U.S. and Mexico to join efforts to tackle deforestation and migration issues

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris and Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador held a virtual meeting on Friday, May 7th, in which they agreed to address the causes of Central American migration, such as deforestation and unemployment.

Shortly after the meeting, U.S. Vice Presidential spokeswoman Symone Sanders explained in a statement that both agreed to work together in order to “establish a strategic partnership to address the root causes of migration from the Northern Triangle countries,” referring to Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador.

In this respect, the spokeswoman said the initiative calls for the U.S. and Mexico to leverage their expertise and resources to address a number of challenges, “including lack of employment, limited market access, and deforestation and regional instability caused by climate change.”

ATTRACTING INVESTMENT BY “SOWING LIFE”

Prior to the meeting, López Obrador told reporters that he hoped that Friday’s meeting with Harris would serve to attract investment to Central America with his flagship reforestation program, ”Sembrando Vida” (Sowing Life).

In this respect, he said he was going to explain in “considerable detail” his proposal to export the program in order to “invest” in Central America to plant trees. In Mexico, the project consists of planting 1 million hectares and 420,000 planters are currently involved in the program.

Sanders said that during their conversation Harris and López Obrador emphasized the bilateral relationship and the need to work together on recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic, building “climate resilience” and expanding economic opportunities and security cooperation.

The statement added that Harris emphasized her country’s commitment to work with Mexico to boost development in the Northern Triangle and southern Mexico, protect the rights of workers to organize unions, and expand business opportunities.

To that end, the U.S. has developed a package of measures, including trade and business development missions to the region.

On the other hand, according to Sanders, both senior officials expressed their desire to make progress in bilateral efforts against human trafficking, including the exchange of information and experts to ensure security at the common border and promote the protection of human rights.

A “FRIENDLY” TALK

After the meeting, López Obrador described the talk with Harris as “friendly.”

“We talked on friendly terms with the Vice President of the United States, Kamala Harris. We are committed to work together to seek effective, humane and fair measures to the migratory phenomenon,” said the president on Twitter from the National Palace.

In his message, López Obrador shared the beginning of the virtual meeting in which the U.S. Vice President urged him to address the causes of immigration from the Northern Triangle countries.

Harris began the meeting by stressing that it is in the interest of both countries to “provide immediate relief to the Northern Triangle” and address “the root causes” of immigration.

“Most people don’t want to leave their homes and when they do it is often because they are fleeing some danger or are forced to leave because there are no opportunities,” remarked the Vice President, the White House’s top immigration official.

Harris encouraged López Obrador to continue working bilaterally and multilaterally on immigration, in addition to stressing that the U.S. advocates an international and global approach.

“Our approach is to work with international institutions, with nations around the world, the private sector and community organizations,” detailed Harris, who also called for a joint fight against violence, corruption and impunity.

Aside from immigration, Harris mentioned other “challenges” for both nations such as Covid and its economic repercussions, and stated that cooperation with Mexico could not be more important at this time.

A DEEP AND COMPLEX SHARED HISTORY

“It goes without saying but I will, Mexico is our closest neighbor and, of course, we share a border, but also the values of dignity and respect. We share family and friendship ties, and we also share a long, deep and complex history,” she said.

In his turn to speak, López Obrador recalled that both countries share a border of some 3,000 kilometers in length, thus they need to understand each other, rather than fight.

And he recalled a quote he told Biden during their virtual meeting in early March, from Mexican dictator Porfirio Diaz (1884-1911) who lamented: “Poor Mexico, so far from God and so close to the United States.”

López Obrador considered that, as relations are now much better, it could be said that “Mexico is close to God and not so far from the United States,” which sparked laughter among those present.

“Now we could say, because relations are much better, ‘Blessed Mexico, so close to God and not so far from the United States,” he finished.

He anticipated that they would discuss a “specific proposal” that could be “convenient” to fight migration, in reference to the Sembrando Vida program, which he seeks to expand with U.S. support to Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador.

The Mexican initiative is currently being implemented in these countries, but with very limited resources.

Harris plans to visit Mexico on June 8th, on a tour that will also take her to Guatemala.

The region has been experiencing a strong migratory wave for months after a 2020 marked by the pandemic, natural disasters and the arrival of Democrat Joe Biden to the White House.

The number of migrants detained by the U.S. Border Patrol has been growing for months and surged from 101,028 in February to 172,131 in March, its highest monthly level in two decades.