Guatemala’s budget has grown but not everybody is pleased

The Guatemalan government has proposed a national budget of $11.8 billion, a 7.7 percent annual increase over each of the last two years.

Health minister Carlos Soto was the first of several objectors. He said his allocation was far too small for a country in which much of the population suffers from malnutrition.

Other officials called for more spending on roads and schools. The budget debate sounds like being fiercely contested in the Congress.