U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with senior officials from across Latin America in Guatemala as part of the Biden administration’s continued push for countries in the region to crack down on illegal migration. Blinken said the Biden administration would also work with U.S. Congress to secure another $578 million in aid to countries in the region hosting migrants. (New York Times)
Our Take
The fact that these talks were held in Guatemala is a symbolic show of support from Washington to Guatemalan President Bernardo Arevalo, who barely survived efforts by the country’s corrupt elites to keep him from assuming the presidency earlier this year.
But besides that, the meeting is all about U.S. politics. And it is no coincidence that these talks are happening now, at the time of year when arrivals at the U.S. southern border usually surge.