Washington, United States
The United States made it clear on Wednesday that there are no new security deals with Mexico, Guatemala and Honduras to mobilize soldiers and police as part of its strategy to irregular immigration, and instead stressed the importance of cooperation to overcome this phenomenon and tackle its causes.
The US Special Envoy to Central America’s Northern TriangleRicardo Zúñiga, has made it clear to a subcommittee of the House of Representatives that President Joe Biden’s government has not signed such an agreement.
“There are no agreements with the governments on border security,” Zúñiga replied to a question from the Hispanic Congressman Joaquín Castro.
The Texas legislature He said he had previously been informed by the State Department that the versions of the alleged agreements were not exact and pointed to concerns from human rights groups about the possible use of the police and military to stop the arrival of undocumented immigrants.
Zúñiga thus clarified an announcement made Monday for the White House spokesman, Jen Psaki, who indicated that the US had made agreements with Mexico, Honduras and Guatemala to mobilize thousands of soldiers and police officers on their borders.
A day after Psaki’s statements, Mexico replied that it had expelled “more than a month” 12,000 people, including soldiers, immigration agents and other officials, to stem the wave of migration and especially the trafficking of minors.
At the same time, Guatemala and Honduras They denied signing any new agreement.
The US envoy, who recently visited El Salvador and Guatemala, stressed that they agree with the importance of “ continuing to work and work together to manage migration, in a way that enhances the security of each country, and allows to maintain. the law at their borders like the United States does. “
For Zúñiga, the current flow of migrants from Central America is “part of a recurring pattern” driving mass migration, among the causes of which he identified insecurity, lack of opportunity and the search for a better life.
A White House spokesman said Tuesday that the countries of the Northern Triangle of Central America have already worked together in the past to “discourage irregular migration,” which he considered a “shared challenge.”
Customs and Border Protection (CBP) revealed that 172,331 undocumented migrants were intercepted at the border with Mexico last March, 70.6% more than in February this year and the highest monthly figure in 20 years.
Of that total, 18,890 were underage immigrants coming to the United States alone.
Next Wednesday is the Vice President of EE.UU., Kamala Harris, announced his intention to travel “soon” to Mexico, Guatemala and possibly other Central American countries to discuss how to “deal with the root causes” of irregular immigration, as he explained at a meeting with immigration experts, Central America and Development.
The Vice President, to whom Biden has entrusted the task of coordinating with the countries of Central America to try to stop illegal immigration, has not indicated whether they will also be moving to the other two countries of the United States. Northern triangle, where the majority of immigrants arriving at the Mexico-United States border are from.
Harris said the US has the opportunity to give Central Americans “some kind of hope that if they stay at home, help is on the way.”