Guatemala to tap $26 million from fund to help poor amid coronavirus crisis

[Judi Lynn]

MARCH 29, 2020 / 9:05 PM / UPDATED 2 HOURS AGO


GUATEMALA CITY (Reuters) - Guatemala will use nearly $26 million (20.95 million pounds) from an emergency fund to help thousands of the country’s neediest families, as measures to combat the spread of coronavirus hit the economy and jobs, President Alejandro Giammattei said on Sunday.

“For the most vulnerable in the country ... we have decided to withdraw 200 million quetzals (20.81 million pounds) from the emergency fund and we are going to give families aid of 1,000 quetzals to help pay for electricity, water and supplies,” Giammattei said.

Guatemala has so far registered 36 confirmed cases of the virus and one death.

The Central American nation on Saturday extended a curfew through April 12.

https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-health-coronavirus-guatemala/guatemala-to-tap-26-million-from-fund-to-help-poor-amid-coronavirus-crisis-idUKKBN21H055?rpc=401&

(Short article, no more at link.)

[2naSalit]

1. An observation regarding leadership...

Who was it that stood up and started working on a set of plans to put the economy on hold while we deal with this Pandemic? And initiated legislation to do just that. It came from the House. Once these stabilization packages started passing with strong support, other countries were considering it also. Since our country, no thanks to republicans, made this move it signals a path to coming through this mess with something left. Other countries want that too. At least they have the recognition of a pandemic with appropriate concern... not Susan Collns concerned, the real thing like in the dictionary.