Guatemala has defended what it called its “sovereign” decision to move its embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. The decision was taken “without pressure from the United States,” Guatemalan Foreign Minister Sandra Jovel told reporters amid criticism of the measure.
President Jimmy Morales announced the plan to move the country’s embassy on Sunday, following in the controversial footsteps of US President Donald Trump. Both the United States and Israel have welcomed Guatemala’s plans.
NAN reports that business analysts have however warned that the measure could lead to a downturn in exports of cardamom from Guatemala to Arab countries. The expensive spice is one of the country’s main agricultural exports.
Former Guatemalan vice president Eduardo Stein warned that “almost 350,000 families or two million people linked to cardamom would be left without work” by the move.
Through October this year, Guatemalan cardamom exports reached 269.4 million dollars, according to national bank figures.
“I imagine that President (Jimmy) Morales and his advisers will have carefully weighed the risk of that internal damage, not only for our economy but for small producers,” Stein said in a radio interview.
Stein also pointed out that during the administration of former president Ramiro de Leon (1993-96) the transfer of the Guatemalan embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem was also arranged.
But the decision was cancelled when cardamom-buying countries threatened to suspend their orders.
Posted by Juliet Ekwebelam
