Report

The Canadian Section of ParlAmericas appointed a delegation of 4 parliamentarians to participate in a bilateral mission to Guatemala, which took place from November 13–15, 2024. The Canadian delegation was composed of the Honourable Senator Margot Greenwood, Member of Parliament, Patricia Lattanzio, Head of Delegation for the mission, Member of Parliament Sherry Romanado, and Member of Parliament Nathalie Sinclair-Desgagné. The delegation was supported by the association secretary, Mark Palmer, and association advisor, Clare Annett.

BILATERAL MISSION TO GUATEMALA

Over the course of the three-day mission, the delegation met with the President of the Republic of Guatemala Bernardo Arévalo, members of the Guatemalan congress, Guatemalan government officials, representatives of Canadian companies in Guatemala, representatives of social services and non-governmental organizations, social justice activists and Indigenous artisans and activists, among others. The delegation was accompanied by the Ambassador of Canada to Guatemala and High Commissioner of Canada to Belize, Olivier Jacques, and representatives from the Canadian embassy.

A.   13 November 2024

On 13 November 2024, the delegation met with Ambassador Olivier Jacques and managers of the Canadian embassy’s Political, Development and Trade Program for a contextual briefing. Following this briefing, the delegation attended a meeting with journalist José Ruben Zamora and Claudia Lopez David, a representative from Lawyers without Borders. Various topics were covered during the meeting, including media freedom, the protection of journalists and human rights defenders from persecution and the link between freedom of expression and democracy.

After this meeting, the delegation visited the Guatemalan Congress in Guatemala City, where they participated in a meeting with parliamentarians. The panel featured the following Members of Guatemala’s Congress of the Republic:

• Andrea Villagrán
• César Amézquita, Second Vice-President of Congress
• Darwin Lucas, First Vice-President of Congress
• Jaime Lucero, President of the Congressional Commission of Youth
• Juan Carlos Rivera, Fourth Secretary of the Board
• Karina Paz, First Secretary of the Board
• Luis Javier López, Guatemalan representative to Parlatino’s Education Commission
• Marleni Matías, President of the Forum of Parliamentarian Women
• Sonia Gutierrez

Dialogue focused on legislative initiatives in shared priority areas such as climate change, Indigenous representation in Canadian and Guatemalan legislatures, and various aspects of gender equality including efforts to promote women in leadership positions. Parliamentarians also spoke about the importance of transparency in democracy, as well as the value of ParlAmericas for relation-building and diplomacy.

After departing from Congress, the delegation spoke with representatives of Canadian mining companies in Guatemala:

• Roberto Velásquez, Pan American Silver
• Juan Pablo Polanco, Bluestone Resources
• Santiago Correa, Bluestone Resources
• Juan Pablo Morataya, Guatemala CSR Thinktank CentraRSE

The discussion explored best practices related to engaging with communities through consultations and relationship-building, as well as approaches to care and social service provision, including education and language skills training, to empower youth and foster inclusivity in the workplace.

Later that day the delegation visited the Guatemalan headquarters of Telus International to learn about the company’s work in the country. As well as providing employment to Guatemalans, especially young people in Guatemala, Telus International provides social services and support, including education, language skills training and employment support, to youth in Guatemala City.

In the evening, the delegation attended an evening reception hosted by Ambassador Olivier Jacques at his official residence. The event was also attended by Guatemalan parliamentarians and representatives of the various organizations that were scheduled to meet with the delegation as part of the official mission programme.

B.   14 November 2024

On 14 November 2024, the delegation travelled to Antigua, Guatemala. The day began with a meeting with Carlos Gamboa, who is responsible for volcano prevention activities at the National Coordinator for Disaster Reduction (CONRED). During this session, the delegation heard about Guatemala’s vulnerability to natural disasters, specifically its active volcanos and the risks that these may pose to surrounding communities. Delegates also learned about emergency preparedness and response approaches to volcanic events in the country, in particular, the ways in which best practices have evolved since a devastating volcanic eruption in 2018 that killed over 200 people.

Next, the delegation met with Indigenous women weavers from the Women’s Association for the Development of Sacatepéquez (AFEDES Cooperative). The delegation was invited to participate in a welcoming ceremony with Indigenous women weavers of the AFEDES Cooperative where they heard about some of AFEDES’ work promoting food sovereignty, political education and training on Indigenous weaving. The delegation also learned about AFEDES’ activism related to intellectual property rights in the context of the women’s fight to protect their cultural weaving practices and art.

Following the conclusion of these meetings and events, the delegation met with the President of the Republic of Guatemala, Bernardo Arévalo.

The delegation was honoured to meet with President Arévalo. During their meeting, the President and the delegation discussed the importance of transparency and openness in democracy, of meaningful diplomatic relationships and of bilateral cooperation. In addition, the delegation and the President spoke about Canadian and Guatemalan initiatives related to climate change and reconciliation with Indigenous peoples.

C.   15 November 2024

On the final day of the mission, the delegation participated in several meetings and site visits.

The day began with a tour of one of the sustainably constructed Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) Offices in Guatemala City, where delegates met with various staff members. The discussion focussed on the promotion of sustainable and eco-conscious construction processes and green buildings, and Canada’s contribution to efforts in Guatemala to develop building standards and guidelines to mitigate the effects of climate change.

Next, delegates visited a Migrant Attention Centre (Centros de Atencíon para Personas Migrantes y Refugiagas, CAPMiR), accompanied by Chris Jardine, Senior Operations Officer, UNHCR. They heard about the significant challenges facing migrants in the region, particularly those who are following irregular migration pathways or those experiencing forced migration, and the efforts by host countries like Guatemala to provide access to services and shelter, humanitarian assistance, and information on refugee claims and regular migration pathways.

Following the Migrant Attention Centre site visit, the delegation had a meeting with the Guatemalan Minister of Foreign Affairs, Carlos Ramiro Martínez, and officials. During the meeting, migration remained a topic of conversation, with a focus on the mitigation of irregular and forced migration and the promotion of regular migration pathways, including the Temporary Foreign Workers Program in Canada. Guatemalans are the second-largest source of temporary foreign workers to Canada, after Mexico.

Finally, to conclude the day’s program, the delegation met with two Indigenous young people:

• Carlos Ignacio, K’echi student from AkTenamit, who had just returned from the COP16 biodiversity conference in Bogota (Colombia)
• Ligia Constanza, Xinca intern, who was working at the Embassy of Canada to Guatemala

Climate change was discussed at length with the two young Indigenous participants who reflected on the importance of their people’s connection to the land and their communities. As well, they spoke about the ways in which climate change and anti-Indigenous discrimination and violence contribute to a separation of Indigenous people, families and communities from the land. Regarding measures to address these and other challenges, they emphasized the importance of access to education, training, employment and leadership opportunities to empower Indigenous young people and ensure their voices and perspectives are represented in decision-making, advocacy and society.

Travel Expenses

Travel expenses associated with this activity can be found in the delegation’s financial report. This report is available in the Financial Disclosure section of the Parliamentary Diplomacy website.

Respectfully submitted,

Patricia Lattanzio, MP

Chair, Canadian Section of ParlAmericas