BWI’s COVID-19 Solidarity Fund reaches Guatemala

With the help of BWI’s COVID-19 Solidarity Fund, the National Trade Union of Construction and Services of Guatemala (SINCS-G) was able to provide food and medical assistance to 50 of the most vulnerable working families under its care and supervision. The union said that their assistance was able to reach 250 people, including women, children, youth and senior citizens. SINCS-G explained that on average, a Guatemalan family is comprised of five members. 

"We are highly appreciative of BWI’s ever-reliable support to its affiliated trade unions as we all continue our efforts to soften the impact of this global health crisis,” SINCS-G General Secretary Julio Diaz said. 

Diaz said that most of SINCS-G’s members are concentrated in the northern part of the country, near the border of Mexico. Many of these workers move around the borders of Mexico and the United States to find work. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many undocumented migrant construction workers lost their jobs and have returned to Guatemala impoverished. 

As of 3 July, Guatemala has 20,072 confirmed COVID-19 cases and 843 deaths. These figures are however contested by civil society organizations, including SINCS-G. they said that the numbers could be higher due to the government’s failure to mount an adequate response to the crisis.