Harris announces migration funds as Mexico snubs Americas summit
US Vice-President Kamala Harris announced the funding to boost jobs in hopes of reducing migration from Central America.
US Vice-President Kamala Harris has announced a fresh $US1.9bn ($2.6bn) in private sector funding to boost jobs in hopes of reducing migration from Central America, at a Latin America summit in Los Angeles snubbed by the leaders of Mexico and other affected countries.
Ms Harris has been given the unenviable task of tackling the root causes of rising migration into the US, an issue seized upon by the rival Republican Party that has turned into a top priority for President Joe Biden at a week-long Summit of the Americas.
A day before Mr Biden’s arrival, Ms Harris unveiled on Tuesday $US1.9bn in commitments by businesses — in addition to $US1.2bn announced last year — for the impoverished and violence-ravaged so-called Northern Triangle of El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras.
Ms Harris, who met business leaders as part of the summit in her home state, said the efforts come from “our shared belief that most people don’t want to leave home” but also that “government cannot do it alone”.
“We know the American people will benefit from stable and prosperous neighbours. And when we provide economic opportunity for people in Central America, we address an important driver of migration,” she said.
Ms Harris also announced the creation of the “Central American Service Corps” funded through US aid to mentor young people.
But none of the Northern Triangle leaders are attending the summit, nor is President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador of Mexico, the crucial US partner on migration policy due to the 3200km shared border. Mr Lopez Obrador, a leftist populist, had insisted that Mr Biden invite all governments including Cuba, Nicaragua and Venezuela — which the US is excluding on the grounds that the summit is only for democracies.
Argentina’s centre-left president, Alberto Fernandez, who confirmed his attendance after a phone call and invitation to Washington from Mr Biden, said he would try to “give a voice” to the absent countries. “We enormously regret the non-presence of the countries that weren’t invited,” he said before heading to Los Angeles. “Unity is not spoken, it is exercised, and the best way to exercise it is by not segregating anyone.”
Mexican Foreign Secretary Marcelo Ebrard, attending instead of Mr Lopez Obrador, said his president would visit Washington next month and insisted that ties were not at risk.
The relationship between the neighbours “is positive and will remain so and we don’t expect any change in that,” he said.
But Mr Lopez Obrador’s absence set a sour tone after his surprisingly close partnership with Donald Trump, who had threatened Mexico with sanctions unless it cracked down on Central American migrants.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken sought until the last minute to woo Mr Lopez Obrador, including by seeking lower-level participation by Cuba and easing some restrictions including on US flights to the communist island. But US officials said they saw no reciprocation from Cuban authorities, who recently went ahead with the trial of two dissident artists.
On Venezuela, the US does not recognise President Nicolas Maduro, whose 2018 re-election was clouded by widespread reports of irregularities. Mr Biden also did not invite opposition leader Juan Guaido, whom the US still considers interim president despite his dwindling chances. Mr Biden will instead speak to Mr Guaido by telephone.
Mr Biden is expected to meet President Jair Bolsonaro of Brazil, despite rising fears that the Trump ally will not accept the legitimacy of upcoming elections.
Mr Ebrard hoped that the summit would address the needs for “massive investment” in Latin America and the Caribbean in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic.
The new funding announced by Ms Harris included a commitment by credit card giant Visa to invest more than $270m over five years with an aim of bringing another 6.5 million people into a formal financial system in a region rife with corruption. The North America branch of Yazaki, the Japanese auto parts maker, will invest $US110m, hiring more than 14,000 new employees in Guatemala and El Salvador.
AFP
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