The Trump administration has alienated a lot of people in the world. This includes Guatemala, whom the US president threatened with retaliation in case they don't agree to a migration deal. The Washington Post reported on the effects of reneging on the deal-economy-crippling penalties which are far-reaching and could deepen the already-worse political crisis the country is under.
Trump warned that he might impose tariffs on Guatemala's exports. It's either that or tax the billions of dollars which its migrants send home as remittances. This was in retaliation to Guatemalan President Jimmy Morales' decision to cancel a trip to Washington last week, where he was expected to sign a safe-third-country agreement.
The pact, according to the Trump administration, would serve to stifle thousands of migrants that would flock to the southern US border. The politicians of Guatemala, its analysts, and former government officials have been very vocal about what would happen to the country should it agree to the accord. The already-impoverished country - one of the poorest in the Western Hemisphere - would not be able to handle the sudden surge of refugees.
The US president threatened retribution against Guatemala after its highest court blocked the government from signing on the asylum deal with the United States. According to Global News, Trump took to Twitter to announce that Guatemala decided against signing the safe-third agreement. The deal will force asylum-seekers to go to Guatemala for refuge instead of the United States.
Trump also said that "Now we are looking at the 'BAN'," stating that the US will impose tariffs, fees, and remittance bans on Guatemalan money, and that Guatemala wasn't committed to signing the pact from the start. He also added that the court ruling was just a pretense for the country not deciding to agree with the pact at all.
The Trump administration's biggest promise was to stop illegal immigration from happening in the US. That hasn't happened so far, with Central American migrants still flocking the US southern border. Negotiations over what is a potential deal ended when the Guatemala Constitutional Court granted three injunctions which prevented President Morales from making the deal.
Morales was noted to have appealed the court to revoke its decision. A statement was also released where it was said that the Foreign Ministry had been tasked to review all possible avenues to avoid all possible sanctions. It remains to be seen whether Guatemala will be able to escape the Trump 'BAN' hammer or suffer a fate similar to other countries which are on the receiving end of Trump administration tariffs.
