In Guatemala, agricultural entrepreneurs insist that opportunities will be lost if the agreement is not signed, while industrialists propose analyzing the conditions in more detail.
The National Coffee Association believes that the Ministry of Economy has abandoned talks with the Korean government, which harms them since the Asian country is a growing market that recognizes the quality of the grain.
With the aim of favoring mainly agricultural products, the Morales administration has announced that it will propose to the Israeli government starting negotiations for a free trade agreement.
In the coming days a Guatemalan government delegation will be visiting Israel, a trip which could be leveraged for representatives of the Ministry of Economy to raise the possibility of signing a trade agreement between the two countries.
In the first projects that are planned to be developed as part of the plan, around $116 million will be invested in construction works, vehicle purchases and other things.
The first investments will be made in seven departments, and the province to which the most resources have been allocated is Quiché, which will receive an investment of $46 million.In this region, 43 projects will be implemented, including the construction of a service center and the acquisition of garbage trucks.
Guatemalan authorities announced that in the coming weeks they hope to finalize the extension of the FTA with the South American country, which will consist of inclusion of the textile and rubber sector.
With the aim of continuing to promote Guatemalan exports from the textile industry, Executive authorities stated that after the last visit to Colombia, they were able to reach an agreement to expand the conditions of the FTA.
The appointment as Minister of Economy and Competitiveness Commissioner of people linked to the telecommunications sector has created strong suspicions, and comes at a time when a $250 million deal is on the table.
An article in Plazapublica.com.gt reports that "... the appointment of Ricardo Sagastume and Acisclo Valladares Urruela as Minister of Economy and Presidential Commissioner for Competitiveness, respectively, in a government that is drowning under the weight of allegations of corruption, has generated doubts and suspicions. When everyone else is leaving the ship, they are getting ready to get onboard. With a lack of coherent explanations from the Presidency and the new officials themselves, everything points to Tigo, the telephone company from which both of them come from, and a multi million dollar business deal in its favor as a result of the troubled waters in which the country finds itself. "