Guatemala seeks to improve relations with the United States Taiwan helped pay $900,000 in lobbying fees

Documents recently exposed show that Guatemala hired important supporters of former US President Trump for $900,000 to seek to sway US officials, and this rare lobbying contract was paid for by Taiwan. Taiwan's "Ministry of Foreign Affairs" responded on the 18th that the budget is completely legal and the implementation is also in line with local regulations in the United States.

Tsai Ing-wen, right, meets with Jameda,e., the president-elect of the Republic of Guatemala, at the Presidential Palace in October 2019. (Source: Central News Agency)

Lawyer: It's not illegal

According to the Central News Agency, the Associated Press said that according to the latest filing documents recently exposed, Ballard Partners registered as a foreign agent at the U.S. Department of Justice on the 13th of this month, and the above contract date is the 12th of this month, signed by Alfonso Quinonez, Guatemala's ambassador to the United States, and Brian Ballard, the same name president of Ballard Partners and a longtime trump ally. On his registration program, Ballard said only that it would provide "strategic advisory and advocacy services" related to Guatemala's interactions with the U.S. government and U.S. officials.

Justin Sayfie, a partner in Ballard's Washington office, declined to comment further, but said the demand for Taiwan to take responsibility for payments was not the company's vision.

Robert Kelner, a lawyer at Covington & Burling, who specializes in foreign lobbying, said: "It is rare for one government to pay another government for lobbying. "It's not illegal, but it does raise the question of whether the government that pays the money must also be listed as a foreign client by the lobbying company." ”

Costs $75,000 a month

In its statement, Guatemala thanked Taiwan for its support, which allowed the country to strengthen its position in the United States. The one-year contract with Ballard costs $75,000 a month and focuses on strategic communications, investment outreach and tourism promotion, the statement said.

Guatemala is one of Taiwan's 14 "countries with diplomatic relations."

Conservative Guatemalan President Alejandro Giammattei has built a productive bilateral relationship with the United States by embracing the asylum deal between the previous administration and the Trump administration. But after the Biden administration seeks to overturn Trump's immigration policies and take a more serious view of corruption and the rule of law in Central America, commonly known as the "Northern Triangle," Jammetay has struggled to build a close relationship with the Biden administration.

Biden did not invite Jamedai to last year's democracy summit. On a visit to Guatemala last June, Vice President Kamala Harris also said she had a frank conversation with the country's leaders about the importance of maintaining an independent judiciary.

Lobbyist Ballard has played for Trump

Taipei's China Times News Network reported that several years before Trump ran for the White House, Ballard had played for Trump as his lobbyist in Florida. But it's unclear how hiring him will help Guatemalan President Alejandro Giammattei bring him closer to the Democratic administration of current U.S. President Joe Biden, especially as the government has repeatedly expressed concern about corruption in Guatemala.

On the 17th, the U.S. Department of State also criticized jamedai's administration for seeking to revoke a judge's immunity from prosecution. The judge won high esteem in Washington for exposing bribery in Guatemala.

U.S. State Department spokesman Ned Price said in a statement: "This move against an internationally recognized impartial judge weakens an important pillar of Guatemala's democracy and justice system." ”

It is reported that Ballard accumulated dozens of lobbying customers at home and abroad during trump's presidency, and was described by Politico as "Trump's most powerful lobbyist in Washington."

Taiwan's "Ministry of Foreign Affairs": Promoting Down-to-Earth "Diplomacy" By Following the Principle of Mutual Assistance and Mutual Benefit

According to the Central News Agency, Ou Jiang'an, spokesman of Taiwan's "Ministry of Foreign Affairs," responded to this on the 18th that Taiwan's "Ministry of Foreign Affairs" has always followed the principle of mutual assistance and mutual benefit to promote down-to-earth "diplomacy" and has drawn up a "bilateral" cooperation framework based on the actual needs of the "friendly" government administration to promote various cooperation plans. The Governments of Taiwan and Guatemala are also cooperating under this principle and structure. According to the Guatemalan government's explanation to Taiwan, this plan complies with local regulations in the United States and is legal.

Ou Jiang'an said: Guatemala is An important "friend" of Taiwan in Central America, and various "bilateral" cooperation plans have been affirmed by the Guatemalan government and opposition; the Guatemalan Government has also long supported Taiwan's participation in international organizations; and Jamedai has openly supported Taiwan's "friendship" more times. In the future, the two sides will continue to promote various plans for the benefit of the people on the basis of the existing good cooperation.

Beijing Global Network reported that after the news came out, netizens on the island sarcastically said: "Why does Taiwan pay for Guatemala's own diplomatic expenses?" From this point of view, I am afraid that Taiwan is really being used as a cash machine. Some netizens also questioned: "Taiwan's labor pension fund is about to go bankrupt, and the government still has spare money to interfere in the internal affairs of other countries?!" (End)