Latin America has been displaced from U.S. foreign policy conversations, yet it has experienced a series of changes, from climatic to political, that have had repercussions in the American union.
Against the backdrop of these changes, a group of experts shared their thoughts at a meeting organized by Ethnic Media Services The importance of investing in this region of the continent was emphasized.
Ariel Ruiz - policy analyst at the Migration Policy Institute - said that from April 2021 to October 2022 there have been 1.3 million migrant encounters with authorities, with 61% coming from Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras, while the remaining 39% are from other countries. In that sense, he commented that "the systems in the region are not equipped to deal with the diversity we are seeing".
He also pointed out that not all migrants can return to their country of origin, because although there are agreements related to deportation, it is sometimes difficult to negotiate it, so it is necessary to create stability and assistance for the communities that receive migrants, in addition to providing them with legal protection.
At the end of his participation, Ariel Ruiz stressed the importance of making the administration of the border more humane, as there have been a large number of confrontations between authorities and migrants due to the fact that control has become increasingly violent.
Christine Folch - associate professor of cultural anthropology, environmental science and politics at Duke University - addressed the importance of considering the ways in which Latin America is a leader, especially on environmental issues.
He pointed out that this part of the continent is the only one in which two-thirds of its energy comes from renewable resources, while in the U.S. and Europe these two-thirds come from fossil fuels.
For the expert, "Latin America has lessons to teach" since there are countries such as Paraguay and Brazil that have hydroelectric dams that are even capable of providing electricity to cities such as California, Texas or Argentina, a country that aims to cover 20% of its energy through renewable resources such as wind.
For his part, Ted Lewis, co-director of Global Exchange, commented that it is important for the Biden administration to recognize that they will not achieve any of the big changes on immigration that, in his words, we need and want so much because they are politically trapped.
Likewise, he highlighted that López Obrador's refusal to attend the Summit of the Americas was a symbolic position in view of the absence of Cuba, Venezuela and Nicaragua. In addition, he emphasized that the summit has shown that the US narrative is that they are the leader of the hemisphere and others should simply be grateful that they can touch their territory.
Finally, Manuel Ortiz -co-founder and director of Peninsula 360 Press- focused on the situation in Colombia, a country that has gone from hope for peace to violence. He also highlighted the creation -over the years- of new social movements, platforms and alliances among them.
He also highlighted that Colombia is the second place in the world with more internal displacements due to paramilitaries and guerrillas taking control of some regions of the country. In that sense, members of the affected communities said that the Peace Agreements proposed in 2016, would not work if the government did not include Afro-Colombian, indigenous and other sectors, in addition to the return of land to its owners.
He also highlighted the growing violence in the country as well as the murder and disappearance of hundreds of people during the protests of April 2021. He also mentioned that Gustavo Petro and Francia Márquez represent hope for the affected communities. At the end of the meeting, he said that whatever happens in Latin American countries impacts the US.
You may be interested in: Colombian elections: between the right of Fico and the left of Petro and Marquez
