By way of introduction, my name is Luis von Ahn. I am from Guatemala, but I came to the US for college 22 years ago. I've been very fortunate to have had a successful career here in the US as an academic and an entrepreneur. I'm a MacArthur Fellow, I'm a winner of the US Presidential Award for Scientists and Engineers, I have a number honorary doctorates from different universities, and I have won numerous other awards in my academic field. I was a professor of computer science at Carnegie Mellon University, I then co-founded two tech companies that were sold to Google, and I am currently the CEO and co-founder of a company valued at around US$1 billion (duolingo.com). This is me.
I'm writing to you because of the piece you wrote in the Journal yesterday about my country and its government's decision to not renew the mandate of the U.N.'s anti-corruption mission. I normally don't get very involved in politics, especially Guatemalan politics, and I don't expect that my single letter will make you change your mind, but I would be remiss if I didn't ask you to reconsider your position.
I don't presume to fully understand the Guatemalan situation because it's quite complex and there is a ton of misinformation about it. However, I will say that in my opinion, after following my country for the last 30 years, I believe the U.N. Commission is the best chance Guatemala has to get out of the hole it's in, which is quite deep.
I don't have a specific political agenda about this. Government corruption is the single problem that Guatemala needs to solve before we can move forward as a country. This is not about the left or the right. It's about the fact that we can't even have reasonable debates about any other issue as long our leaders break the law or make decisions primarily for their benefit.
Do I know if Guatemala's President Morales is a bad man or if he doesn't put the country's interests before his? No (I should mention that he asked me to be his Minister of Education when he was first elected; I declined due to my lack of experience in politics and the success of my career here in the US). But given the history of Guatemala's politicians and the evidence so far that he acted illegally (which may or may not be conclusive), I believe it is imperative to have an international body overseeing him and his government.
Having our previous president (Otto Pérez Molina) and vice president (Roxana Baldetti) be sent to jail due to a U.N. investigation was one of the best moments in my country's politics. Without any bloodshed, a corrupt government was removed from power! In my opinion, not mentioning this U.N. Commission's achievement in your article was extremely misleading.
I understand you and some others believe the U.N. Commission in Guatemala is politicized. I don't know whether this is true or not. My contacts and sources tell me they are not politicized and the fact that the Commission has investigated the left (the UNE party), as well as the two political parties of the former Attorney General Thelma Aldana tell me they are at least somewhat impartial. However, whether or not it is politicized is of little importance given what the Commission achieved in the fight against corruption, which again I think is the single most important problem my country has.
The Bitkov investigation, the left, the right, abortion, gay rights (which are now somehow being tied to the U.N.) are all important, but not as important in Guatemala as the fight against corruption.
This issue should be of strategic importance to the US government, since the worse the situation is in Guatemala, the more illegal immigration attempts there will be. The U.N. Commission will not solve all of Guatemala's problems, but ridding the country of corruption is the first step to a prosperous economy where citizens will want to stay.
Sincerely,
--Luis von Ahn
Read: The ‘Moralazo’ Coup d’Etat is just a matter of time in Guatemala
Rathor /
Venite a vivir un tu tiempecito a Guate despues opina...cuando conozcas a personajes nefastos como la batucada del pueblo, las chinitas, codeca, conic, cuc y sus nefastas intenciones me contás...
Fátima C. Briones /
SEGURO!!! si tiene razón! porque todos los guatemaltecos somos corruptos, incapaces, nefastos somos una lacra ingobernable que no puede administrarse y menos aún su sistema de justicia y por eso tenemos que migrar a otros países a comer m....por mucho tiempo para luego alcanzar nuestros sueños si bien les va o bien le fue y estos guatemaltecos apátridas ven desde fuera entonces con palomitas de maiz en mano como se sigue sucediendo la debacle política, social y económica. Y mientrás, en esta Guatemala con Guatemaltecos nefastos INCAPAZ de producir superhéroes POR QUE NADIE ES PROFETA EN SU PROPIA TIERRA, Sí necesita importar superhéroes, seguro porque somos salvajes todavia con taparrabos sin esperanza alguna porque si no creo en mi mucho menos en nadie de estos nefastos guatemaltecos. No tenemos esperanza, no tenemos confianza, no creo en Guatemala, no tengo fe en mi ni en Guatemala, porque los buenos Guatemaltecos se van a otro país, porque necesitan mucho dinero y poder en el mundo porque no tienen tiempo de rescatar lideres que saquen adelante a Guatemala o peor aun que desperdician la oportunidad de dirigir un puesto donde se podría haber aportado mucho técnicamente sin pensar en política -error- . Entonces apoyemos a quien pueda salvar a Guatemala! Y mientras se disputan frivolidades y sigamos tirándonos los platos: ¡Bravo! ¡Que viva la muerte! Que sigan muriendo mas guatemaltecos! ¡Que hayan mas viudas! ¡Que hayan mas violaciones! ¡Mas niños y jóvenes delincuentes, criminales, y para el tráfico de órganos y sexual! ¡Menos oportunidades de alimentar y sanar a las familias!. Especialmente esta última porque así no se siguen reproduciendo los guatemaltecos corruptos, nefastos y carentes de fe en ellos mismos. ??????????
Bruno Guzman /
Así es Fátima, nosotros los "transfugas" como nos llamo un pseudo diputado de corvatin, aportamos más al pais que cualquier politiquero de nuestra triste y golpeada Guatemala.
Axel Cocon /
Que altura de conentario el del paisano que, aunque tenga apellidos alemanes, es un verdadero orgullo chapin, que en estos momentos trascendentales que vive la patria son importantes y nos reconfortan para enfrentar el desafio que se nos viene encima como consecuencia cabalmente de la golpiza que la cicig le ha,propinado al grupo de corruptos que han cerrado filas en torno del mediocre personaje mal llamado presidente.
Es evidente que la batalla contra los corruptos tiene sus aliados en Estados Unidos, quienes deben estar recibiendo sus tajadas deribado del saqueo del pais.
Contra un peso pesado como Luis Von Ahn la supuesta periodista O Grady quedo en evidencia ser una estupida ignorance, pues solo alguien como ella no puede o no quiere ver la determinante labor de la Cicig y del comisionado Ivan Velasquez. Bien por Luis. Ojala otros que enaltecen a Guatemala, como Ricardo Arjona, tambien cierren filas para echar a patadas a estos corruptos incluido el mas grande de ellos que se llama Jimmy Morales
Roberto Velazco /
Esa es la pregunta, porque de repente los corruptos tienen aliados tan poderosos en USA?
Carlisle Johnson /
Bravo Luis
O grady emitio su opinion antes de la prohibicion de regresar de Velasquez, Tal vez ahora cambiaria ella su opinion.