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U.S., Supporting Mexico's Plan, Will Invest $5.8 Billion in Central America
The United States, joining an effort by Mexico, will commit to investing billions in Central America in hopes of ending the poverty, violence and drug-trafficking that are driving thousands of people in the region to undertake the difficult trek to the United States, the State Department announced on Tuesday.
Mexico's new president, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, introduced what he called a "Marshall Plan" last week to address the root causes of Central American migration: a $30 billion initiative to invest in the region and welcome migrants into Mexico with visas, health care and employment.
On Tuesday, the Trump administration signaled its support for the plan, saying it was committing $5.8 billion in private and public investments in Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador. Much of that amount, however, was previously committed or contingent on the identification of "commercially viable projects."
Also at The Washington Post and The Hill.
(Score: 5, Insightful) by Azuma Hazuki on Saturday December 22 2018, @12:10AM (8 children)
Knowing the US's history with Latin America, especially where the CIA is concerned, I am taking a very cynical view of this. What exactly are they going to do
I am "that girl" your mother warned you about...
(Score: 2) by fyngyrz on Saturday December 22 2018, @12:24AM
I see your cynicism and throw down a spread of absolute certainty. Raise or call. It's a big pot.
--
Having cats is like having living art.
That randomly throws up on the floor.
(Score: 5, Interesting) by RamiK on Saturday December 22 2018, @12:47AM (3 children)
History wise, the Bracero program" [wikipedia.org] is more relevant here since this is basically US government assisted out-sourcing. You see that "commercially viable projects" clause? The way it would work is that for every promising initiative, an American owned corporation would be tipped off to make a counteroffer with a slightly better profits projection. The review comity members would be motivated by patriotic sentiments and unmarked bills to look the other way while thinking it's only right American tax dollars ends up in American hands. And by the time the public figures out they're effectively giving tax money to companies for moving factories to Mexico, Trump would be long gone.
A classic really.
compiling...
(Score: 2, Interesting) by Sulla on Saturday December 22 2018, @06:00AM (2 children)
Outsourcing some work to other countries really isn't a problem for us as long as that foreign country isn't taking active measures to keep those workers poor. Outsourcing to Japan and South Korea worked out great for us in the long run.. Got cheap goods and services from Japan/Korea, their goods got better and their employees made more, a middle class formed and they went though political changes making them westernize, they became fully developed with a population that can compete on equal grounds with Americans, they started to import luxury goods from the states and trade equalized. The problem showed up when we did the same thing in China but the Party pegged the currency to ensure a middle class could not form, so we never got past the stage where we send them tons of money for not a lot of gain. If instead of doing business with China we did extensive business with South America we could potentially have more Japans/Koreas on our southern border which would be wonderful.
Tldr trade with South America and not China
Ceterum censeo Sinae esse delendam
(Score: 1) by NPC-131072 on Saturday December 22 2018, @12:33PM
Orange man bad [theconversation.com]
(Score: 2) by hendrikboom on Saturday December 22 2018, @05:29PM
Mexico has already gone a long way in the direction of Japan/Korea with NAFTA. It's become a much more stable neighbor for the US. We'll see if the new treaty allows it to continue. Mexico is already at the point to help out countries further south.
(Score: 3, Insightful) by JoeMerchant on Saturday December 22 2018, @02:14AM (2 children)
Advise, direct, selectively fund. It has the _potential_ for good.
I think that potential could be realized if it includes sufficient transparency. Big if, would be historically groundbreaking _if_ it really happened.
🌻🌻 [google.com]
(Score: 3, Interesting) by hendrikboom on Saturday December 22 2018, @03:40AM (1 child)
The Marshall plan worked in Europe. I was a toddler then; I don't know how that worked our re corruption and the like. Anyone remember those days?
(Score: 2) by JoeMerchant on Saturday December 22 2018, @06:30PM
Yeah, worked much better than the post WWI plans - I'm sure there was corruption, always is, as long as the corruption isn't overwhelming it's better to do good with some corruption than to do nothing at all.
🌻🌻 [google.com]