Minister of Foreign Affairs Joseph Wu (吳釗燮) is said to attend the inauguration ceremony of Guatemalan president-elect Bernardo Arevalo on Sunday, Guatemalan newspaper La Hora reported.
When reached for confirmation, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs yesterday said it is making plans for senior officials to attend the ceremony and is to announce the arrangement at an appropriate time.
As Arevalo has repeatedly stated that he is to maintain his country’s diplomatic ties with Taiwan, the nation is expected to continue deepening cooperation with Guatemala based on the existing foundation to pursue the greatest welfare for their peoples, the ministry added.
Photo: Reuters
Nominated by the Movimiento Semilla party, or Seed Movement, to run in the Guatemalan presidential election in August last year, Arevalo clinched a victory with his anti-corruption promise. His win was followed by attempts to annul the election result at the Guatemalan Supreme Electoral Tribunal due to alleged irregularities, but the tribunal maintained that the results are “unalterable.” Arevalo called the attempts a coup d’etat.
In an interview with Agence France-Presse published on Dec. 20 last year, Arevalo said that he would assume power on Sunday and govern without fear, after having “blocked” the coup.
“We are not going to leave relations with Taiwan, we are going to maintain them,” he was quoted as saying.
Following Honduras’ decision to cut ties with Taiwan in March last year, Taipei was left with 13 diplomatic allies, with Guatemala and Belize being the only Central American countries.
Evan Ellis, a researcher at the US Army War College’s Strategic Studies Institute, was cited by Spanish-language online news outlet Infobae on Dec. 23 last year as saying that Arevalo is likely to take office as scheduled, “but his constant struggle with elites who take advantage of their control of institutions to politically disqualify him and his party may radicalize him to the left.”
The Central American country might be isolated by the US and European countries if he is overthrown, which would likely bring a radical left regime to power and lead to worrying consequences, he was cited as saying.
Tropical Storm Gaemi strengthened into a typhoon at 2pm yesterday, and could make landfall in Yilan County tomorrow, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday. The agency was scheduled to issue a sea warning at 11:30pm yesterday, and could issue a land warning later today. Gaemi was moving north-northwest at 4kph, carrying maximum sustained winds near its center of up to 118.8kph and gusts of 154.8kph. The circumference is forecast to reach eastern Taiwan tomorrow morning, with the center making landfall in Yilan County later that night before departing from the north coast, CWA weather forecaster Kuan Shin-ping (官欣平) said yesterday. Uncertainty remains and
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DISRUPTIONS: The high-speed rail is to operate as normal, while several airlines either canceled flights or announced early departures or late arrivals Schools and offices in 15 cities and counties are to be closed today due to Typhoon Gaemi, local governments announced last night. The 15 are: Taipei, New Taipei City, Taoyuan, Tainan, Keelung, Hsinchu and Kaohsiung, as well as Yilan, Hualien, Hsinchu, Miaoli, Chiayi, Pingtung, Penghu and Lienchiang counties. People should brace for torrential rainfall brought by the storm, with its center forecast to make landfall on the east coast between tonight and tomorrow morning, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. The agency issued a sea warning for the typhoon at 11:30pm on Monday, followed by a land warning at 11:30am yesterday. As of
CASUALTY: A 70-year-old woman was killed by a falling tree in Kaohsiung as the premier warned all government agencies to remain on high alert for the next 24 hours Schools and offices nationwide are to be closed for a second day today as Typhoon Gaemi crosses over the nation, bringing torrential rain and whipping winds. Gaemi was forecast to make landfall late last night. From Tuesday night, its outer band brought substantial rainfall and strong winds to the nation. As of 6:15pm last night, the typhoon’s center was 20km southeast of Hualien County, Central Weather Administration (CWA) data showed. It was moving at 19kph and had a radius of 250km. As of 3pm yesterday, one woman had died, while 58 people were injured, the Central Emergency Operation Center said. The 70-year-old