Guatemala’s foreign minister says his country will “always” support Taiwan. Mario Búcaro’s words in the early hours of Monday morning came just after he landed in Taiwan. It’s his first visit since coming to office.

Búcaro says the timing of his visit — during a period of high tension between Taiwan and China — is not a coincidence. It’s proof, he says, of Guatemala’s commitment to support Taiwan no matter the circumstances.

Guatemala is Taiwan’s oldest diplomatic ally — ties between the countries stretch back almost 90 years to 1933.

But Taiwan’s relationships with its Latin American partners have suffered in recent years. Since President Tsai Ing-wen came to power in 2016, eight countries have cut ties with Taiwan in favor of relations with China — four in Latin America. Beijing doesn’t allow countries to recognize both Taiwan and China, because it sees Taiwan as part of its territory. 

Guatemala’s president has pledged to maintain ties with Taiwan. He has also hinted that China put him under pressure to sever ties with Taipei in exchange for COVID vaccines.

Foreign Minister Mario Búcaro says his visit aims to strengthen relations between Guatemala and Taiwan.

He’s set to meet President Tsai Ing-wen and Foreign Minister Joseph Wu during his trip.