If the United States is serious about wanting to reduce the migrant surge at the border, President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said the U.S. government must earmark at least US$20 billion in aid to Latin American and Caribbean countries to kickstart massive regional development, and thus begin to address “the root causes” of the problem.
In an interview with CBS’s “60 Minutes” news program, he said the flow of migrants will remain the same if the United States refuses to provide the funding needed to improve the living conditions of millions of people in the region.
However, Lopez Obrador said he would continue efforts to secure the Mexican border even without his demand for aid being met.
His comments, which also included a plea to lift sanctions on Venezuela and end the Cuban embargo, received different responses from Joe Biden’s White House and the likely Republican Party presidential candidate, former President Donald Trump.
Talking to Fox News, Trump said he would never bow to such demands, regardless if they were made either by Lopez Obrador—for whom he has expressed some admiration—or his successor. “They would never say that to me. They want $10 billion a year. I wouldn’t give them 10 cents,” he said.
According to a report by Fox News, a White House National Security Council spokesperson told the network that “frank, candid and respectful conversations” are an important part of the bilateral relationship, but that national interest forms the basis of policy decisions, while stressing that Mexico is “an important partner in multiple areas,” including migration.