U.S. VEEP CHANGES PLANES DUE TO FAULTY GEAR, ARRIVES IN GUATEMALA

Kamala Harris on Sunday landed in Guatemala City for her first foreign trip as US vice president after a technical issue with her aircraft delayed her departure, Lena Klimkeit reported for Deutsche Presse-Agentur (dpa).

Harris was welcomed by Foreign Affairs Pedro Brolo and US Ambassador to Guatemala William Popp at about 6:30 pm (0030 GMT Monday), 8:30 a.m. in Manila.)

Less than half an hour after taking off from a military airfield near Washington, the government plane Harris was traveling on had to return to the airport in order to be changed out, according to spokeswoman Symone Sanders.

"It is a technical issue. There are no major safety concerns," she said.

Sanders later told pool reporters that the Air Force Two crew noticed an issue with the landing gear, which was not storing as it should, adding that the plane turned around "out of an abundance of caution."

Harris' official visit to Guatemala and Mexico on Monday and Tuesday will focus on migration and economic cooperation. US President Joe Biden has tasked Harris with taking the lead on curbing migration to the United States.

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