GUATEMALA CITY.- The head of United States diplomacy, Antony Blinken, warned this Tuesday that Washington will sanction those who facilitate “irregular migration”, a key issue in the US electoral campaign, and announced $578 million in aid for Latin America, at a conference continental in Guatemala.
This measure is part of the efforts to address the migration crisis that affects the region, being one of the crucial issues on the US political agenda in times of electoral campaign and when the current occupant of the White House, Democrat Joe Biden, seeks presidential re-election.
Blinken promised “578 million (dollars) in humanitarian assistance” to the region at the Guatemala conclave, Marcela Escobari, Biden’s special assistant, reported in a telephone press conference.
These funds will go to “partner countries (in the effort for legal and orderly migration) and host communities (of migrants) in response to urgent humanitarian needs,” the White House said in a statement.
The “new visa restriction policy is aimed at people who knowingly provide transportation to those who intend to migrate irregularly to the United States, including charter flights that arrive in Nicaragua,” Blinken said at the meeting chaired by the Guatemalan president, Bernardo Arevalo.
Blinken highlighted that on Monday Washington announced “visa restrictions on executives of Colombian maritime migration companies that are facilitating irregular migration.”
“Human management”
The conference, chaired by Arévalo, brought together representatives from twenty American countries to seek concerted solutions to the complex migration problem on the continent. In this context, Blinken highlighted the importance of strengthening the human management of migration and adopting measures to “combat” irregular migration.
“We are redoubling our efforts to protect migrant workers from exploitation,” added the US Secretary of State.
For her part, the Chilean vice chancellor, Gloria de la Fuente, maintained that migration is a multilateral challenge and, therefore, countries must find joint solutions.
“We hope that we can agree on a roadmap for the implementation of the Los Angeles Declaration, highlighting the already existing processes,” added De la Fuente.
Blinken and Mulino talk about migration
The Secretary of State and the elected president of Panama, José Raúl Mulino, addressed this Tuesday the “importance of working together to manage migration in a safe and humane way.” Blinken stressed during a phone call Washington’s “strong support” for “Panama’s efforts to confront corruption and organized crime,” expressing his “commitment” to “ensure the continued success of the Panama Canal,” as well as improving its resilience to climate change.
Both affirmed that bilateral cooperation is “essential to ensure the economic development and future prosperity of the region,” according to a statement from the spokesman for the head of US diplomacy, Matthew Miller.
The Secretary of State highlighted that the bilateral relationship “has flourished for more than 100 years, supported by strong economic, educational and family ties”, and that “looking forward” he will continue working on “common objectives of inclusive and sustainable economic growth, reinforcing citizen security and stopping irregular migration.”
Millions enter
The measure announced by Blinken comes at a time when the US president Joe Biden faces growing electoral pressure due to the migration crisis. Since he took office, approximately 10 million undocumented migrants have been detained at the border, generating tensions both politically and socially in the United States.
In addition, the situation in the region is complicated by migration through the dangerous territory of Darién, on the border between Colombia and Panama, where criminal gangs operate, assaulting, raping and killing migrants. There is also an increase in charter flights from Nicaragua, which has become an air bridge for Asian and African migrants seeking to reach Central America and avoid Darien.
The immigration policy of the Biden government has been the subject of criticism from Republicans and sectors of his own party, who accuse him of inaction on the problem. In this context, Biden is expected to seek to implement stronger measures to address the immigration chaos and ensure his re-election in the next elections.
The recent demonstration in Boston, Massachusetts, where hundreds of people demanded the closure of the border and a change in Biden’s immigration policies, reflects the growing concern among the American population. This internal pressure, along with demands for an effective response from Latin American countries, underscores the urgency of finding concrete and collaborative solutions to address the migration crisis in the region.
Source: With information from AFP
