade, investment, and enterprise and assessing where genuine opportunities might safely exist for Irish businesses.” Ireland’s Department of Foreign Affairs has Guatemala on a ‘Reconsider Travel’ advisory "due to high crime rates", with certain regions under a ‘Do Not Travel’ advisory “due to drug trafficking, gang violence, and limited police capacity".
According to the Department, “violent crime - including armed robbery, murder, and extortion - is common nationwide".
Speaking at the start of the visit, Minister Dillon said: “This visit is about strengthening Ireland’s relationships across Central and Latin America and building new partnerships in trade, investment and diplomacy.”
