No Time For Human Rights? Trump's Policy In Central America Doubles Down On Mistakes From The Past

US authorities including Vice President Mike Pence, State Secretary Rex Tillerson and Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly met their peers from Mexico and Central America at the recent Conference on Prosperity and Security in Central America. But for all the handshaking and verbose speeches, the emphasis on cooperation and shared responsibility that marked the conference was little more than lip service.

Migration and US Foreign Policy toward Central America 

In 2014, when a wave of unaccompanied minors showed up at the US southern border, the Obama administration started paying attention to the region. Avoiding an overly narrow focus on apprehensions and deportations, however, they came up with a plan aimed at tackling the root causes of migration: the Alliance for Prosperity. But as the Trump administration took over the execution of the plan, it has become obvious that the ideas in it are not new. And as Lauren Carasik writes at Boston Review, "the ideas showcased at the conference reflect longstanding, misguided US policies that have bolstered military and corporate interests—ultimately driving the very displacement the conference was ostensibly convened to curtail". 

Open for business

One of the stated objectives of the conference was to “increase opportunities for US businesses” and “improve conditions for US and other [countries’] companies,” Carasik writes. And she goes on to make clear that the Trump administration is not concerned about human rights. That the government is signaling it will use the crisis to promote business interests at home and abroad is particularly worrisome. And if the past is any guide to what will happen next, we can be sure: expect increased instability in Central America.