The State Department is raising a Chavista ally in Guatemala

DOS posted on September 15 a presidential determination from Trump of “major drug transit or major illicit drug producing countries” that included Guatemala, along with neighbors Belize, El Salvador, Honduras, and Mexico.

The post refrains from placing culpability on counternarcotics cooperation or lack thereof, but in Guatemala’s case this is an obvious mistake. Guatemala is the chokepoint kept open by holdovers for narcotics moving to the United States.

DOS statements and omissions about Colombia and Guatemala reveal that DOS hides the truth about Arévalo as much as it can. Stating that Colombia’s cocaine production under President Gustavo Petro has “surged to all-time records,” Trump designated it as having failed to meet its “drug control obligations.”

Trump praised Colombia’s “dedicated public servants” and stated that the failure “rests solely with its political leadership.”

In contrast, DOS’s 2025 International Narcotics Control Strategy report states: “The United States and Colombia continue to collaborate on a range of shared counternarcotics priorities … The Colombian government does not, as a matter of policy, encourage or facilitate illicit drug production or distribution.”

Regarding Guatemala, the report states: “The Arevalo administration is a partner in the fight against international narcotics trafficking … Guatemala does not, as a matter of government policy, encourage or facilitate illicit drug production or distribution.”

Nothing has changed in Colombia or Guatemala between DOS’s deceptive report and Trump’s determination. It seems that Trump’s decision to confront Maduro’s narcotrafficking led to his designation of Colombia as not complying, despite DOS traitors favoring Petro.

Since Trump has paid no attention to Guatemala, DOS Western Hemisphere personnel continue to betray Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Trump, and the United States.

Rubio’s September 15 Guatemala National Day statement confirms the betrayal. While Bradley and Ventrell keep the country open for narcotrafficking, Rubio stated: “Guatemala continues to be a steadfast partner in the fight against drug smugglers and the cartels.”

The statement talks about working together to modernize strategic infrastructure and other endeavors. Arévalo cannot even maintain or fix Guatemala’s roads. A government born in corruption cannot do what the statement describes.

About 50 people have been caught and convicted in the United States since 1959 for Cuban-linked espionage. Many more have gone undetected. Cuban intelligence penetration likely explains DOS protection of Arévalo.

Guatemala’s indigenous people are entrepreneurial individualists who reject collectivism and would thrive with limited government and rule of law. Cuba’s dictators must keep that from happening to avoid a devastating comparison with Cuba’s failure.

Equally as important to the Cuban dictators is keeping Guatemala open for Maduro’s cartels.

Former congressional staffers at DOS helped fraudulently make Arévalo president. Together with DOS careerists, they have protected US enemy Arévalo.

Bradley and Ventrell are trying to stay in Guatemala until 2026, when Arevalo, if still in office, will make key appointments to consolidate power. Unless Trump removes Maduro and crushes the cartels, Guatemala will become an overt Chavista ally, a dictatorship, and hostile to the United States.

If this were to happen on Rubio’s watch, it would damage his political career. He is unaware that he is being misinformed about Guatemala.

Rubio and Trump can still salvage the situation by quickly removing Bradley, replacing Ventrell with a charge d’affaires, and pushing Guatemala to apply its laws and save itself. This solution will create a strong US ally and model for other countries without having to use US money or tariffs.