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WORLD NEWS Friday 22 July 2022
U.S. publishes list of alleged bad actors in Central America

BY SONIA PÉREZ D. Biden administration poli-
Associated Press cies giving more weight to
GUATEMALA CITY (AP) — those issues.
The U.S. State Department That shift from the Trump
has named 60 current and administration, which fo-
former officials, as well as cused relations with those
some corporate figures, in countries more narrowly on
its latest list of people sus- controlling immigration has
pected of corruption or led to more tense relation-
undermining democracy ships in the region.
in four Central American Guatemala President Ale-
countries. jandro Giammattei has
This year’s list especially fo- been dismissive of U.S. of-
cused on politicians, judges ficials’ criticism of his at-
and others suspected of torney general and what
working to stack courts in they see as a backsliding
Guatemala and the judges in Guatemala on battling
and prosecutors involved corruption.
in cases against opposition The list includes the coun-
political figures in Nicara- try’s new special prosecu-
gua in the runup to that tor against impunity who
country’s presidential elec- is accused of obstructing
tion last year. corruption investigations.
The list was provided to Secretary of State Antony Blinken attends a panel discussion during the Summit of the Americas, A number of the Guate-
the U.S. Congress in com- in Los Angeles, June 7, 2022. Associated Press malans, including two Su-
pliance with legislation preme Court magistrates,
pushed two years ago by ruption,” U.S. Secretary of to irregular migration and cials in El Salvador made were allegedly involved
then-U.S. Rep. Eliot Engel. State Antony Blinken said in destabilizing societies.” the list, including President in a scheme to stack the
Those listed generally be- a statement Wednesday. The new list also named for- Nayib Bukele’s press secre- Supreme and Appellate
come ineligible for admis- “These individuals, through mer officials in previous ad- tary and the president’s le- Courts with corrupt judges,
sion to the United States their significant corruption, ministrations in Honduras, gal adviser, who allegedly according to the State De-
and have their visas re- efforts to obstruct inves- such as Juan Carlos “El Ti- masterminded the removal partment report.
voked. tigations into corruption, gre” Bonilla Valladares, the of five Supreme Court mag- The Biden administration
“The United States is com- and undermining of demo- ex-director of the National istrates and the attorney has also clashed with El
mitted to partnering with cratic processes and institu- Police who was extradited general. Salvador’s Bukele, express-
the people of Central tions, weaken the ability of to the United States in May While required by Congress, ing concerns that his tight-
America to strengthen governments in the region to face drug trafficking the annual listing of corrupt ening grip on power is
democracy, improve rule to respond to the needs of charges. actors or those threaten- weakening the country’s
of law, and combat cor- their citizens, contributing Former and current offi- ing democracy align with democracy.q

Report: U.K. clearly overwhelmed by surge in migrant crossings

By SYLVIA HUI have reached British shores ably awful” and said its day, said U.K. border of- That review, by former Aus-
Associated Press after crossing the English security check equipment ficials have been “ineffec- tralian immigration minister
LONDON (AP) — Britain’s re- Channel one of the world’s was “often first generation tive” and “possibly coun- Alexander Downer, said
sponse to growing numbers busiest shipping lanes from and unreliable.” ter-productive” in prevent- the U.K. Border Force’s
of migrants crossing the France in unseaworthy ves- More than 200 migrants ing migrants from making boats aren’t designed for
English Channel on small sels like rubber dinghies. absconded from secure small boat journeys to British conducting search and
boats is poor and officials The figure is almost double hotels after arriving in Brit- shores. rescue operations.q
are clearly overwhelmed the 7,735 recorded last ain in just four months, his
on some days, an indepen- summer. report found, and some
dent inspection found in a On April 13, 651 people didn’t have their biometrics
report published Thursday. made the crossing in 18 recorded.
The review by David Neal, boats the highest daily to- The inspector said his report
the chief inspector of bor- tal so far this year. was submitted to Home
ders and immigration, was “The volume is unprece- Secretary Priti Patel in Feb-
among critical reports pub- dented, and on some days ruary and should have
lished this week on the Brit- the system is clearly over- been published in April. He
ish government’s handling whelmed,” Neal said. said he was “frustrated”
of migration and asylum- “Systems, processes and re- by the way the Home Of-
seekers. sourcing pathways, which fice sat on his findings for
Authorities have been months into the crisis should months.
struggling to cope with an be routine, codified, au- The Home Office said it has
increasing flow of people ditable and familiar, have accepted all of Neal’s rec-
fleeing countries such as been delivered at ‘best ef- ommendations and it has
Afghanistan, Somalia and fort.’ already changed the way People thought to be migrants who undertook the crossing from
Iraq to seek asylum and This is not good enough,” it managed migrants arriv- France in small boats and were picked up in the Channel, arrive
better opportunities in the he added. ing in small boats. to be disembarked from a small transfer boat which ferried them
from a larger British border force vessel that didn’t come into the
U.K. Since the start of the Neal described the depart- A separate independent port, in Dover, south east England, Friday, June 17, 2022.
year, around 15,100 people ment’s data as “inexcus- report, also published Thurs- Associated Press