Guatemalan vice presidential candidate Walda Barrios spoke to El Diario/ La Prensa about immigration reform and undocumented Guatemalan immigrants in New York City, after she paid a short visit to the United Nations last week.
EDLP: What was the purpose of your visit to New York?
Walda Barrios: There is a large population of Guatemalans in New York City. Although they can’t vote, they still have their family and friends in Guatemala. The Guatemalans here are also supporting our economy, and so they deserve a visit.
EDLP: The remittances that Guatemalans send to their home country grew slightly in the first quarter of 2007 and reached $356.4 million. Do you have any plans in that regard?
WB: One of our key policy positions is to protect those remittances. We are against imposing taxes, as the current Guatemalan government has proposed. We also want to keep the commission charged by intermediary agencies low.
EDLP: Last year 18,000 Guatemalan undocumented immigrants were deported, and the number could be higher this year (So far, there have been 11,000). What plans do you have for them?
WB: We defend the legalization of undocumented immigrants. It must be understood that they support both the United States and their native country’s economies, and they can’t be seen as criminals. If the United States absorbs thousands of illegal workers, it is because they need them. This hasn’t been said, but it’s the truth.
EDLP: Much has been said about the trafficking of children from Guatemala for illegal adoption in the United States. What should a family do to avoid this problem?
WB: I believe that this issue has been manipulated by the Guatemalan press. What happens is that women give up their children and, more often than not, they regret it later. When the paperwork is done through the help of the consulate, there are certain protections.
EDLP: A year ago, the Free Trade Agreement was signed between Guatemala and the United States. What do you think of that?
WB: With or without it, Guatemala remains the same. The recent increase in exports is more of the price increase of coffee than anything else.
