US Looks Forward To Working With Guatemala's New President On Immigration - Pompeo

WASHINGTON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 13th August, 2019) The United States congratulates Alejandro Giammattei on his election as the next president of Guatemala and looks forward to working with him on the immigration crisis, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said in a news release.

"The United States shares a deep, historic relationship with Guatemala and looks forward to continuing our close partnership on a number of areas of mutual national interest, including addressing the underlying conditions driving irregular migration," Pompeo said on Monday.

The United States, he added, congratulates Giammattei on his victory and commends the people of Guatemala for their participation in a free, fair, and transparent election.

Earlier on Tuesday, Giammattei of the right-wing Vamos party was leading in the Guatemalan presidential runoff after more than 97 percent of votes have been counted, according to the country's Supreme Electoral Tribunal.

Giammattei received 58.51 percent of the vote, while his contender, Sandra Torres of the social democratic National Unity of Hope, stood at 41.50 percent.

In the first round, which was held on June 16, the situation was quite the opposite. Torres led the race with about 26 percent. Giammattei came second with 14 percent.

From 2006 to 2008, Giammattei served as director of the country's penitentiary system.

Caravans of migrants from Central American countries seeking asylum began moving toward the United States through Mexico last fall. US President Donald Trump has called the surge of arrivals a crisis and declared a national emergency in February to secure funds for constructing a border wall to stem the tide of illegal immigration in the United States.

More than 1 million migrants from Central and South America are expected to cross the US border illegally this year, according to published reports.