A good number of Guatemalans took to the streets on Friday to air their gripes on various matters, such as the privatisation-oriented package of reforms recently presented by the Ministry of Education and the USA's newly-vigorous anti-migrant policy. (A third of the population is said to live on remittances sent home by the 1.10 million+ Guatemalans already living in el norte.)
Meanwhile INGUAT announced that the country welcomed a record 1,312,199 tourists in 2005 who collectively spent $869.9m. (Guatemala's third biggest earner. Exports top the list at $3,644.8m)
It was announced today that competition from China forced the closure of 51 textile and garment factories ("maquilas") in Guatemala last year leaving around 38,000 jobless. Many hope that this decline in the rag trade can be reversed when CAFTA comes into effect later this year.
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