The Diplomat
The State Secretary for Ibero-America and the Caribbean and Spanish in the World, Juan Fernández Trigo, and the U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs, Emily Mendrala, chaired last Wednesday in Madrid the first meeting of the Spain-US Working Group on Central America.
As reported by the two governments in a joint press release, the meeting also brought together representatives of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the Department of Homeland Security, the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID) and the Ministry of Inclusion, Social Security and Migration.
The meeting confirmed that “both countries share the priority of supporting institutional strengthening, democratic governance, civil society, the fight against corruption and against gender violence in the region,” the note continues. Both countries also agreed on “the importance of supporting human rights defenders, journalists and people in vulnerable situations such as, among others, indigenous peoples, Afro-descendant communities and the LGTBI+ community”.
Both delegations also addressed the need to promote sustainable and inclusive development that allows for the generation of opportunities in Central American countries. Finally, the Working Group studied proposals and actions to jointly address, with the countries of the region, the challenges posed by forced displacement and irregular migratory movements in and from Central America.
“The creation of this working group is a clear demonstration of the willingness of Spain and the United States to collaborate on a host of global matters,” the press release continues. This working group will continue to meet regularly to further the strong partnership between Spain and the United States on our policy in Latin America.
