Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador has demonstrated his leadership in the region by calling for a summit of heads of Latin American and Caribbean countries that share a common problem with Mexico: the migration crisis. The meeting will be between representatives of 12 countries and comes at a time when the United States – the destination of all migration – has decided to strengthen its border wall with Mexico. Another trigger for the high-level summit was the risks migrants face as they travel through different countries – from accidents to falling into the hands of human traffickers and organized crime. López Obrador, who loved communicating with symbols, arranged for the meeting to take place in Palenque, Chiapas, an ancestral city of the Mayan culture. The southern state is also the border connecting Mexico with Central America and a mandatory passage for migrants to the United States.
López Obrador named the summit: “Meeting for a Brotherly Neighborhood of Well-Being.” The Mexican Foreign Ministry reported that Colombian President Gustavo Petro; Cuba, Miguel Diaz-Canel; Haiti, Ariel Henry; Honduras, Xiomara Castro and Venezuela, Nicolás Maduro. The vice presidents or ministers of Belize, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala and Panama are also taking part as representatives of their heads of state. What all of these countries have in common is that they are places of displacement, transit or arrival of migrants. Announcing the Latin America summit, the Mexican president pointed out that governments urgently need to find a common solution to curb migration: “We cannot stand idly by, the flow of migrants is increasing sharply,” he said.
Experts confirm that this high-level meeting, specifically focused on the migration phenomenon, is unprecedented. They also see this as a promising opportunity to reduce the flow of refugees and to offer people in transit protection and dignified treatment. Giovanni Lepri, representative of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), points out that the presence of the heads of state and government is a good sign that the agreements reached are being put into practice. “This cannot be solved country by country, it has to be a regional agreement,” he said in an interview. For the diplomat, the joint plan must address three issues as a priority: strengthen asylum processes and systems; expand opportunities for the integration of migrants through employment or education and address the causes that lead to displacement in each country.
This last point is consistent with López Obrador’s diagnosis of the migration phenomenon. The Mexican president has repeatedly stated that people emigrate out of necessity, not pleasure. López Obrador believes that displacement can be stopped if every country has education and employment opportunities. This led him to sign an agreement with Central American countries to export the Sembrando Vida agricultural program to those countries. The number of migration flows has increased and shows that the problem is far from being solved.
A group of migrants crosses the Suchiate River aboard a raft, in a file photo.Hector Guerrero
According to official figures, irregular migration increased by 30% between August and September. From the perspective of the countries of displacement, the number of people emigrating from Venezuela doubled during this period (from 31,000 to 60,000 people). Migration from Ecuador and Colombia is also increasing. Hundreds of people are crowding the Mexico-US border, waiting to cross to apply for legal residency. Organized crime and human traffickers pose the greatest threat to your life as you transit through Mexico. Criminal groups pursue migrants. They blackmail her, kidnap her, murder her. The San Fernando massacre, in which 72 migrants were murdered, or the recent Camargo massacre, in which 19 people were murdered, are a cruel example of the danger. This does not take into account accidents associated with crossing the jungle or on board trucks and trains.
“When it comes to the phenomenon of human mobility, we do not decide whether we like it or not, whether we stop it or whether it continues. It’s happening and it’s growing. The numbers show us that it has increased exponentially and many more countries in this region are involved as senders, as transit points or as receivers than a few years ago,” says Lepri. “I think that [la cumbre del domingo] It is the realization that something is happening and needs to be dealt with. This cannot be a reaction, but rather a proactive action. Mobility can make a big contribution in a region where there are significant labor shortages in several countries. If mobility is managed well, it can also meet a need in the labor market,” he emphasizes.
The UNHCR official claims that the affected countries must commit to finding alternatives to address the various causes of migration (e.g. humanitarian authorizations or parole); expand regular mobility routes for safe transit; Strengthen funding for organizations that manage accommodation and expand the provision of work or student permits. “And the big bet is complex, but you have to start with it, because if you don’t start, it will never end: find the formula to prevent people from having to leave their country. And political, institutional and economic measures must be taken,” he says.
Eunice Rendón, specialist in migration and crime prevention, agrees with Lepri that, in addition to immediate solutions, attention must also be paid to the causes of migration. “An orderly, safe, compassionate and productive model is required. It is important to talk about other types of migrants, not just refugees. Many of the migrants do not fit into this category. We have to think of a response for the others who do not meet the conditions to access refuge but are also fleeing their country due to difficult problems,” he said in an interview.
Venezuelan migrants camp under a border bridge in Ciudad Juárez.Gladys Serrano
Rendón, who was a former federal official in the Ministry of Public Security and Foreign Affairs, reiterates that this summit marks a change in López Obrador’s migration policy. The specialist recalls that in 2019, under pressure from Donald Trump, then President of the United States, the Mexican government increased the presence of the National Guard on the southern border to stop the passage of migrants. “I hope that [en la reunión] “Discuss what we are going to do with what is already happening, and that it is not just limited to control, securitization, militarization and watching who is deporting, but let’s talk about how we can use what already exists “We can organize things better,” he explains. Rendón reiterates that it sends a politically strong message that the United States was not invited to this summit. “Mexico is regaining a leadership role that was somewhat lost in the region and is bringing the question of a common front to the table. “The region needs to see that little will change from the United States to here,” he emphasizes.
López Obrador arrived this Saturday afternoon in Palenque, where he has a ranch. He arrived in a van and was greeted by his supporters with signs of affection, as he does every time he visits this place. The president plans to invite dignitaries for a two-hour private walking tour of the Palenque archaeological zone on Sunday morning. The plenary session begins at 12 p.m., where each head of state or representative is expected to give a statement and a discussion begins. This part of the program will also be private, as will the meal afterwards. Foreign Minister Alicia Bárcena and spokespeople for Latin American leaders will deliver a joint message at two o’clock in the afternoon.
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