This is an archived USAID document retained on this web site as a matter of public record.
Opening Statement of Administrator J. Brian Atwood
Opening Statement at Press Conference
Guatemala City, Guatemala, February 25, 1998
U.S. Agency for International Development
I want to thank all of you for coming. This has
been an enlightening and exciting trip for me. My first
trip as USAID administrator was to Guatemala and
although I had been kept constantly abreast of what has
been happening here, I am still amazed by the changes
that have taken place after nearly five years.
President Aruz, the leaders of the Congress, and
most of all the people of Guatemala deserve enormous
credit for the progress they have made, especially since
the remarkable Peace Accords were signed 14 months
ago. The war is over, 200,000 paramilitary troops
have been disbanded, nearly 3,000 guerrillas have been
demobilized and resettled and are now being integrated
into the political and economic life of the country.
Human rights violations are dramatically down.
During 36 years of internal conflict, two
generations grew up not remembering what peace was.
Now, at last, the resources of this beautiful country are
being turned to improving health and education and
developing new sources of income for the people,
instead of being used for weapons to destroy this
beautiful land and kill its long-suffering people.
Those peace accords reflect a national consensus on
many issues and have provided a framework not only
for demobilization and reintegration of combatants,
reductions in the size of the national police force and
the establishment of a civilian-led democracy. They
are also a virtual blueprint for development.
Last January, the U.S. government pledged more
than $260 million over a four-year period (1997-2000)
to provide intensive support for the implementation of
the Guatemalan Peace Accords. USAID's program was
designed to be carefully timed and targetted to achieve
U.S. and Guatemalan policy priorities. Our Agency's
activities combined short-term, urgent priorities,
including immediate construction of demobilization and
reintegration camps to get the process started. But
from the beginning, we were laying the groundwork for
long-term, sustainable development as well.
There are still enormous problems of poverty --
especially in the rural areas -- and of participation,
credit and economic opportunity. This trip has
convinced me, however, that Guatemala is on the right
track, and that U.S. aid is serving both as a catalyst for
leveraging additional resources, and as a bridge to long-term, sustainable development.
In January, the Congress of Guatemala passed
legislation to establish a more efficient means of
collecting taxes, which is crucial to long-term support
of critically needed social expenditures.
On Monday, USAID signed a comprehensive
agreement with Rafael University to provide vocational
and technical training and basic literacy and education.
We are working to overcome the gap in girls'
education.
Today, I witnessed the inauguration of the
restructured Banrural, to provide modern banking
services and vital credit to the small business people
and farmers with small and mid-sized holdings. We
cannot provide everything every individual former
combatant might need, but we are here to help and I
have seen that what we are doing is making a
difference.
Durable peace and sustainable development must be
built from the ground up by people who believe they
have a stake in their future.
Notable accomplishments will be more difficult to
achieve in this coming, crucial year, as we move from
the initial excitement and sometimes overly-optimistic
expectations of a new peace toward the more mundane,
but vital, longer-term solutions. It is important that
neither the government of Guatemala nor its people --
nor, for that matter, the donor nations, expect too
much, or settle for too little.
Thank you. I'll take your questions --
This is an archived USAID document retained on this web site as a matter of public record.
 |
Last Updated on: July 18, 2001
|
:
:
:
:
:
:
:
:
:
:
