US bars ex-Guatemala President Alejandro Giammattei from entry 3 days after he left office

By SONIA PÉREZ D.
Associated Press

GUATEMALA CITY (AP) — The U.S. State Department has barred former Guatemalan President Alejandro Giammattei from entering the United States, accusing him “significant corruption” just- three days after he left office. The Biden administration had become increasingly critical of Giammattei’s administration as Guatemalan prosecutors sought to block Sunday’s inauguration of new President Bernardo Arévalo, who has vowed to crack down on corruption. State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said in a statement Wednesday that the U.S. has “credible information indicating that Giammattei accepted bribes in exchange for the performance of his public functions during his tenure as president of Guatemala, actions that undermined the rule of law and government transparency.”