Vice President Kamala Harris pledging more money to Central America to stem the flow of migrants into the US, announcement expected at the Summit of the Americas.
Vice President Kamala Harris, along with President Joe Biden, will be welcoming leaders from Latin America and the Caribbean to Los Angeles this week for the Summit of the Americas. Despite the efforts of Vice President Harris to cultivate relationships of Latin American leaders during prominent trips to secure $1.2 billion in private investments to bolster regional economies, major roadblocks remain as she addresses the catalysts of migration in the Northern Triangle nations. A White House official maintained they are "seeing progress" with these connections and that Vice President Harris plans to roll out a new cache of private sector commitments, along with a new women's empowerment program meant to be a continuation of the root cause strategy laid out last year.
In recent days, she and President Biden have been working to shore up attendance among leftist leaders who have been heavily critical of the U.S. and the decision to exclude the authoritarian governments of Cuba, Nicaragua and Venezuela from the summit. Currently, the Biden administration’s largest policy proposal in the region — a $4 billion aid package for Central America — has stalled in Congress with little apparent effort to revive it.
Vice President Harris will participate in a week of events during the Summit of the Americas meant to highlight her efforts to address the root causes of migration in Central America, where according to a senior Biden administration official, she is expected to announce another $1.9 billion in commitments. "The Vice President is focused on creating a prosperous and inclusive future for the people of the Western Hemisphere," a White House official said.