“Breaking News: Maya Train Route to Extend into Guatemala”

Mexico's President, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, and Guatemala's President, Bernardo Arévalo, recently convened in Tapachula, a key Mexican city on the border of both nations. The leaders discussed a range of issues, including migration, security, and infrastructure.

López Obrador expressed his concerns about the safety of the border area, a major entry point for migrants and a recent hotspot for conflict between rival organized crime groups. He assured that this issue, which also affects Guatemala, will be addressed.

The leaders also discussed infrastructure projects, including the modernization of several border crossings and upgrades to two Guatemalan ports: Puerto Quetzal on the Pacific coast and Santo Tomás de Castilla on the Atlantic.

Arévalo acknowledged that relations between the two countries could significantly improve. He expressed a desire to build a border that unites the nations, fostering mutual growth and benefits.

The meeting occurred amidst weeks of intense diplomatic activity from the United States, aimed at controlling the flow of migrants heading north. This comes in an election year in the US, following a record-breaking number of migrant arrivals in 2023.

López Obrador also proposed extending his interoceanic train project to the Guatemalan border and connecting it to his Maya Train mega-project in Flores, located in the Guatemalan Petén jungle.

In their final statement, Guatemala expressed interest in examining these initiatives and participating in them. Mexico aims to create an "exemplary" and "humanitarian" southern border, according to Bárcena.