Per memo dated in early April 2019, Peace Corps Guatemala apparently would not be impacted by the elimination of US foreign aid

On March 31, 2019, President Trump announced the United States was cutting aid to Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador because of the migrant crisis.  The Peace Corps website only listed Guatemala as a current Peace Corps site in that group. On April 15, I made a FOIA request for: “the documents which describe how this decision will impact existing  and future Peace Corps programs and Volunteers in Guatemala.” The FOIA was assigned 19-0065.  It took an appeal before I finally received a response on June 20th.  The response was an internal memo, most names  appropriately redacted. The memo was in response to a  serving PCV in Guatemala who had made the same request about the impact on Peace Corps Guatamala.  Here is the important statement from that memo, dated, I believe, April 3, from Joel Frushone, Associate Director Office of External Affairs, RPCV Lesotho  1995-97.  

“Hello.

Our social media team received a question via a private Instagram message from , who we believe is a Volunteer in Guatemala. She sent it in reaction to President Trump’s call to cut off aid to the Northern Triangle. Please see the screen shot below.

Could you please reach out and personally let her, and any other Volunteer who may have asked, know that…

Peace Corps is not evacuating Volunteers from Guatemala. President Trump’s call to cut off aid El Salvador, Guatemala, and Hounduras has not impacted Peace Corps. With regard to how this may affect accessibility to SPA funds, should U.S. aid to Guatemala cease, further guidance will be provided by your small grants coordinator.

Please, let me know if you have any questions and thank you for helping allay her concerns.

Best, Joel

Joel Frushone

Associate Director Office of External Affairs

RPCV Lesotho 1995-1997

(w) +1.202.692.1411 “

___________________________________________________________________

Please Note:  I have had no other communication from Peace Corps.  I would assume this information is still relevant. JRoll