WASHINGTON, DC—Representative Eliot L. Engel, the Ranking Member of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, today made the following statement on yesterday’s election of Jimmy Morales as President of Guatemala:

“I congratulate Jimmy Morales on his victory in yesterday’s presidential election in Guatemala.  Over the past six months, the Guatemalan people have demanded that their country’s leaders play by the same rules as everyone else.  This means putting an end to corruption and impunity at all levels.  This journey has just begun, and I look forward to working with President-elect Morales as Guatemala continues down this path.
 
“I urge President-elect Morales to work with the Guatemalan Congress to quickly put in place reforms that improve the country’s justice system and its campaign finance laws.  I also urge the President-elect to continue to provide the United Nations International Commission against Impunity in Guatemala (CICIG) with the support it needs.  I hope my colleagues in the House of Representatives and the Senate will join me in providing continued assistance for the CICIG and other institutions that are working to improve the country’s justice system.
 
“Finally, our Congress must redouble efforts to help Guatemala deal with the root causes of child migration to the United States.  We should work with the new Guatemalan government to target this assistance to the Western Highlands and other areas of the country from which children are migrating.  
 
“The Guatemalan people have taken historic steps in recent months, and we must support them now more than ever.”                     

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