Guatemala buys weapons from the US after decades of embargo against the military for human rights violations

The Guatemalan government has received a shipment of military-grade weaponry from the United States, marking the first such acquisition in 47 years. The shipment, which includes over 2,000 assault rifles and is valued at approximately 5 million dollars, follows the formal conclusion of a long-standing U.S. arms embargo against the Guatemalan military.

The embargo had been in place for several decades as a response to human rights violations committed by the Guatemalan armed forces during the country's past internal armed conflict. The arrival of these weapons signals a significant shift in the bilateral defense relationship between the two nations.