MIAMI (AP) – U.S. and Central American officials found common ground Thursday on the benefits of economic development and the need to reduce drug trafficking as the administration of President Donald Trump proposes to dial back financial assistance to the region.
Vice President Mike Pence told leaders of Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador that the U.S. shares their goal of improving their economies, which coincides with a Trump agenda that includes stronger border enforcement and less illegal immigration.
“A flourishing economy gives people a reason, a reason to put down roots in the land of their birth and to grow rather than fleeing to the north,” Pence told leaders of the countries, along with senior officials from Mexico, at a two-day conference in Miami.
Pence noted that the Trump administration has proposed $460 million in assistance, which will be used to strengthen law enforcement and develop their economies. He didn’t mention that the amount is 30 percent less than was approved last year by Congress under President Barack Obama, which has dismayed some experts on the region. “The United States will continue to work with our partners to support the programs that prove effective,” he said.
Central American leaders echoed the call for strengthening the economies of the region and their ability to fight drug trafficking and the gangs that have overwhelmed the countries. Some indirectly warned of the consequences of such a move.