Mexico urges more US investment in Central America to stem migration flows

Mexican foreign minister on Wednesday said the U.S. must invest more into Central America if it wishes to reduce the flow of migration at the U.S.-Mexico border.

“There needs to be a bigger investment from the United States in Central America than has been given, without a doubt,” Mexican Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard said on a radio program, Reuters reported.

Ebrard was discussing the prospect of Mexico being a barrier to Central American migrants traveling to the U.S.

“Without this investment, if the United States does not support Central America, it’s very hard to think that the migration flows that are happening will diminish,” said Ebrard.

The Biden administration has announced plans to tackle the root cause of mass migration from Central America, with Vice President Harris tasked with leading the endeavor.

As part of this effort, Harris announced commitments from 12 companies and organizations earlier this year to invest in the region. Companies like Mastercard and Microsoft agreed to invest in Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras.

Reuters noted that President Biden recently sent a letter to Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador stating that he has requested an additional $861 million from Congress to be allocated to Central America.