During his visit to Washington, Mexican Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard asked that the United States (EU) redouble its investments in Central America to create jobs and contain migration, given concern about an increase in flows in the coming months.
“Let’s make an important investment in Central America. We have been saying it for four years and it has not been done until now,” he stressed. Ebrard during a press conference at the Mexican Embassy in the United States.
The foreign minister met with the US Secretary of National Security, Alejandro Mayorkas, and with the Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, to address the migratory situation in the region and prepare for the Summit of the Americas next June in Los Angeles, California.
Ebrard explained that US officials they have “the perspective that the migratory flow will increase” if Title 42 is lifted in May, the policy used to forcefully expel migrants under the pretext of the COVID-19 pandemic. COVID-19.
“Mexico is not going to become a country that anyone can pass through when the controversial Title 42 ends,” said Marcelo Ebrard.
Given this, the Mexico’s proposal involves redoubling efforts to create jobs and opportunities in Honduras, El Salvador and Guatemala, so that their citizens are not forced to leave their countries for the United States.
In both meetings, he proposed to organize a joint “conference” in order to coordinate the investments of both countries to create jobs in Central America, an initiative that was well received by his counterparts.
“It has to be a short-term issue, not a long-term one,” he stressed. Ebrard recalled that The Mexican government has invested 100 million dollars in social programs in Central America.
In that sense, he called for “unifying efforts” by warning that “otherwise” it will not be “possible to achieve a significant reduction in migratory flows.”