On his first official visit to the United States since assuming the presidency in January, Guatemalan President Alvaro Colom told a GW audience Tuesday morning that he is striving to eliminate Guatemala’s drug trafficking, poverty and corruption, problems he said consistently plague the Central American country.

Dean of the Graduate School of Political Management, Christopher Arterton, who introduced Colom, hailed him as a leader who has been “instrumental in pushing peace and development in his country.”

He said that Colom — who had met with President Bush the previous day as part of his visit — told Arterton he enjoyed visiting GW.

“I think he was surprised that GWU has so many students from other countries in Latin America,” Arterton said.

Colom delivered his address to the Jack Morton Auditorium audience in his native Spanish, with translation earphones provided for English speakers.

Arterton said Colom’s visit to GW was made possible by a GSPM faculty member, Roberto Izurieta, who was a political adviser on Colom’s campaign, as well as a close friend.