Regulation change means US gun sales to Guatemala have doubled in last three years, increasing insta

Regulation change means US gun sales to Guatemala have doubled in last three years, increasing instability

Guatemala is struggling with political instability in the buildup to its presidential election run-off

Abe Asher
1 day ago

A sharp rise in the sale of semiautomatic firearms to Guatelama over the last three years has made the Central American country the leading destination for US guns in Latin America as it struggles with renewed political instability in the buildup to a critical presidential election run-off.

According to a new report in Bloomberg, Guatemala’s new status as the largest importer of US semiautomatic weapons has coincided with a surge in violence in the country: its murder rate began increasing again in 2019 after a sustained, years-long decline and waves of migrants are pushing north into Mexico and the US.

That the rise in the murder rate began in 2019 may not be coincidental: that was the same year the US began allowing the importation of semiautomatic weapons into Guatemala.

The situation has created a serious contradiction: while the US State Department and officials like Vice President Kamala Harris have worked to curb immigration from Guatemala brought about in part by violence in the country, the US Commerce Department has said that the country’s relative lawlessness presents a “unique opportunity” for gun manufacturers.

More:
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-gun-sales-guatemala-regulation-b2391093.html