The vice president of the United States, Kamala Harris, has launched a call for “hope” and to offer “results” to migrants so that they are not forced to leave their countries at the beginning of their tour of Central America. The first stop on the trip was Guatemala, where she met with President Alejandro Giammattei.
Regional and US leaders must “give people a sense of hope that aid is on the way, understanding that hope does not exist by itself,” Harris said as soon as her meeting with Giammattei began.
“This must be accompanied by relationships and trust. It must be accompanied by tangible results in terms of what we do as leaders to convince people that there is a reason to be hopeful about their future and the future of their children,” he argued. , according to Bloomberg.
Harris has emphasized eradicating corruption, which he sees as the main reason for migration, as it affects all sectors, from the economy to justice, and has committed to working with non-governmental organizations and businesses to direct aid. .
Harris is expected to meet with Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador on Tuesday. Possible US financial aid announcements could serve to soften harsh messages Harris is expected to send about prosecuting corruption and upholding democratic principles.
Harris’s trip is part of the stated intention of US President Joe Biden to address the causes of emigration from Central America. Only so far this year there have been more than 200,000 attempts by migrants from the area to enter the United States.
Biden has tasked Harris with the efforts to stop the increase in migration. To do this, Harris intends to obtain information from her tour of Central America with a view to developing a specific policy and therefore no major announcements are expected until she returns to the United States.