SEATTLE, Washington — President Trump recently argued certain countries weren’t doing enough to prevent immigrants from seeking asylum at the U.S.’s southern border. Therefore, he announced plans to freeze about $450 million in U.S. foreign aid for Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador. These countries are known as the Northern Triangle. The three countries share long-suffered characteristics of poverty, drug and gang-related violence, government corruption and lack of economic opportunity. In the first half of 2019, an estimated 508,000 migrants fled the Triangle and began traveling to the U.S. border.
Cuts to U.S. Foreign Aid
Historically, U.S. monetary aid to these Central American countries has decreased homicide rates, successfully empowered anti-corruption judges, investigators and prosecutors and promoted economic development. Most of the aid goes directly to non-profit and civil society organizations. Therefore, in 2014, the U.S. responded to high numbers of unaccompanied child migrants by committing $750 million annually to the Northern Triangle. The effects of this undertaking could be seen in areas of El Salvador. The U.S Agency for International Development worked to drop the homicide rate dropped an average of 45% between 2015 to 2017.
However, the Trump administration’s stance against migration from the Northern Triangle decreased the amount of U.S. assistance by 30% from 2016 to 2019. This cut in foreign aid would most likely not decrease the number of migrants from this region. Instead, it will exacerbate the well-established problems that cause them to leave their homes.
Poverty
The poverty rates in the Northern Triangle are high and range from 29.2% in El Salvador, 59.3% in Guatemala and 61.2% in Honduras according to recent data. Large inequalities caused by a lack of socioeconomic mobility and wealth concentration drive these rates higher. The region has seen greater economic stability and diversity following policies adopted in the 1980s. However, most of that development has not reached the majority of citizens. Furthermore, the small number of jobs compared to the large workforce lowers the likelihood of socioeconomic mobility.
Violence
The Northern Triangle’s economic difficulties have contributed to the formation of gangs and high levels of criminal activity such as drug trafficking that creates a climate of violence. Two of the largest gangs, Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13) and Eighteenth Street (M-18), are transnational. Additionally, they account for a large portion of the drug trafficking that occurs in the region. Furthermore, the rate of crimes against women — specifically, femicide — is among the highest in the world according to the UN.
Corruption
Patterns of government corruption are common in El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras. Thus, corruption has hindered the region’s ability to economically and socially develop. Three of El Salvador’s former presidents have been charged with embezzlement or money laundering. Similarly, Honduras terminated 40% of its police force following reforms. The Guatemalan government appealed to the UN for help with its corruption problem. They created the International Commission Against Impunity in Guatemala, which convicted about 300 corrupt officials.
The countries of the Northern Triangle have reduced poverty rates, violence and corruption. However, cutting aid to Central America “is the exact wrong thing to do,” says former Secretary of Homeland Security Jeh Johnson. In the past, U.S. assistance to these countries has supported various important causes. That includes strengthening police forces, improving upon security and judicial systems, the creation of food security programs and the battle against gang expansion.
Furthermore, we can see the positive impact of previous U.S. foreign aid. There was a 41,000 person decrease in the number of Salvadorans detained at the U.S. border from 2016 to 2018. The sudden halt of aid left local and international NGOs working to improve living conditions in the Northern Triangle without operational funds to continue humanitarian programs.
The U.S. resumed its allocation of foreign aid to El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras. However, the State Department does not monitor whether governance, living conditions or human rights improved after receiving funds. The U.S. needs to both continue giving aid to these Central American countries while ensuring the improvement of the living conditions, corruption and violence that catalyze high rates of migration. If it can do this, not as many people would feel forced to escape to the U.S.
– Isabel Serrano
Photo: Wikimedia