Their numbers might have declined, but the violence they are trying to escape persists. As Congress considers the plight of the thousands of people from El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras who still head north every month, it should keep this
Their numbers might have declined, but the violence they are trying to escape persists. As Congress considers the plight of the thousands of people from El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras who still head north every month, it should keep this fact in mind.
The best — and most cost-effective — policy for the U.S. is to help address the poverty and crime that still plague the so-called Northern Triangle. This requires the cooperation of the countries themselves, of course, and there are signs their leaders — pressured by a restive public — might be up to the task. Congress should not let this opportunity pass.
Public outrage about corruption and impunity has reached a political tipping point in Guatemala. There and in Honduras, governments responded to protests without resorting to outright repression. And there is evidence prosecutors are more willing and able to keep corrupt officials to account.
It helps, too, that the region’s economies have recovered from the 2008-09 recession and are benefiting from global tailwinds. … Steps toward greater regional integration, such as a customs union between Honduras and Guatemala, have the potential to spur trade and investment.
Here’s where the U.S. comes in. It cannot end the violence in Central America, but it bears some responsibility for it and stands to gain from its decline. The U.S. appetite for drugs sustains Central American gangs, whose members often were incubated in U.S. prisons. Until this violence slackens — and there is a reduction in the “unorganized” crime that affects even more citizens — the river of migrants will continue running north to the U.S. border. …
Stopping it at the source will take the kind of sustained assistance, totaling about $1 billion, President Barack Obama proposed last January. …
Many in Congress worry this money would be wasted. Or they want to appropriate a much smaller amount to be spent mostly on fighting crime and tightening border controls. …
Public pressure is a powerful force, and continued economic growth is a strong incentive. It’s in the U.S. interest to give countries in the Northern Triangle the help they need.
— Bloomberg View
