Los Angeles - US Vice President Kamala Harris announced another 1.9 billion dollars in private-sector funding to boost jobs in hopes of reducing migration from Central America, on Tuesday, June 7, at a Latin America summit in Los Angeles snubbed by the leaders of Mexico and other affected countries.
Ms. Harris has been given the unenviable task of tackling the root causes of rising migration into the United States, an issue seized upon by the rival Republican Party that has become a top priority for President Joe Biden at a week-long Summit of the Americas.
A day before Mr. Biden's arrival, the White House said that Ms. Harris was unveiling another 1.9 billion dollars in commitments – in addition to 1.2 billion dollars announced last year – from businesses with the aim of creating economic opportunity in the impoverished so-called Northern Triangle of El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras.
Ms. Harris will also give details on the "Central American Service Corps" funded through US aid to provide opportunities for young people. The investments aim "to provide hope for people in the region to build safe and prosperous lives at home," a White House statement said.
The new funding announced by Harris included a commitment by credit card giant Visa to invest more than 270 million dollars over five years with an aim of bringing one million more businesses and 6.5 million people into a formal financial system in a region rife with corruption. The North America branch of Yazaki, the Japanese autoparts maker, will invest 110 million dollars, hiring more than 14,000 new employees in Guatemala and El Salvador, the White House said. Other companies making commitments include clothing maker Gap and Millicon, a telecommunications company that plans to invest 700 million dollars to expand mobile and broadband networks across the three countries.
Source: Le Monde
