TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Guatemalan President Alejandro Giammattei will arrive in Taiwan this weekend, according to AFP, following Legislative Speaker You Si-kun's (游錫堃) announcement the country’s president will address Taiwan’s legislature on April 25.
You made the announcement about the Guatemalan leader on April 12, and was met with bi-partisan support. Giammattei reaffirmed his country’s strong ties with Taiwan less than three weeks ago during a visit from Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文), during which he said Taiwan was an independent nation and “the only true China.”
Taiwan News has sent requests to Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs regarding the president’s itinerary while in the country but has yet to receive a response.
Guatemala is one of Taiwan's two Central American diplomatic allies, out of a global total of 13. Taiwan has struggled to prevent its diplomatic partners in the region from cutting ties and switching to China, with the loss of Honduras in March, Nicaragua in December 2022, and Panama in 2017.