No menu items!

COSTA RICA'S LEADING ENGLISH LANGUAGE NEWSPAPER

HomeTopicsGlobalObama to request $1 billion from Congress to help Central America ...

Obama to request $1 billion from Congress to help Central America

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. President Barack Obama’s administration hopes to increase funding to Central America to $1 billion next year as part of a drive to boost relations with southern neighbors, bolster security and stem illegal immigration.

“On Monday, President Obama will request from Congress $1 billion to help Central America’s leaders make the difficult reforms and investments required to address the region’s interlocking security, governance and economic challenges,” Vice President Joe Biden said Thursday.

“The economies of El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras remain bogged down as the rest of the Americas surge forward,” he wrote in an opinion article published by The New York Times. “Inadequate education, institutional corruption, rampant crime and a lack of investment are holding these countries back.”

With many economic migrants to the United States coming from the region legally and illegally, the U.S. has a vested interest in improving stability — which has been hit by poverty, rampant gang warfare and drug trafficking.

The proposal is part of Obama’s 2016 budget plan — to be unveiled fully next week — which would first have to be approved by a hostile Republican-controlled Congress.

Trending Now

World Tourism Day 2025 Focuses on Sustainable Transformation

Today marks World Tourism Day, held every September 27 to highlight tourism's role in economies and communities worldwide. This year's theme, "Tourism and Sustainable...

Panama Ranches Adopt New Measures to Curb Jaguar Attacks

An increasing number of farms in Panama are taking steps to reduce jaguar attacks on livestock, showing that coexistence between people and these American...

AI in Latin America Nears US, Europe Use—But Talent Lags, says Google

The outlook for artificial intelligence in Latin America is promising, but the region still has low levels of training in this technology, says Google’s...

Costa Rica Unveils $800M Electric Train for San José Metro Area

Costa Rica has rolled out plans for a new electric train system aimed at easing traffic snarls in the Greater Metropolitan Area. President Rodrigo...

U.S. Embassy Tightens Visa Rules for Costa Ricans Starting October 1

The U.S. Embassy here has rolled out new guidelines for nonimmigrant visa applications, making in-person interviews the norm for most applicants. The changes, set...

Costa Rican Court Orders Uber to Pay Millions in Driver Benefits

Costa Rican courts have dealt another blow to Uber, ruling that the ride-hailing company must treat drivers as employees rather than independent contractors. In...
spot_img
Costa Rica Coffee Maker Chorreador
Costa Rica Coffee Maker Chorreador
Costa Rica Travel Insurance
Costa Rica Rocking Chait
Costa Rica Travel

Latest News from Costa Rica