After years of decline, U.S. development funding for Guatemala is set to increase with a focus on consolidating the nation’s fragile democracy and reducing frightening levels of crime and violence.
The U.S. Agency for International Development is the largest bilateral donor to Guatemala. Since the early 2000s, the agency has disbursed $40 million annually, making Guatemala one of Central America’s lowest per-capita recipients of U.S. development funds. Funding rose to $77 million in 2009 and is expected to increase further.
“There are more programs initiating now than ever before,” said USAID contractor Casey Wheeler.