With courage, hard work, leadership and help from its neighbors, the Northern Triangle could follow in Colombia’s footsteps. Given that America’s drug addiction contributes to the misery in the Northern Triangle, we need to be part of that effort. We can’t do it for them, but we have a moral — and fiscal — obligation to help.
Over the past decade, our nation has spent nearly $250 billion to strengthen our borders and enforce our immigration laws. Meanwhile, we have spent less than 1 percent of that amount to help address the root causes — fear, hopelessness, lack of economic opportunity and corruption — that compel so many Central Americans to risk life and limb to come here.
The children and families arriving at our border truly are some of the neighbors we’re reminded to love as ourselves in the parable of the good Samaritan. By tackling the root causes driving this surge in migration, and helping these countries help themselves, we will not only make a meaningful difference in the lives of millions of people — we’ll likely save American taxpayers billions of dollars.I'd say he is a bit too optimistic about the sustainability of Central American initiatives of the last few months and, perhaps, Colombian success. I'm not sure what type of commitment he is looking to support but one could read this as US support for drug policy reform, billions in assistance, and, if Colombia is a model, increased US military and security personnel. Senator Carper's call to arms works nicely with the Northern Triangle's Alliance for Prosperity, which he mentions, but is he calling for support beyond the region's hyper-infrastructure plan?
Anyway, I am happy to hear a US Senator calling for the US government to engage with Central America in a way that does not emphasize increased militarization of the border and punishment as a result of being too poor as does Rep. Randy Weber (R-TX).
Thank you.
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