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And another regional issue that could possibly be fueled by developments in the US is the availability of guns, and the accompanying rampant gun violence in this region. In 2020, the US Department of commerce took over the regulation of the export of firearms, and the following year, the sale of guns in Guatemala jumped from 3,600 per year in 2010 to 10,000, and then to 20,000 in 2022. These guns then easily make their way into Belize through our porous borders. We asked Erikson if he believes the regulatory change contributed to this.
Daniel Erikson, Deputy Assistant Sec. of Defense, Western Hemisphere
"At large, we're very concerned about gun violence in the region and illegal weapons trafficking. A lot of this is managed beyond the scope of the Department of Defense per se because it has to do as it indicated in your question with other agencies of the US government. There was, as alluded to by my colleague from the Vice President's office, a very important meeting that took place with the representatives from the countries across the Caribbean where this topic was addressed, I think we'll be happy to share with you what we have from that meeting so you'll have more information on it. "
