The White House on March 31 doubled down on President Donald Trump’s decision to cut off aid to Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador, saying the small Central American nations were not doing enough to stop the flow of migrants to the US.
The White House reignited the issue of immigration this week, amid a surge in migrant detentions and the possibility of a second migrant caravan headed north from Central America. Trump confirmed the suspension of aid payments to the three countries on Friday.
“We stopped payment to Honduras, to Guatemala, and to El Salvador. We were paying them tremendous amounts of money, and we’re not paying them anymore because they haven’t done a thing for us,” Trump said.
The aid to Central American countries is meant to fund programs to combat gangs and foster development, and to address the root causes of mass migration from the region to the US.
ritics have warned that cuts to US assistance could worsen conditions and possibly increase the migrant flow.
Democratic Senator Dick Durbin defended the aid’s impact and its goal. “We need to focus on what’s happening in Central America where three countries are disassembling before our eyes and people are desperately coming to the United States,” he said.
“The president cutting off aid to these countries will not solve this problem,” Durbin added.
Honduras responded on Sunday to the White House plan, proposing that Guatemala and El Salvador consider supporting joint initiatives “to ensure the sovereignty and dignity of each nation” in light of “the contradictory policies of the United States.”
Source: DW
