Central America faces “significant challenges,” say US ambassadors to the region

The United States ambassadors in Central America pointed out during a joint discussion in Washington that there are “significant challenges” and challenges in different areas for the region. Although there are similarities between the countries, they also highlighted marked differences.

Some key issues are state of exception in El Salvador, the persecution of justice operators and the press in Guatemala, the citizen insecurity in Honduras and the penetration of drug trafficking in Costa Ricathey pointed out.

Diplomats consider that Central America offers “enormous opportunities” for economic growth, investment and to face common problems together.

El Salvador, emergency regime

The US ambassador to El Salvador, William Duncan, said at the meeting at the Inter-American Dialogue analysis center that there are many questions about where the country is headed.

His work prioritizes maintaining diplomatic ties “and the people of El Salvador appreciate that,” he said.

The US acknowledges that the popularity of President Nayib Bukele is high, and that even the president’s detractors see that citizen security has improved, but there is uncertainty about what follows after the emergency regime that international organizations are closely following due to reports from human rights violations.

Honduras, human rights and migration

The US ambassador to Honduras, Laura Dogu, pointed out the importance of diplomacy to address the issue of migration.

Honduras, according to the ambassador, faces a serious problem of irregular migration to the US, with which much of her work is aimed at reinforcing the routes and the Biden administration’s plan to find solutions to the root problems of migrations irregular.

Honduras also continues to face “significant challenges,” especially in terms of security, not only due to homicides, but also due to extortion by organized groups and other structures that suppress the resources of the population.

From the diplomatic headquarters in Tegucigalpa, issues of “human rights, education, job creation and migration strategies” are closely followed, he said.

Guatemala, attacks on judicial independence

The US ambassador to Guatemala, William Popp, said that Guatemala, unlike other countries in the region, shows a “very solid” economy that would suggest a capacity to face adverse situations with a fairly rapid recovery after COVID-19.

“Not only because of remittances, but also as a center for attracting investment,” said Popp, who has been in office in Guatemala City for three years, and assures that despite these advances, the country is the center of many concerns.

“There is a lot of concern about the country’s institutions and the rule of law due to the persecution of judges, independent prosecutors and the press, there are many centers of attention,” said the ambassador.

The ambassador pointed out “concerns” with a view to the upcoming elections on June 25 about the independence of key instances for democracy such as the electoral power, due to processes that have marked the country in recent weeks as “removing some from contention” candidates who enjoyed popular acceptance.

Guatemala’s cooperation with the US on issues such as the fight against organized crime with the extraditions of those requested by US justice has advanced, and on the immigration issue it is also “a strong ally,” said the ambassador.

Costa Rica, the penetration of drug trafficking

The US ambassador to Costa Rica, Cynthia Telles, said that the Central American country, considered an oasis for democracy in the region, is a fortress of stability in the region, but that regional problems are having a “significant impact” on the Costa Rican society.

The penetration of drug trafficking has generated a public security problem and “much concern” for society, which has a solid institutional framework, but with an enormous problem posed by the installation of drug cartels in the territory, Telles said.

“Unfortunately now a lot of drugs are arriving, especially from Colombia, which poses security problems,” said the ambassador.

Telles also appreciated that the country has seen a serious problem of lack of jobs that worsened with the pandemic.

Costa Rica is dealing with the migration issue in the opposite way from other countries in the region, having become a recipient of thousands of Nicaraguans who move towards that country, but also with the migration flows from the south of the continent that cross the country , he pointed.

“Now 20% of the population of Costa Rica is immigrant, especially from Nicaragua, with some 800,000” installed in the country, said the ambassador, and the numbers suggest that Costa Rica “receives about 4,000 migrants a day” from Most of them from Venezuela, who come to the Costa Rican territory from the south.

Belize and the routes of drugs and migrants

Belize’s ambassador, Michelle Kwan, said that she has seen the small country’s economy recover in pre-pandemic times, with a flow of tourists that are already filling up its summer resorts again, but that it has also been impacted by drug trafficking.

The drug that crosses the region from South America to enter Mexico and from there to the US is “a problem” with which Belize lives daily, he said.

The ambassadors believe that joint dialogues such as this meeting allow us to measure the contributions that international cooperation can make to focus aid for the region.

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