RAMALLAH, May 16, 2018 (WAFA) - The Guatemalan government has chosen to stand on the wrong side of history, to side with violations of international law and human rights, and to take a hostile step against the Palestinian people and the Arab World, said Saeb Erekat, secretary general of the Executive Committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO).

Reacting to the opening of the Guatemalan embassy in Jerusalem on Wednesday in the presence of Guatemalan President Jimmy Morales, Erekat said, “We are not surprised that a president that has objected to UN investigations into corruption and abuses of power has decided to further violate international resolutions. Make no mistake, such an insult against the Palestinian people reflects the insult against millions of Central Americans that have struggled for the values of justice and peace.”

The PLO official said that “the narrative presented by the Guatemalan government to justify this move also reflects its alliance with the Israeli occupation and right-wing fundamentalists. The fact that they have used the Bible and Christianity as an excuse to move the embassy to Jerusalem in contradiction to the position of the Holy See, 13 churches in Jerusalem as well as from a number of Christian religious leaders worldwide, highlights the fundamentalist nature of the Israeli regime and its allies such as the Guatemalan government.”

Erekat said that Palestine will follow up this matter with the Arab League and the Organization of the Islamic Conference, as well as with other allies, including those in Latin America, in order to take the appropriate measures in response to the Guatemalan move.

M.K.