President Tsai Ing-wen expressed her gratitude for Guatemala's support in safeguarding Taiwan's sovereignty on the international stage. Tsai was speaking on Monday while welcoming Guatemala's newly appointed ambassador to Taiwan, Oscar Adolfo Padilla Lam.
Tsai spoke of her visit to Guatemala back in 2017, where she saw first-hand the great achievements of Taiwan and Guatemala's cooperation. She said that despite the challenges of the pandemic, bilateral relations have continued to strengthen, especially relating to trade. Guatemala established a trade office in Taiwan this past January.
Guatemala's foreign minister visited Taiwan in August after China's military drills around Taiwan. Guatemala's President Alejandro Giammattei also spoke out for Taiwan at the United Nations General Assembly in September.
Guatemala's ambassador Padilla praised Tsai and the Taiwanese people for their resilience and tenacity to uphold democracy in the face of invasion threats.