Guatemala denies agreeing to US strikes against drug traffickers

President Bernardo Arevalo’s government says it requested security cooperation but did not approve US attacks.

The Guatemalan government has denied reports that it agreed to allow the United States to carry out strikes against drug traffickers in the Central American country, while confirming that it has sought security cooperation with Washington.

“There is no agreement authorising foreign military operations by any country within national territory,” the government of President Bernardo Arevalo said in a statement on Thursday.

The denial appears to be in response to a New York Times report published earlier in the day that cited two unidentified sources as saying that Arevalo had agreed to US military action in his country.

The Guatemalan statement was accompanied by a note from a letter by the country’s defence minister, Henry Saenz, to his US counterpart, Pete Hegseth, dated May 28.

The note says that Guatemala “desires to lead, with US assistance, active military operations” against drug groups identified as “designated terrorist organisations” (DTOs) by Washington.

“In accordance with existing bilateral agreements and arrangements, such combined Guatemala-led operations would further bilateral interests in defeating DTOs and advancing regional and hemispheric security,” Saenz wrote.

But the Guatemalan government stressed that the call for assistance from Washington was not an invitation for US attacks in the country.

“This request falls within the framework of existing bilateral agreements on this matter and strictly adheres to the provisions of the Constitution and applicable laws regarding cooperation agreements on civil or military security,” it said.

Under President Donald Trump, the US has shown a willingness to use force in Latin America.

Since last year, the US has been carrying out air strikes against alleged drug boats in the Caribbean Sea and Pacific Ocean, killing at least 194 people, in a campaign that rights advocates have said amounts to extrajudicial killings.

In January, the US also abducted Venezuela’s President Nicolas Maduro, whom it accused of drug trafficking.

Maduro was replaced by his vice president, Delcy Rodriguez, who has improved relations with Washington and allowed greater foreign involvement in the country’s oil sector. The US continues to exert control over Venezuela’s oil exports.

Many countries in Central and South America have struggled to contain gang violence related to the drug trade.

In January, Guatemala’s Arevalo declared a state of emergency after suspected gang members killed at least 10 police officers.

But Latin American leaders have been wary of accepting US military intervention in their countries, while inviting intelligence and security cooperation.

Arevalo was elected in 2023 as an anticorruption campaigner.