AGP Executive Report

Maya Science Breakthrough: Researchers using digitally enhanced scans of ancient wall markings at the San Bartolo–Xultun site have identified a named Maya astronomer-mathematician, Sak Tahn Waax (“White-chested Fox”), linking him to a “complete mathematical and astronomical formula” tied to Venus and Mars. Biodiversity & Conservation: Guatemala’s La Aurora zoo is breeding Guatemalan beaded lizards (niño dormido) with remote monitoring and incubators, aiming to release hatchlings next year to rebuild wild populations after habitat loss and illegal pet trade. Agritech for Resilience: FAO launched CropSuit, a free web app that matches crops to local soil and climate conditions to improve yields and help farmers adapt to climate change. Earthquake Response: A powerful 7.3 quake off Mexico’s Pacific coast triggered tsunami warnings and evacuations; Guatemala activated its National Response Plan and tracked aftershocks while monitoring coastal wave changes. Public Health Alert: A major cyclosporiasis outbreak tied to shredded iceberg lettuce sold to Taco Bell has sickened thousands across multiple U.S. states, with Guatemala’s 1996 outbreak noted as the previous benchmark.

Earthquake Response: Guatemala activated its National Response Plan after a 7.4 quake off Chiapas, reporting 42 aftershocks (3.4–6.1) and 58 incidents, while a tsunami alert for parts of the coast was later canceled after sea-level changes were observed. Conservation & Biodiversity: La Aurora zoo is breeding Guatemalan beaded lizards (“niño dormido”) using remote monitoring of eggs and incubators, aiming to rebuild wild populations of an endangered species with only an estimated 500–700 adults left. Smart Agriculture: FAO launched CropSuit, a free web app that matches crops to local conditions by combining soil, climate, topography, and land cover data to boost yields and resilience. Public Health Watch: A major cyclosporiasis outbreak in the US links thousands of illnesses to shredded iceberg lettuce sold via Taco Bell, with Guatemala mentioned as the source of a prior 1996 outbreak. Regional Tech & Security: Canada announced C$12.1M for Mexico/Latin America projects including forensic ID support and satellite tech for illegal fishing detection, while CENTAM Guardian 26 trained regional forces (including Guatemala) for disaster response and interoperability. Archaeology: Research highlights a named Maya astronomer-mathematician, Sak Tahn Waax, tied to Xultun in Guatemala.

Earthquake & Tsunami Watch: A 7.3 quake off Mexico’s Chiapas coast was revised from 7.4 by USGS, shaking parts of Guatemala and triggering a Pacific tsunami warning; authorities reported no major damage and urged coastal caution as waves up to ~1m above tide were possible. Cross-Border Tech for Security: Canada announced C$12.1M for Mexico and Latin America projects after talks, including funding to fight human trafficking and migrant smuggling, boost forensic identification, and expand Canadian satellite tech to detect illegal fishing; a key slice supports UNODC/INTERPOL intelligence sharing across Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, and the Dominican Republic. Regional Disaster-Response Training: CENTAM Guardian 26 used language and cultural support from Air University’s LEAP Scholars during a multinational exercise in El Salvador focused on urban search and rescue and humanitarian disaster readiness, involving Guatemala and other partners. Humanitarian Impact of Enforcement: An EdSource analysis says ICE detained 650+ children in California under Trump’s second term, with a sharp rise in interior neighborhood arrests and reports that some students were kept from school. Ancient Science from Guatemala: Archaeologists reported the name Sak Tahn Waax, a Maya astronomer-mathematician, tied to Venus and Mars calculations on a wall at Xultun—one of the first named scientists identified in the Americas. Maya Dental Research: New findings suggest ancient Maya used jade inlays therapeutically, with imaging showing mineralized tissue reactions consistent with procedures done while the person was alive. Innovation & Startups: Innovation Smart District (ISD) is taking its 2026 tour across Latin America to connect entrepreneurs with mentors, investors, and AI-focused corporate partners, including a Guatemala champion set to compete in San Francisco. Payments for Migrants: Zapp expanded money transfers via WhatsApp to Guatemala and other Central American countries, offering bank deposit or cash pickup options. AI-Enhanced Public Safety: A city council approved AI-enhanced package for police body-worn cameras, aiming to improve how officers document and manage incidents.

Remittances & Tax Policy: A new 1% U.S. federal excise tax on cash-funded transfers is pushing migrants to shift remittances “onto rails” while the government can’t easily tax or track the alternative routes. Public Health: Cyclosporiasis outbreaks keep expanding in the U.S., with health officials linking cases to produce and urging safer handling as confirmed counts climb. Archaeology in Guatemala: Researchers report the first named Maya mathematician-astronomer, Sak Tahn Waax (“White-Chested Fox”), identified from Xultun inscriptions tied to Venus and Mars cycles. Tech & Finance for Central America: Zapp expands WhatsApp-based money transfers to Guatemala and neighbors, offering bank deposit or cash pickup. AI in Public Safety: A city council approves AI-enhanced tools for police body-worn cameras, including draft incident reports and multilingual transcription. Local Governance & Justice: Guatemala’s justice system reform remains uneven as efforts to clean up the prosecutor’s office face resistance from other powerful institutions. Climate & Faith: Guatemalan Cardinal Ramazzini links rising temperatures and drying rivers to stewardship calls, framing climate action as a spiritual duty. STEM-Adjacent Education Tech: A report finds Gen Alpha spends most screen time on interactive games and creative tools, reshaping how kids’ tech is designed.

Guatemala Justice Watch: Guatemala’s justice system reform remains slow, with activists and journalists still facing criminalization even as a new attorney general starts cleaning up the Public Prosecutor’s Office. Maya Science Breakthrough: Researchers report the first named Maya astronomer-mathematician, Sak Tahn Waax (“White-Chested Fox”), credited on a Xultun inscription with an 1,200+ year-old Venus-and-Mars calendrical formula. Ancient Dentistry: A new study suggests the Maya used jade inlays for therapeutic dentistry, with imaging showing the procedure was done while the person was alive. Health & Food Safety: A fast-growing U.S. cyclospora outbreak is driving calls for stronger CDC/FDA food-safety funding, while multiple states report hundreds of cases. Digital Money for Central America: Zapp expands money transfers to Guatemala and neighbors via WhatsApp, offering bank deposit or cash pickup. AI in Public Safety: A city council approves AI-enhanced tools for police body-worn cameras, including report drafting and multilingual transcription. STEM Entrepreneurship Link: Innovation Smart District’s ISD Tour 2026 connects startups with banks and investors across Latin America, including a Guatemala champion heading to San Francisco.

Public Health: A cyclospora outbreak is surging across the U.S., with Michigan reporting 992 cases (about 40 hospitalizations) and Ohio adding hundreds more, while CDC links a “large” outbreak across multiple Midwest states to a likely common source. Food Safety Policy: Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar is urging the CDC and FDA to restore funding and staffing for food-safety programs as investigations expand. Archaeology & Science History (Guatemala): At Xultun, researchers deciphered Maya mural microtexts and identified astronomer-mathematician Sak Tahn Waax (“White-chested Fox”), tied to a calendrical formula tracking Venus and Mars. Local Tech/Innovation (Guatemala-linked): Dutch clean-tech firm Dutch Clean Tech raised €15M after acquiring a stake in Guatemalan drinking-water company Agua del Mariscal. STEM in the Spotlight (Guatemala): Guatemala’s Minister of Culture highlighted the breakthrough as a rare named example of Maya scientific authorship. AI in Public Safety: A city council approved AI-enhanced tools for police body-worn cameras, including automated report drafting and multilingual transcription. Sports & STEM Talent: Dual US-Guatemalan runner Lola Satre Morales set a new Guatemalan 800m record.

Maya Science Breakthrough: Archaeologists in Guatemala’s Xultun deciphered a named Classic Maya astronomer-mathematician, Sak Tahn Waax (“White-chested Fox”), from a mural “math and astronomy” formula tied to Venus and Mars, adding rare credit to a scholar behind Maya calculations. Public Health Watch: A cyclospora outbreak is surging across the U.S.; Michigan reported 992 cases (about 40 hospitalized) and Ohio has hundreds, while CDC links a “large” outbreak across multiple Midwest states to a likely common source still under investigation. Food Safety Policy Push: U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar urged the CDC and FDA to restore funding for food-safety programs as the outbreak grows, highlighting produce washing and cooking guidance. AI in Local Policing: A city council approved Axon’s AI-enhanced body-worn camera package for faster report drafting, real-time translation, and searchable transcripts. Water Tech Investment: Dutch Clean Tech raised €15M to buy a 25% stake in Guatemalan drinking-water firm Agua del Mariscal. STEM & Culture: A new study also explores how microbial partnerships can change plant disease severity, using samples including from Guatemala.

Maya Science Breakthrough: Archaeologists at Xultun (Guatemala) have identified the first named Classic Maya astronomer-mathematician, Sak Tahn Waax (“White-chested Fox”), tied to a deciphered wall formula tracking Venus and Mars cycles—an advance that puts a real person behind Maya computational science. Public Health Watch: A fast-growing cyclospora outbreak in the U.S. has surged in Michigan (nearly 1,000 cases) and is linked by the CDC to a likely common source across multiple Midwest states, with investigators still working to pinpoint the contaminated item. Climate Tech & Carbon Removal: A new discussion highlights how carbon removal tools are now central to climate policy, moving beyond early “offset” experiments toward large-scale mitigation strategies. Water & Investment: Dutch Clean Tech raised €15M to buy a 25% stake in Guatemala’s Agua del Mariscal, aiming to expand drinking-water treatment capacity. Local STEM Talent: Guatemalan runner Lola Satre Morales set a new national 800m record, earning recognition from Guatemala’s athletics federation.

Maya Science Breakthrough: Guatemala’s Ministry of Culture says archaeologists at Xultun have deciphered a rare, named Classic Maya mathematician-astronomer, Sak Tahn Waax (“White-chested Fox”), tied to a wall formula calculating Venus and Mars cycles—an unusually direct credit to a scholar. Public Health: The CDC linked a “large” cyclospora outbreak across at least four Midwest states (Michigan, Ohio, West Virginia, Kentucky) to a likely common source, with investigations still searching for the specific item; Michigan alone reported nearly 1,000 cases and dozens of hospitalizations. Food Safety Policy: Sen. Amy Klobuchar urged the CDC and FDA to restore funding and staffing for food-safety programs, arguing cuts are weakening outbreak prevention and detection. Water & Infrastructure: Dutch Clean Tech raised €15M to buy a 25% stake in Guatemala’s Agua del Mariscal, aiming to expand drinking-water treatment capacity. STEM & Learning: UNCTAD’s TrainForTrade brought 33 port professionals, including from Guatemala, to Valencia for modern port management training. Climate Wellbeing: The Happy Planet Index 2026 ranks Guatemala among the top countries for sustainable wellbeing, highlighting uneven progress toward climate goals. Sports STEM Role Model: Guatemalan-U.S. runner Lola Satre Morales was honored after breaking the national 800m record.

Maya Science Breakthrough: Guatemala’s Ministry of Culture says researchers at the San Bartolo–Xultun site have deciphered mural hieroglyphs naming “Sak Tahn Waax” (“White-chested Fox”), the first Classic Maya mathematician-astronomer directly credited for a unique astronomical and mathematical formula, based on epigraphic analysis of dozens of microtexts and digitally enhanced scans. Public Health Watch: A cyclospora outbreak is surging in the U.S., with Michigan reporting nearly 1,000 cases and Ohio seeing hundreds more; officials still haven’t identified the source, but the parasite causes weeks of watery, sometimes explosive diarrhea and is being investigated across multiple states. Guatemala Health Response: Guatemala reports 26 measles deaths and tens of thousands of confirmed cases, while MSPAS says vaccination is the main containment tool, with millions of doses administered through campaigns and the regular schedule. Disaster & Climate Impacts: Heavy rains in Alta Verapaz have forced evacuations in multiple municipalities, with water entering homes and response expected to continue as forecasts call for more rainfall. Tech & Skills for Industry: Guatemala’s BPO sector says the biggest bottleneck isn’t operations or costs—it’s English proficiency, limiting the talent pool for nearshore services. Ancient Knowledge Meets Modern Methods: The Maya decipherment relied on transcribing, photographing, scanning, and enhancing inscriptions—showing how digital tools are helping unlock older scientific traditions.

Public Health: Guatemala reports 26 measles deaths and 27,145 confirmed cases as of July 5, with the MSPAS keeping the epidemiological alert active and leaning on vaccination—about 1.47 million doses administered by June 29, including a targeted campaign for children and risk groups. Disaster Response: Heavy rains and flooding in Alta Verapaz have affected more than 7,000 people, forcing evacuations in Chahal and Fray Bartolomé de las Casas, where emergency teams continue rescue and shelter support. Food & Water Safety: A major cyclospora outbreak is expanding in the U.S., with nearly 1,000 cases in Michigan and hundreds more in neighboring Ohio—an ongoing reminder for Guatemala’s public health teams to watch produce hygiene and outbreak detection. Digital Payments for Aid: UNDP plans to scale blockchain-based humanitarian payments via a “standing capability” with Stellar, with pilots already including Guatemala. Science Policy & Agriculture: Latin American groups reject gene editing in agriculture, warning it could deregulate seed control and biodiversity protections. Local STEM/Innovation: Guatemala’s zoo is breeding rare lizards to help save endangered species. Media & Capacity Building: China International Communication Group runs a three-week training for mainstream media practitioners that includes participants from Guatemala.

Public Health: Guatemala reports 26 measles deaths and 27,145 confirmed cases as MSPAS keeps the epidemiological alert active, pushing vaccination as the main containment tool after administering about 1.47 million doses by June 29. Disaster Response: Heavy rains in Alta Verapaz have forced evacuations in multiple communities, with water entering homes and response expected to continue as forecasts call for more rainfall. Food Safety & Outbreak Watch: A major U.S. cyclospora outbreak is surging—nearly 1,000 cases in Michigan and hundreds in Ohio—highlighting how hard it can be to trace contaminated produce and why hygiene and safe handling matter. Digital Payments for Aid: UNDP is expanding blockchain-based humanitarian payments beyond pilots via a deal with Stellar, including live work in Guatemala, aiming to make digital transfers a standard capability. Biosecurity & Agriculture: Latin American organizations unite against gene editing in agriculture and seed control, warning that deregulation could commodify life and weaken biodiversity protections. Security & Tech: A report describes “citizen sensor” smartphone apps used to crowd-source drone/UAS activity, raising questions about verification, legal status, and data reliability.

Public Health: Guatemala’s measles outbreak remains severe, with MSPAS reporting 27,145 confirmed cases and 26 deaths as of July 5; the ministry keeps the epidemiological alert active and points to vaccination as the main containment tool, noting 1.5 million doses administered by June 29 and a large containment campaign for at-risk groups and contacts. Disaster Response: Heavy rains and flooding in Alta Verapaz forced evacuations affecting more than 7,000 people, with water entering homes in Chahal, Fray Bartolomé de las Casas, and San Cristóbal Verapaz; firefighters and emergency units continue transfers to relatives and community shelters. Food Safety & Health Research: A U.S. multistate cyclosporiasis outbreak is expanding fast—nearly 1,000 cases in Michigan and hundreds more in neighboring Ohio and other states—while investigators still haven’t identified the source; the parasite can cause weeks of watery, sometimes explosive diarrhea and may be missed by standard stool tests. Digital Development: UNDP is scaling blockchain-based digital payments beyond pilots, signing an agreement with Stellar to create a standing capability for country offices, including prior live pilots in places such as Guatemala. Regional Biosecurity Debate: Latin American organizations are uniting against gene editing in agriculture and seed control, arguing deregulation could weaken biosecurity and threaten biodiversity and community seed rights.

Public Health Watch: A multi-state cyclospora outbreak is surging in the U.S., with Michigan reporting 992 cases (about 40 hospitalizations) and investigators tracking similar illnesses in 28 other states, including Ohio. Food & Nutrition Research: A new study links higher ultra-processed food intake to blood metabolite changes tied to “bad” fatty acids and disrupted lipid processing, with lead research connected to Universidad Francisco Marroquín in Guatemala. Disaster Response: Heavy rains in Alta Verapaz forced evacuations in multiple communities, with water entering homes and emergency teams continuing support as forecasts call for more rainfall. Digital Aid Tech: UNDP is expanding blockchain-based digital payments beyond pilots with Stellar, aiming to make the capability a standard tool for humanitarian transfers, including prior work in Guatemala. Science Policy Debate: Latin American organizations are pushing back against gene editing in agriculture, warning governments are deregulating the tech and weakening biosecurity controls. STEM-Adjacent Mobility: American Airlines announced new 2026 nonstop routes that include Guatemala City, boosting regional connectivity.

Cyclospora Outbreak Watch: Michigan’s cyclospora surge has climbed to 992 cases (about 40 hospitalizations) with no deaths reported, and investigators are tracking similar illnesses across 28 states, including Ohio where cases are also rising—officials say the source hasn’t been identified yet. Food & Health Research: A large study links higher ultra-processed food intake to blood metabolite changes tied to “bad” fatty acids and disrupted lipid processing, with lead research connected to Guatemala’s Universidad Francisco Marroquín. Gene Editing Debate in Agriculture: Latin American groups from multiple countries reject gene editing in seeds, warning it could let corporations control biodiversity and bypass biosecurity rules. Digital Aid Payments: UNDP is scaling blockchain-based digital payments with Stellar, moving from pilots (including Guatemala) to a standing capability for country offices. Local STEM/Community: A Guatemalan zoo initiative is breeding rare lizards to support endangered species conservation. Media Training: China International Communication Group opened a three-week mainstream media training program that includes participants from Guatemala.

Public Health Watch: Michigan’s cyclospora outbreak keeps accelerating, with nearly 1,000 diagnosed cases and about 40 hospitalizations reported as officials say the source is still unknown; investigations are also underway in 28 other states, including Ohio and New York, where additional hundreds of cases have been confirmed. Food & Nutrition Research: A new study links higher ultra-processed food intake to changes in blood fats—more “bad” fatty acids and fewer beneficial ones—suggesting possible pathways for cholesterol and lipid processing. Biosecurity & Agriculture Debate: Latin American organizations are pushing back against gene editing in agriculture, warning it could commodify seeds and bypass biosecurity rules. Digital Payments in Development: UNDP is expanding blockchain-based humanitarian payments with Stellar, moving from pilots to a “standing capability” for country offices, including work already tested in Guatemala. Local Conservation: A Guatemalan zoo is breeding rare lizards to help save endangered species.