WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senator Tom Carper (D-Del.) met with President of Guatemala Jimmy Morales in Senator Carper’s Washington, D.C. office to discuss ongoing efforts to improve security and economic opportunities in Guatemala. President Morales was elected president of Guatemala in 2015. Last month, Senator Carper attended the inauguration of President Morales along with Vice President Biden.
In December 2015, Senator Carper released the report, Stronger Neighbors – Stronger Borders: Addressing the Root Causes of the Migration Surge from Central America. The report found that the ongoing sure in migration from the Northern Triangle countries of Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador reflects troubled conditions in those countries, including severe violence involving children.
The three nations have committed to an unprecedented regional plan – the Alliance for Prosperity – to try to improve conditions in the Northern Triangle. Congress has agreed to support their effort, and recently appropriated $750 million for Fiscal Year 2016 for coordinated initiatives to increase economic prosperity, rule of law and security. This investment underscores the U.S. commitment to helping these nations address the root causes of poverty, violence, and hopelessness that drive so many people north — including unaccompanied children and mothers with young children.