White House presents plan to address Central American migration

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris on Thursday (29) announced a strategy to address migration from Central America, which in addition to fighting corruption and violence in the places of origin, includes the support of other governments and U.S. corporations.

The plan focuses on Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras, countries that make up the so-called Northern Triangle of Central America, which is the source of the largest flow of migrants seeking to reach the United States.

Harris conceded in a statement that the current U.S. commitment “has not been consistent” and “has failed to work in the region,” particularly in recent years.

Accordingly, the U.S. will base its strategy on five areas: addressing economic insecurity and inequality; fighting corruption; strengthening democratic governance; promoting the rule of law; and promoting respect for human rights, labor rights and freedom of the press.

It will also fight and prevent violence, extortion and other crimes perpetrated by criminal gangs, human trafficking networks and other organized crime organizations, and address sexual, gender-based and domestic violence.

The initiative, which Harris described as “far-reaching,” focuses on “partnerships with other governments, international institutions, businesses, foundations and civil society.”

The Vice President stated that the U.S. has so far received commitments from Mexico, Japan, South Korea and the United Nations to “provide relief to the region.”

To differentiate this new strategy from the one promoted by ex-president Barack Obama (2009-2017) with similar goals, Harris has highlighted that her Administration will work more with the private sector, an “underutilized” partner in the past.

Last March, Harris took on the mission of reducing migration from Central America which took her to Guatemala and Mexico last June.

U.S. Department of State’s special envoy for the Northern Triangle Ricardo Zuñiga stressed the importance of bringing the private sector into the strategy. “We are prepared to work with those who are prepared to work with us in the fight against corruption and impunity,” he said.

U.S. President Joe Biden included in the budget for the 2022 fiscal year (October 2021-September 2022) an investment of US$861 million to address the causes of irregular immigration, according to official figures.