“We are used to making these types of decisions.”

during an interview with Free Press and Guatemala, The EU’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policies, Josep Borrell, confirms that they are working on a legal framework to sanction actors who tried to obstruct the transfer of command and protect the fauna. Highlighting an investment of €50 million. Petain.

The European Council defined a legal framework that would allow it to adopt sanctions against those trying to obstruct the regime change. What is required to enforce these restrictions?

The EU works according to the law and first of all we need a rule that enables us, secondly, we must consider that those who should be sanctioned have the right to defend themselves and appeal to the European courts. We can take support, so we should do so. Work very carefully, I can’t tell you the names but it is very clear that there is an attempt here to prevent the electoral results from being implemented and we will remain vigilant to prevent the democratic process in Guatemala from being disrupted.

If the names of those who will be sanctioned cannot be mentioned, can the charges be mentioned?

This cannot be expected for reasons of respect for the rule of law.

When can we expect these restrictions to be announced?

When you are sure that all member states will support them. In Europe we need at least 27 states in the club that I represent, all decisions are made with everyone’s say, it would be enough for just one to say no, so that we can’t do that.

What is needed to reach these agreements between EU members?

Let people see the allegations, the reasons, we do not want to act arbitrarily, but with the foundation, we have approved thousands of people for the war with Ukraine, we are accustomed to making these types of decisions, but Always knowing that this cannot be an arbitrary decision.

What is expected from the Congress Board of Directors?

Democratic processes and values ​​must be respected, I am not going to tell the delegates how to vote, but we hope that the entire process will be developed without regard to the electoral outcome.

How did you see President Giammattei’s role in the change of command, did he contribute to it or were there indications that he hindered it?

I have come to support the future, the results that the Guatemalan people wanted in an election in which there was a clear winner, I am not saying this because they told me, the European Union sent an electoral observation mission, which professionally conducted the process. I am confident that the elections were clean and fair. We must support not only the president, but also the people to improve their economic situation, because Guatemala’s macroeconomic performance is very good, but at the same time they have unacceptable levels of poverty and extreme poverty, and democracy needs to be supported at these levels. Work should be done to reduce it.

Why was an investment of 50 million euros announced for ecological projects in Petén?

I don’t know why, especially in Petén, this could be the case in many other places, but it could also be because there is an important Mayan community there that acts as protectors of nature and uses natural resources to support life. Uses as a way of living. In Europe we call this ecological sustainability, i.e. using natural resources to survive but conserving them.

What does the project to protect the fauna in Petén include?

I have to give very detailed information because 50 million is not a trivial thing, I will personally go to that place to find out and have my technicians explain to me who is behind it, who will get the money and how they will invest it, With what guarantees and for what purposes.

You proposed to Arevalo to sign a memorandum of understanding. How will this help bilateral relations and what is it about?

We have association agreements and political dialogue frameworks with all countries that allow us to know what the problems are and how we can contribute to solving them. This is not a political dialogue agreement with Guatemala. After the election, we considered it prudent. Wait for the formation of the new President and to start it, we have arranged that after Arévalo takes office he will come to Europe, I think he will have to visit Brussels and this will be an opportunity to lay the first stone on this path.

Why was there no agreement with Guatemala earlier?

I can’t explain it. Because all international relations are a very scheduled activity, relationships cannot be coffee gatherings, there has to be a how and why in them, you need to know when they meet, with what agenda they meet, with what results to achieve. For. Diplomacy is the art of administering the word, diplomats cannot speak as if it were a conversation between friends, it must be something organized and regulated that allows agreements to be reached so that they become a plan of action, this is certainly That would be the way I learned about Patten’s project and many others would follow suit.

In addition to that project, I also announced that 35 million euros are available for projects of this nature, but we need to identify them, we are not going to tell the Guatemalan people that they have to give up their economic and political lives. How to organize, help them only to the extent of agreeing on objectives and values.

Do you want to add a message for Guatemala?

Good luck to the President in his duties to fight corruption, to make political life more transparent, to make the legal system more effective, so that the judicial operators who had to go into exile and with whom I interviewed can come back, they Justice is “a force of the State at the service of the people and acting in accordance with the laws, without interference from powers that sometimes only represent special interests.”

Which exiles did he meet?

I don’t want to reveal names, I don’t want to create any problems for you.

Many of them have open judicial processes. What must happen for them to return to their country?

Don’t be afraid, some people are in jail. Judicial power is an independent power, but it does not mean that it is an arbitrary power, exercising power without political pressure is freedom.

Do you think Arévalo will have an independent judiciary?

I hope this will improve, in my experience the feature of democracy that works is an independent judicial power, but accountable to the only repository of power which is the people, independent of political actors who hand down pre-prepared sentences. does not direct, it is a power that administers the law, with technical capacity, but knowing that the power it exercises is a power that comes from the people and that its freedom means punishment. There is no freedom from.