Vice President Kamala Harris hosted President Bernardo Arévalo of Guatemala at the White House with the goal of affirming the strong ties and partnership between the U.S. and Guatemala. This meeting reviewed the achievements in tackling the root causes of migration from Guatemala by promoting job creation, governance, and community investment. The U.S. pledges an additional $170 million in aid for development, economic, health, and security initiatives.
These key initiatives include:
A $50 million "Guatemala Se Transforma" Initiative to strengthen the rule of law within security and justice institutions.
Expansion of the Central American Service Corps, aiming to engage 2,800 at-risk youths in its first year through volunteer, training, and employment opportunities, with a vision to reach 25,000 over five years.
Technical assistance for regulatory reforms through the Commerce Law Development Program to enhance infrastructure and public-private partnerships and to address issues like extortion and criminal activities at ports.
A Trade Capacity Building program to promote secure textiles and apparel trade between the U.S. and Guatemala.
An upcoming visit by a U.S. Investment Facilitation Team to support clean energy and infrastructure development.
Implementation of a Feed the Future program to scale agricultural technologies for "Climate Smart" agriculture.
A new USAID program for biodiversity conservation focusing on significant reserves and coastal areas.
The Women’s Economic Empowerment Legal Reform Fund Project to support reforms enhancing women's workforce participation and rights.
A $1.5 million funding to foster inclusive public policies and accountability through multi-stakeholder engagement.
Guatemala's inclusion in the SHE WINS project to support indigenous women’s civic participation.
These initiatives build on earlier successes, such as the Guatemala Entrepreneurship Development Initiative and the Young Women’s Empowerment Initiative, which have significantly contributed to job creation, agricultural development, and educational advancements. Further efforts include countering gender-based violence, supporting labor pathways through the H-2 visa program, and facilitating family reunification for Guatemalans with pending immigration visas.
President Biden congratulated President Arévalo on his January inauguration and reaffirmed the commitment to a strong U.S.-Guatemala partnership. Following Arévalo's meeting with Vice President Harris, the leaders discussed topics such as good governance, migration management, democracy, and mutual interests. Biden thanked Arévalo for leading the upcoming Los Angeles Declaration for Protection and Migration Summit and highlighted the significance of progressing the Biden-Harris Administration’s strategy for tackling the root causes of migration in Central America.
Vice President Harris and the Partnership for Central America (PCA) have announced over $1 billion in new private sector commitments under the Central America Forward (CAF) initiative to create economic opportunities in Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras, aiming to address migration causes. This adds to over $5.2 billion in commitments since May 2021. More than 50 companies and organizations across various sectors are involved, with investments aimed at job creation, digital economy integration, small business financing access, and training for youth, women, and workers.
Key new commitments include Acceso's $3.6 million investment in local food systems, Banco Cuscatlan's $30 million in financial inclusion in El Salvador, Corporación AG's $150 million investment in Guatemala's steel production, Ficohsa's $490 million SME loan portfolio expansion, JA Worldwide's $3.6 million in labor skills training, Meta's training for 250,000 people, Pearson's educational access for English learners, Pantaleon's $42 million investment in an industrial park, and Conecta's $260 million in electrical projects in Guatemala.
These investments contribute to job creation, digital access, financial inclusion, skilling, food security, and climate adaptation. They also support entrepreneurship and small businesses, with significant progress in integrating people into the formal economy and expanding digital access. Further updates include the launch of the Good Governance, Good Jobs Declaration, investment facilitation teams exploring regional projects, the Central America Service Corps' youth engagement, the Regional Civil Society Council's establishment, and initiatives like the Financial Inclusion Consortium for Central American Remittances and the In Her Hands gender equity initiative.
Vice President Harris continued leading the U.S. strategy to address the root causes of migration from Central America (El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras) by tackling economic insecurity, corruption, human rights issues, violence, and sexual and gender-based violence through five pillars. The aim is to improve local conditions, making migration less compelling. The administration is on track with its commitment to provide $4 billion over four years to the region, with significant impacts noted:
Economic Growth: Support for 23,000 firms and creation/sustainment of 250,000 jobs.
Education: Reaching 3 million youths in areas of high migration through educational support.
Entrepreneurship and Jobs: Over $325 million was invested by the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation in various sectors, aiming to empower SMEs with a focus on women and rural borrowers.
Agriculture and Food Security: Enhancement through USAID’s Feed the Future programs, benefiting 63,000 farmers and unlocking $57 million in agricultural finance.
Labor Rights: Improvement through Department of Labor projects, increasing capacity of labor rights actors.
Anti-Trafficking and Smuggling: Significant convictions, arrests, and asset seizures under Joint Task Force Alpha.
Continued Initiatives: New and ongoing efforts across all pillars, including investment in technology entrepreneurs, supply chain improvements, soil mapping projects for food security, support for repatriated migrants, women entrepreneur empowerment, enhanced education and vocational training, accountability for corrupt actors, justice sector training, promotion of labor rights, civil society support, countering firearms trafficking, narcotics seizures, police training, youth violence prevention, and gender-based violence awareness and victim support.
This comprehensive approach demonstrates the Biden-Harris Administration's commitment to addressing the complex factors driving migration by fostering hope, opportunity, and prosperity in Central America.
President Biden had a telephone conversation with Taoiseach Leo Varadkar of Ireland to acknowledge his seven years of service in top government positions. Following a St. Patrick’s Day celebration at the White House, they looked back on their collaborative efforts, highlighting the strengthening of U.S.-Ireland connections in terms of people and economic ties. They also discussed recent positive developments in Northern Ireland, including the restoration of its Executive and Assembly, emphasizing the importance of these institutions in upholding the Belfast/Good Friday Agreement's achievements. President Biden expressed his anticipation of further enhancing U.S.-Irish relations with Varadkar's successor, to be elected by the Dáil.
White House National Security Communications Advisor John Kirby held an on-the-record press gaggle via teleconference where he addressed the U.S. abstention on a U.N. Security Council resolution for a ceasefire in Gaza and the release of all hostages, emphasizing it doesn't signify a shift in U.S. policy. Kirby highlighted ongoing support for a ceasefire as part of a hostage deal. He noted the resolution's lack of condemnation for Hamas as a reason for abstention, despite its alignment with U.S. views on ceasefire and hostage release. The briefing also covered the anticipated visit of Guatemalan President Arévalo, emphasizing U.S. support for good governance in Guatemala.
Kirby responded to inquiries about the potential impacts of the U.S. vote on Israeli relations and meetings, including Prime Minister Netanyahu's reaction and the scheduled visit of Israeli Defense Minister Gallant. Discussions on alternatives to a ground operation in Rafah were mentioned, with Kirby expressing disappointment over Israel's decision to cancel the delegation's visit to the U.S.
Further, Kirby touched on upcoming sanctions against the Chinese Ministry of State Security for cyber intrusions, reiterating the U.S. stance on vigilant monitoring of ISIS-K and denying any shift in U.S. policy or military support for Israel despite abstaining from condemning Hamas in the U.N. resolution. Kirby concluded by addressing concerns over security cooperation with Russia and misinformation linking Ukraine to the ISIS-K attack in Moscow, firmly stating there would be no security cooperation with Russia and dismissing any links between Ukraine and the attack.
The Biden-Harris Administration has announced new initiatives to bolster small businesses within the childcare sector, emphasizing support for millions of working families. These measures, unveiled during a roundtable led by senior White House officials, encompass the following:
Funding Opportunities: The Small Business Administration (SBA) will introduce new funding for small childcare businesses through its Women Business Center program, aiming to expand childcare availability, enhance accessibility and affordability, and uplift quality standards.
Child Care Guide Development: The SBA will also fund the creation of a comprehensive guide to assist entrepreneurs in starting and operating childcare businesses. The guide will cover crucial aspects like capital access, licensing, and taxation.
Lender Campaign: A campaign to engage lenders in supporting small, minority-owned, and women-owned childcare businesses, potentially expanding eligibility for nonprofit childcare providers under SBA's key loan programs.
This announcement kicks off the "Month of Action on Care," a part of President Biden's Care Worker Recognition Month, reflecting ongoing efforts to improve the care economy. The administration aims to tackle the structural challenges in child care, marked by low wages for workers, high costs for families, and an inadequate supply of quality care. The administration's broad actions, including lowering costs for military families and proposing pay increases for Head Start teachers, demonstrate a comprehensive approach to enhancing childcare accessibility and affordability. The Fiscal Year 2025 Budget further underscores this commitment by proposing significant investments to ensure affordable, high-quality child care for all families.
A press briefing was held by Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre and White House National Security Communications Advisor John Kirby, covering the following key topics:
President Biden called Taoiseach Leo Varadkar of Ireland to acknowledge his service and discuss the U.S.-Ireland relationship. They reflected on shared priorities, including the restoration of Northern Ireland's Executive and Assembly and the importance of the Belfast Good Friday Agreement.
The Biden administration announced a $6 billion investment for 33 projects across the U.S. to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and support union jobs, marking the largest investment in industrial decarbonization in U.S. history.
The Supreme Court will hear an appeal regarding the medication abortion drug mifepristone. The administration supports the FDA’s approval of mifepristone as safe and effective and opposes attacks on women’s health decisions.
The President and Vice President’s planned trip to North Carolina to contrast their administration’s vision for the future with the Republican vision, highlighting Republican proposals they believe would harm Medicare and Social Security and increase costs for the public.
The U.S. abstained from voting on a resolution calling for a ceasefire in Gaza until the end of Ramadan and the release of hostages, indicating no shift in U.S. policy but acknowledging the importance of linking a ceasefire with the hostage release.
The briefing discussed confusion and disappointment with Israel's decision not to send a delegation to Washington, emphasizing that the U.S. policy has not changed and expressing perplexity over the perceived shift.
Discussions included the need for more funding and resources at the southern border, with the Biden administration urging Congress to pass a supplemental budget for border security.
The briefing concluded with a Q&A session with members of the press.
President Biden emphasized his long-standing support for law enforcement and his administration's efforts to combat the surge in violent crime inherited from the previous administration. His actions include the American Rescue Plan, which resulted in significant federal investment in public safety and violence prevention, and the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act aimed at gun violence prevention. Despite these measures, which led to a notable decrease in crime according to FBI data, the Republican Study Committee, representing a significant portion of House Republicans, proposes to defund key law enforcement initiatives like the Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) program. This move contrasts sharply with Biden's proposals, which include substantial funding for hiring more police officers, supporting mental health initiatives, and enforcing stricter gun control measures. Biden's budget proposals aim to further bolster law enforcement and crime prevention efforts, underlining a significant policy divide between his administration and Republican lawmakers.
Vice President Harris welcomes Guatemala’s president Bernardo Arévalo to The White House
