At an event organized recently in the municipality of Colotenango, in the northwestern department of Huehuetenango, the president committed himself to taking concrete and lasting actions that will transform the reality of all Guatemalan citizens.

‘We know that the true greatness of a society is measured by how it protects and promotes the welfare of its most vulnerable members, and that we still have a long way to go and a historic debt to pay,’ the head of State said.

In the presence of officials from different departments of the Executive (ministries and secretariats) and a representation of leaders of the department and guests, Arevalo ratified, however, that this stage of joint work is beginning.

In 2019, the multidimensional poverty index reached a worrying 61.6 percent, which means that six out of 10 people face deprivation of essential aspects for a dignified life, the 65-year-old politician pointed out.

It is an alarming reality that confronts us with the stark truth that poverty and malnutrition are symptoms of deep structural inequalities stubbornly rooted in our social fabric, the leader remarked.

We face a system with conditions of inequality that perpetuate the marginalization of indigenous communities and native peoples, noted the president, adding that such a system limits opportunities for women, relegates the population living in rural areas and pressures the migration of young people who have no prospects in search of opportunities in cities and beyond our borders.

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